Part time status harmful? hard courses?

[staphkills]

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Hi all,

I'm currently finishing up my third year and planning courses for my senior year. I'm planning on taking one year off before applying, and will take the MCAT during the summer after my senior year.

Since I'll be done with my graduation/major course requirement, I'm in a position where I can have the option to declare part-time status the last quarter of my senior year (so I'll be taking half as much courses as any other quarters) mainly for financial reasons and extra time to study for the MCAT.

Is taking part time status for one quarter frowned upon? Also, is it looked down upon on not taking as much "hard" upper division science courses? My major doesn't require many courses that other majors are required to take that many undergrads often say is "hard", and I feel that me not taking such coures plus my senior year part time status will be a negative factor.

...or am I just overanalyzing things? Thank you for your time,

 

[PTPoeny]

So basically you finished enough of the classes that you need to graduate that the ones you have left don't fill up an entire quarter?

I personally would see that as evidence of good planning, but I am not involved in admissions at all.

I'm guessing that you are applying MD/PhD? (why else would you be posting here?) Are you going to be doing research in your year off? Could you contact whoever you will be doing research with and start doing some background reading on their project during your MCAT study breaks? That way you could legitimately say that you took a lighter course load to start doing research and also study for the MCATs.

 

[staphkills]

Thank you for your reply,

Yes, I'll be taking two years off to spend in a lab before applying md/phd.

The main reason this works is because I will have many units from doing my senior thesis in my current research lab during my junior and senior year, so these units can take the place for some upper division science courses in other majors. (so I guess I won't have around 1/6th less upper division science courses than others.

During my part time status and the summer before I enter the lab, I'm going to be studying for the MCAT and take it before I enter the lab. (which is why part time status will really help me).

Just out of curiosity, how is coursework judged? Will having slightly less upper division science courses be looked down upon? (I've also taken a few graduate seminars (pass, no pass) and may be taking one graduate course during my part time status.

Thank you for your help!

 

[bd4727]

This won't matter, and frankly I doubt anyone would even notice.

With regard to upper level science courses, it sort of depends on how you do on the MCAT. If you kill it, no one will question your ability to learn difficult material and apply it. If you don't do so well and have no other evidence to demonstrate that you can perform academically at a high level than that could be more of an issue.