Taking courses elective pass/fail

[bwc]

Is it true that as a pre med you are expected to take all courses for a grade (unless it is mandatory credit/no credit or satisfactory/unsatisfactory), no matter how irrelevant it is to your major or medical school?

I've heard the following argument:

If you have grades of P, you can ask your school's registrar to reveal the actual grades on the transcript that goes to AMCAS, or medical schools can simply replace the P's with C's.

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[terra330]

I'm pretty sure it isn't true, especially if it's not a science course. AMCAS definitely doesn't replace a "pass" with a C -- it's just not factored into the GPA calculation. AMCAS won't ask what the actual grade was; they go by whatever is on the transcript.

Your school could still make it a pain to take a course pass/fail, especially if they know you're a pre-med.

 

[bwc]

Have you actually known somebody who has taken courses pass/fail and successfully gained admission?

Of course I know that AMCAS doesn't factor pass/fail grades into your GPA, but I was told that due to the competitiveness of medical schools, they look for any reason they can to rule out your application.

 

[ndafife]

Have you actually known somebody who has taken courses pass/fail and successfully gained admission?

Me.

 

[BluMist]

I was told they will reject applications based on neurotic SDN posts like this...

Read up on the AMCAS GPA reporting. You don't need to post this nonsense to both pre-allo and pre-dental. No one cares if you took tennis or underwater basket weaving pass/fail, and they are definitely not going to call up every registrar office to see if that P in tennis was really a C-.

but I was told that due to the competitiveness of medical schools, they look for any reason they can to rule out your application.

 

[Yleio381]

In my university there are some courses that are only available pass/fail, so it certainly won't destroy your application if you have a couple (it didn't destroy mine anyway).

It might be concerning if the pre-reqs are pass/fail or if the majority of your courses are. But overall don't stress about this.

The above posters are right in that it will not factor into your gpa.

 

[rocklobstr]

Is it true that as a pre med you are expected to take all courses for a grade (unless it is mandatory credit/no credit or satisfactory/unsatisfactory), no matter how irrelevant it is to your major or medical school?

I've heard the following argument:

If you have grades of P, you can ask your school's registrar to reveal the actual grades on the transcript that goes to AMCAS, or medical schools can simply replace the P's with C's.

I mean, I wouldn't take organic chemistry as a pass/fail, but some general ed class as a pass fail will have no bearing on your application. I've taken two P/F classes and haven't given it a second though, ever.