Will Medical Schools Consider the Difficulty of Schedule When Looking At GPA?

[bruins2012]

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Here's my question...
I posted on the what are my chances forum with my GPA and Science GPA, which are both approximately a 3.3. But, when I have been reading other posts, I feel like I took a pretty difficult schedule, especially for my freshman year. Here's what it looked like...

Semester 1:
Biology I
General Chemistry I
Freshman Comp
Seminar in Biology
Freshman Seminar (A Literature-Based Class: General Education)
16 Hours total
Semester 2:
Biology II
General Chemistry II
Intro to Political Science
Statistics (with a Lab)
Introductory Religion
18 Hours total
Summer:
Physics I
Physics II (not complete yet, so not in GPA)
Health and Wellness (not complete yet, so not in GPA)
10 Hours total

I could be completely wrong, but I know if I hadn't taken all of my sciences together, my GPA would have been MUCH higher. Will a med school look at this and say "Hey. She took a challenge, but her GPA isn't stellar."
I'm probably overreacting...but I'm just concerned. Thanks for the help.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

not trying to be mean, but your schedule doesn't look particularly challenging

 

[danny317]

i dont think youll get special consideration just bc you decided to take a bunch of your science classes all at once. while you did have a lot of credit hours, those classes werent very difficult classes. just wait until you get into upperdivision courses.

dont worry though, you still have plenty of time. but id focus less on quantity and more on quality.

good luck!

 

[Phosphorus Ylide]

I assume that since the majority of applicants are science majors, especially during junior and senior years when almost all of their courses are upper-division, that the adcoms will probably not be especially forgiving of a lower gpa. I do know hear that they like upward trends though, so if you improve your gpa for subsequent semesters, I don't think it'd be the end of the world.
I myself was a major change and my first few years of college were mediocre at best. I would just try to do really well in your upper-division courses and have the results speak for themselves. GL. 🙂

 

[tjquinn]

I agree with the rest of the posters, taking >20 credits might be considered a tough load.

 

[reisub]

A few schools definitely do look at the quality and difficulty of your courses, grade trends, etc. But they seem to be fairly rare. Analyzing everyone's grades is just too time consuming for the number of applications most schools receive every year.

You may not get much slack for packing all your prereqs together because a lot of people manage it with all 'A's. If you can't handle it, retake courses that are eligible for grade replacement and plan your schedule better in the future.

 

[camaras2480]

A few schools definitely do look at the quality and difficulty of your courses, grade trends, etc. But they seem to be fairly rare. Analyzing everyone's grades is just too time consuming for the number of applications most schools receive every year.

You may not get much slack for packing all your prereqs together because a lot of people manage it with all 'A's. If you can't handle it, retake courses that are eligible for grade replacement and plan your schedule better in the future.

*very rare

*probably will not

 

[jvesco22]

not trying to be mean, but your schedule doesn't look particularly challenging

^ This

 

[bruins2012]

Thanks for the responses. It was difficult compared to the other Pre-Meds at my school, but may not be compared to everyone else. I also was dealing with a health condition during late first semester and nearly all of second semester (which thank goodness is now under control) which severely affected me in just about every aspect of my life, but I kept pushing through, which may have done me more harm than good (both GPA and health wise). That's probably not an excuse either, but I hope that somewhere I can put that so that might explain some of the reason for faltering. I went from a 3.5 cGPA first semester to a 3.18 cGPA second semester just because I couldn't get my health under control. 🙁 I'm sure other students have been in the same situations, but it is something else that played a HUGE part in the GPA decline.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

Thanks for the responses. It was difficult compared to the other Pre-Meds at my school, but may not be compared to everyone else. I also was dealing with a health condition during late first semester and nearly all of second semester (which thank goodness is now under control) which severely affected me in just about every aspect of my life, but I kept pushing through, which may have done me more harm than good (both GPA and health wise). That's probably not an excuse either, but I hope that somewhere I can put that so that might explain some of the reason for faltering. I went from a 3.5 cGPA first semester to a 3.18 cGPA second semester just because I couldn't get my health under control. 🙁 I'm sure other students have been in the same situations, but it is something else that played a HUGE part in the GPA decline.

dude you still have a TON of time to make up those grades which aren't terrible to start with. a lot of us will give our left nuts for that. buck up and focus on improving.

 

[camaras2480]

dude you still have a TON of time to make up those grades which aren't terrible to start with. a lot of us will give our left nuts for that. buck up and focus on improving.

You have more than one left nut? Weird

 

[redlight]

no excuses. hunker down and make the grades.

you cant expect a great mcat if you are not mastering the pre-reqs.

find and fix whatever is keeping you from A's.

i'd advise slowing down on courses until you've fixed the issue (and no it cant all be your health issues because semester #1 was not close to a 4.0). once you build a lot of credits it's tough to get a significant cgpa boost.

 

[danny317]

once you build a lot of credits it's tough to get a significant cgpa boost.

op, now that you have your medical condition in check, you should really apply yourself so that you can take advantage of your remaining time in school. remember, quality over quantity!

 

[RogueUnicorn]

You have more than one left nut? Weird

wait, don't everyone?

 

[camaras2480]

wait, don't everyone?

lol as a girl, my simple understanding suggests that there is one left nut and one right nut. lol

and certainly not "everyone" has nuts...i don't see any here 😛

 

[RogueUnicorn]

lol as a girl, my simple understanding suggests that there is one left nut and one right nut. lol

and certainly not "everyone" has nuts...i don't see any here 😛

both these revelations are turning my world upside down

 

[camaras2480]

both these revelations are turning my world upside down

oh gosh, i hope that doesn't affect your interview performance. i'm not sure they would like it if you walked in on your hands.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

oh gosh, i hope that doesn't affect your interview performance. i'm not sure they would like it if you walked in on your hands.

here i was thinking i'd walk in normally but they'd be hanging from the ceiling. a matter of perspective

 

[camaras2480]

here i was thinking i'd walk in normally but they'd be hanging from the ceiling. a matter of perspective

that could actually be badass, since your interviewer might be spiderman!

 

[RogueUnicorn]

that could actually be badass, since your interviewer might be spiderman!

maybe i can get an upside down kiss if not an admission

 

[Doodl3s]

I took Honors Bio/Honors Chem(which we did quantum machanics!) my first year with two other classes each semester for a total of 18 credits (A's in both of those sciences)

soph. year I took Physics, Orgo, AND Molecular Cell biology (one of the hardest bio courses at my school) and got an A in ALL of them both semesters... that was a total of 19 credits per semester!

my advisor said.... I'm an idiot for taking all of those, med schools don't even wanna see that many sciences at once... and yes, the word idiot was used.

 

[camaras2480]

maybe i can get an upside down kiss if not an admission

hahaha

 

[camaras2480]

I took Honors Bio/Honors Chem(which we did quantum machanics!) my first year with two other classes each semester for a total of 18 credits (A's in both of those sciences)

soph. year I took Physics, Orgo, AND Molecular Cell biology (one of the hardest bio courses at my school) and got an A in ALL of them both semesters... that was a total of 19 credits per semester!

my advisor said.... I'm an idiot for taking all of those, med schools don't even wanna see that many sciences at once... and yes, the word idiot was used.

lol. interesting adviser. no one should be downplaying straight As, that just seems ridiculous. i think ur adviser is angry because they never got straight As.

 

[Dr Wake N Bake]

Going along the same lines as the strength of your schedule, I've been told that med schools definitely factor in the strength of your school as well. An A in orgo at Harvard is much more impressive than the same A received from the South Harmon Institute of Technology.

 

[camaras2480]

Going along the same lines as the strength of your schedule, I've been told that med schools definitely factor in the strength of your school as well. An A in orgo at Harvard is much more impressive than the same A received from the South Harmon Institute of Technology.

Meh, I can't entirely agree with this, although it is true - sometimes.

This type of thing generally factors in as more of a "tie breaker" between 2 candidates, not at the screening levels.

 

[bruins2012]

I am going to work my butt off. I'm not even dreaming of Top-tier med schools b/c i pretty much know I'd have no chance of getting in. I'm hoping for a state school (University of Tennessee at Memphis is my number one choice) not only for the state residency status, but the fact that it is considerably less expensive than say, Vanderbilt. Hopefully, I'll be able to do fairly well on the MCAT too. I made B's in General Bio and Gen. Chem, even though my understanding was on an A level (stupid group projects lowered my average considerably...my test and lab averages were A's).
I'm just a little concerned...but I've got 5 semesters left.

 

[camaras2480]

I am going to work my butt off. I'm not even dreaming of Top-tier med schools b/c i pretty much know I'd have no chance of getting in. I'm hoping for a state school (University of Tennessee at Memphis is my number one choice) not only for the state residency status, but the fact that it is considerably less expensive than say, Vanderbilt. Hopefully, I'll be able to do fairly well on the MCAT too. I made B's in General Bio and Gen. Chem, even though my understanding was on an A level (stupid group projects lowered my average considerably...my test and lab averages were A's).
I'm just a little concerned...but I've got 5 semesters left.

Yeah, you'll need ~4.0s through those 5 semesters. That should pull you to like 3.5 I would guess? Then, with a 32+ MCAT, you will be an excellent candidate at UTenn. Also, I could be wrong, but I have a feeling UTenn takes the highest composite MCAT score? I don't know but for some reason I have that in my crazy head.

 

[bruins2012]

I figured it out with that GPA calculator thing and if I pull straight A's from here on out...I will have a 3.81 cGPA and a 3.76 sGPA. Straight A's are DEFINITELY my goal. I won't be taking the MCAT until January of 2011, but will be doing a prep-course for that, so hopefully a 32 will be attainable (It better be after spending that money on a prep course. :/ ) I really want to stay in Tennessee and practice, so hopefully that will give me a little boost in the application process.

 

[camaras2480]

I figured it out with that GPA calculator thing and if I pull straight A's from here on out...I will have a 3.81 cGPA and a 3.76 sGPA. Straight A's are DEFINITELY my goal. I won't be taking the MCAT until January of 2011, but will be doing a prep-course for that, so hopefully a 32 will be attainable (It better be after spending that money on a prep course. :/ ) I really want to stay in Tennessee and practice, so hopefully that will give me a little boost in the application process.

Oh sorry I typo'd, I meant 3.8 haha. Stupid number pad!

Remember though, even a 30 makes you a great candidate at UTenn, I was just saying 32 because that would really make you an excellent candidate.

 

[bruins2012]

Thanks for your help! 🙂

 

[camaras2480]

Thanks for your help! 🙂

No problem - good luck!! Check back with us when you have more grades!

 

[bruins2012]

oh i will definitely do that! it's really nice to have other people's advice...other than my pre-med advisor!🙂

 

[RPxXCRaZy]

oh i will definitely do that! it's really nice to have other people's advice...other than my pre-med advisor!🙂

i completely understand your situation (so much so that this is my first post on sdn even though i registered months ago 😀)
i took four honors courses both semesters last year (my freshman year), which proved to be too much (honors bio/chem, honors writing, honors literature)
so i ended up w/ a lower gpa than i had anticipated
but i'm hoping to be on an upward trend (i have six semesters left before i graduate)
if i pull straight As, i will have a 3.92 cGPA and a 3.78 sGPA (very similar to your situation)
i hope we both succeed 🙂
btw, i'm assuming you go to ucla??? b/c i go to usc 😛