Full Answer
Med schools don't really care about courseload as much as undergrads like to think (assuming you maintain full time status), only the GPA. Nor do they really care about course selection, major or other attempts to show you are taking "hard" courses. Just take what you enjoy (plus the prereqs) at what ever rate allows you to get straight A's.
I took on average just over 14 hours per semester. My rule of thumb is you should graduate in 4 years, but 5 is ok in some special cases. Course load and undergraduate institution should matter, but I'd say it depends on the medical school. You cannot tell me that 18 credits at MIT with a 3.4 is equivalent to 12 credits and a 3.7 somewhere else.
I would say course load would matter if you were taking 12 credits and did nothing but that. If you are heavily involved in ECs, have a job, etc. then a lighter course load is not really a big deal.
I honestly don't believe an admissions committee will hold it against you if don't take a full course load because you have to work full time. There are many older non-traditional students who apply to med school every year, who had no choice but to work full time and could not load up on courses every semester.
Med schools don't really care about courseload as much as undergrads like to think (assuming you maintain full time status), only the GPA. Nor do they really care about course selection, major or other attempts to show you are taking "hard" courses.
"Most medical schools expect their students to work 60-80 hours a week every week." Success in medical school requires persistence, according to physicians. "Think of it as intellectual and endurance boot camp that lasts four years.
Since research is not a requirement at most medical schools, there's no minimum number of hours you should be spending at the lab.
Taking classes part-time, as far as I can tell, will not affect your chances at all. Med schools are taking into consideration how well you're able to balance everything else in your life, so if you were doing it due to work, ect, they should still be able to make a decision based on that.
How Many Hours Should a Medical Student Study? Some medical students study anywhere between 8-11 hours a day during their exam period, with most students hovering around the 3-5 hour mark on a normal day.
Despite our relatively few in-class hours, medical school does take up a frighteningly large proportion of your time. That being said, between studying (about 30-40 hours per week), class, and clinical work, there are little pockets of completely free time to be discovered and treasured.
Within that range, it is a 50% chance. Since only 40% of applicants get into medical school every year, this means that being within a range that has a 50% acceptance rate makes your GPA above average. This also means, that having 3.7-3.8 cGPA makes you way above average.
around 100-120 hoursIf you want to put a number on it, around 100-120 hours is a good ideal range. Shadowing one doctor for one day will be approximately 10 hours, so if you can shadow multiple doctors for a total of 10 days spread over time, (even over a year or so if you start early), then you can easily hit your target.
Provided you'll get enough time, exposure, and mentorship, physician shadowing does count as clinical experience.
According to medical school admissions specialists, it is certainly possible for someone age 30 or over to be accepted into med school. However, some people may incorrectly tell you that you are too old and that it is too late to apply to med school or you're at a handicap as an older applicant.
No, med schools don't call every contact listed on every application. Doing so would be too time intensive and only extend the selection process. Contacts that stand out for their significance (a possible friend or person well known to admissions committees) may be called however.
Premed students can find relevant jobs that both pay and look good on medical school applications. By Renee Marinelli, M.D.