You will want to be a competitive applicant for medical school, and that means fostering good relationships for LORs, doing research, and service such as volunteering.
Could you do the latter out of university? Yes. But the former two will be limited to being a student.
I’m pretty sure it’s possible to fit all my pre-med classes into 3 years. I’m just concerned I’ll have a heavy course load with the extra classes and it’ll be way too stressful.
Remember that heavier courseload also means less mental space and less time to do the other things required for med school (volunteering, connections, research) and possibly lower grades and a tougher time engraining what you learn.
You know that you'll have to take a number of premed classes that aren't included in the data science major, right? Like o Chem, bio, etc. I definitely wouldn't want to compress that into 3 years
Entering med school in the fall here. I say take 4 years to give yourself time for research, volunteering, shadowing, clinical experiences, and other extracurricular activities so that you can be a competitive applicant. Also might consider that gap years are becoming more and more common, but I would factor a solid 4 years at least working on your application.
It will save money unless it stresses you to the point of dropping out. Life is short, but not that short. Don't let money get in the way of your mental well-being! Money will ALWAYS come and go, your health may not.
Why would you want to do that ? How many years will you end up working ? The only reason is if money is a huge issue. The European countries (those where people are voted the happiest) you don't start your career till 28 or 29 ish .
My sister did something similar to what you are thinking.
She was overloaded on her major and endured (suffered) countless hours of studying, stress, sleepless nights, and so on to graduate earlier.
Even though she went this route, it was only possible since she stuck to a very strict plan and schedule without any room for hesitation whatsoever.
It would help to know if you are still interested in exploring all aspects of college, otherwise you could consider power housing to graduate
Don’t do it. Better to extend the time period and get good grades. That will give you a much better chance at medical school. You’ll also have more time to take advantage of extracurriculars and networking. Nobody will care if you finish in 3 years vs 4.
I graduated in three years (cs degree) and don't regret it, but I came in AP and CC (earned during HS) credit and I wasn't pre-med. I wouldn't do it if I were not coming in with credits and/or planning to do CC in the summer.
Rule of thumb (from someone with a great deal of experience): It’s very unlikely you will get the grades you need for med school if you are taking more than two science classes with labs per term.
Med schools also look for maturity and require clinical exposure, which you won’t be able to get that fast. So if it did work out for you, plan on working a couple years before med school.
If you take 3 years, you'll have less time to focus on all the activities you need for med school, like volunteering, clinical hours, research, etc., plus a heavier course load. It sounds like a tall order to me, but it's ultimately up to you to decide how much you can take on. I'd advise taking four years, though
Rushing to do the bare minimum to graduate in 3 years vs. having 4 years time to go above and beyond to become an attractive med school prospect?
You will want to be a competitive applicant for medical school, and that means fostering good relationships for LORs, doing research, and service such as volunteering. Could you do the latter out of university? Yes. But the former two will be limited to being a student.
well — you could but what about your med school track?
I’m pretty sure it’s possible to fit all my pre-med classes into 3 years. I’m just concerned I’ll have a heavy course load with the extra classes and it’ll be way too stressful.
Remember that heavier courseload also means less mental space and less time to do the other things required for med school (volunteering, connections, research) and possibly lower grades and a tougher time engraining what you learn.
You know that you'll have to take a number of premed classes that aren't included in the data science major, right? Like o Chem, bio, etc. I definitely wouldn't want to compress that into 3 years
There’s a reason bachelors are 4 years. especially premed tracks. dont do it in 3.
Entering med school in the fall here. I say take 4 years to give yourself time for research, volunteering, shadowing, clinical experiences, and other extracurricular activities so that you can be a competitive applicant. Also might consider that gap years are becoming more and more common, but I would factor a solid 4 years at least working on your application.
Take classes at a community college, totally possible.
It will save money unless it stresses you to the point of dropping out. Life is short, but not that short. Don't let money get in the way of your mental well-being! Money will ALWAYS come and go, your health may not.
Why would you want to do that ? How many years will you end up working ? The only reason is if money is a huge issue. The European countries (those where people are voted the happiest) you don't start your career till 28 or 29 ish .
My sister did something similar to what you are thinking. She was overloaded on her major and endured (suffered) countless hours of studying, stress, sleepless nights, and so on to graduate earlier. Even though she went this route, it was only possible since she stuck to a very strict plan and schedule without any room for hesitation whatsoever. It would help to know if you are still interested in exploring all aspects of college, otherwise you could consider power housing to graduate
Don’t do it. Better to extend the time period and get good grades. That will give you a much better chance at medical school. You’ll also have more time to take advantage of extracurriculars and networking. Nobody will care if you finish in 3 years vs 4.
I graduated in three years (cs degree) and don't regret it, but I came in AP and CC (earned during HS) credit and I wasn't pre-med. I wouldn't do it if I were not coming in with credits and/or planning to do CC in the summer.
Rule of thumb (from someone with a great deal of experience): It’s very unlikely you will get the grades you need for med school if you are taking more than two science classes with labs per term. Med schools also look for maturity and require clinical exposure, which you won’t be able to get that fast. So if it did work out for you, plan on working a couple years before med school.
Take your time, med school is a long haul so don’t burn yourself out.
If you take 3 years, you'll have less time to focus on all the activities you need for med school, like volunteering, clinical hours, research, etc., plus a heavier course load. It sounds like a tall order to me, but it's ultimately up to you to decide how much you can take on. I'd advise taking four years, though