Medical schools' perspective on course difficulty

Yo! Quick question. Do med schools consider the difficulty level of the courses you take in undergrad while reviewing your application? Would courses' rigor influence the GPA they expect? Thanks for any insights, it would be super useful!

Hello! Indeed, medical schools take into account the rigor of your undergraduate coursework when evaluating your application. However, it's important to strike a balance. While taking challenging courses can show schools that you're academically capable and ambitious, you should also aim to maintain a solid GPA.

Medical schools generally expect to see a strong science GPA as well as a strong overall GPA, considering that medicine is a heavily science-oriented field. Schools are less likely to be forgiving of lower grades in rigorous courses, especially in core science classes such as biology, chemistry, or physics that directly relate to the medical profession.

It's also worth noting that for medical school admissions, taking more difficult classes in non-science disciplines won't necessarily look better than taking less difficult classes in those areas. They're primarily interested in your ability to handle challenging science coursework.

One way to tackle this is to take a combination of tough and somewhat less challenging courses each semester so you're still showing academic rigor, but also ensuring you can keep your grades up. I hope this gives you some clarity! Best of luck with your medical school journey!