23 and Undecided

[LupoUNCO]

I'm going on 23 and still have no idea what I want to major in. None of my parents went to college so it's been a tough road. I do know that I completely love science; Biology, Chemistry, Physics all of it. I've tried majoring in business but no matter what I just can't pull away from science I love it too much. I've recently flirted with the idea of becoming a doctor (surgeon because I love fixing things especially the human body) but I have no idea what I'm in for in terms of financial, can I handle the blood, the long hours, am I academically suited for it etc. I currently have a 3.0 GPA I put in a decent amount of studying but I can definitely try a lot harder. If I were to apply to medical school could I write in my essay that I didn't know I wanted to be a doctor until I came to college and started taking science classes seriously and prove it with an upward GPA trend? Also are there any good sources like websites and personal quizzes about whether I can handle being a doctor or not? Thanks in advance.

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[TriagePreMed]

You can write anything you want in your personal statement.

If you're interested in sciences in general, most schools offer a generic "Natural Sciences" degree. You may want to look into that.

I suggest you do some shadowing or volunteering before committing to the pre-med route.

 

[CrushMCAT]

Shadowing, clinical volunteering, and perusing these forums.

Grab a documentary DVD such as Doctor's Diaries or one in an ER setting to see the less glamorous side of medicine.

You're asking questions so that is a good start.

 

[0919mmk]

I'm going on 23 and still have no idea what I want to major in. None of my parents went to college so it's been a tough road. I do know that I completely love science; Biology, Chemistry, Physics all of it. I've tried majoring in business but no matter what I just can't pull away from science I love it too much. I've recently flirted with the idea of becoming a doctor (surgeon because I love fixing things especially the human body) but I have no idea what I'm in for in terms of financial, can I handle the blood, the long hours, am I academically suited for it etc. I currently have a 3.0 GPA I put in a decent amount of studying but I can definitely try a lot harder. If I were to apply to medical school could I write in my essay that I didn't know I wanted to be a doctor until I came to college and started taking science classes seriously and prove it with an upward GPA trend? Also are there any good sources like websites and personal quizzes about whether I can handle being a doctor or not? Thanks in advance.

Yes, what the others said. To answer your Q, yes, you can say that in your personal statement - many of us non-trads do. I didn't decide on pre-med till just after graduating college. It's not a problem, you just have to show that you are committed and know what you are getting in to by having a ton of medical volunteering and shadowing.