switching from psychology major to behavioral neuroscience?

[kappacookie]

hello friends, i'm going to be a senior this fall, and i am seriously considering becoming a psychiatrist, which of course means that i need to apply to med school. BUT i am a psych student so i don't have the necessary science classes. do you think it would be a wise idea to switch into neuroscience, and take most of what i need even if it would mean i have to delay graduation by a semester or two? or should i just graduate with my psych degree and then go into a post-bacc program.

your opinion is appreciated!

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[Poetic Silence]

I vote for "graduate and then attend a post bacc program."

Seems much more logical.

However, if switching majors would take less time than a post bacc, do that.

 

[OldPsychDoc]

I vote for "graduate and then attend a post bacc program."

Seems much more logical.

However, if switching majors would take less time than a post bacc, do that.

^^^...and/or less money...

 

[DOC PENGUIN]

hello friends, i'm going to be a senior this fall, and i am seriously considering becoming a psychiatrist, which of course means that i need to apply to med school. BUT i am a psych student so i don't have the necessary science classes. do you think it would be a wise idea to switch into neuroscience, and take most of what i need even if it would mean i have to delay graduation by a semester or two? or should i just graduate with my psych degree and then go into a post-bacc program.

your opinion is appreciated!

Well................ The ideal solution is to travel back in time and major in Biochem, premed or any medical science. But, you could always go back and take on MORE DEBT.

 

[notdeadyet]

^^^...and/or less money...

Ditto this.

If I were you, I'd just take the hard science requirements during your BA. This -will require a one year sequence of a single course in chemistry followed by a year composed of a nearly full schedule of 3 science courses plus lab. It will likely delay your graduation by a year, but at least you'll still be eligible for undergrad tuition and loans.

If you wait until you graduate, you will be delaying your application by a year while you apply to post-bac places. You will likely end up paying more tuition to do a post-bac than you would as an undergrad.

 

[kappacookie]

I think I'll just stay an extra year and take some science classes. As of now I haven't taken any, so I figure it's a good opportunity for me to get a high science gpa since I'm starting from scratch. And like someone mentioned before, I will have financial aid available to me so it won't be as expensive as going into post-bacc.

Thanks guys!

 

[nitemagi]

I took a summer's worth of summer courses, and did a post-bacc in 1 year. It did cost, but was worth it. I had too much fun in my psych/theater undergrad to change majors, and it made my med school applications more interesting.

 

[surftheiop]

I think I'll just stay an extra year and take some science classes. As of now I haven't taken any, so I figure it's a good opportunity for me to get a high science gpa since I'm starting from scratch. And like someone mentioned before, I will have financial aid available to me so it won't be as expensive as going into post-bacc.

Thanks guys!

I think your already leaning this way, but just to clarify - I dont think its all that important that you actually get the neuroscience major/minor.

Just stick around for some extra semesters of undergrad to take the neccesary science classes. I'm not sure where you stand academically, but if you have lets say below a 3.6 then I would do everything you can to keep your GPA as high as possible even if it means taking a couple less science classes a semester and sticking around for a semester longer. Because if you havent taken much bio/chem/physics in awhile you might not want to try to take 16 credits of it all at once out of the blue.

 

[Bartelby]

hello friends, i'm going to be a senior this fall, and i am seriously considering becoming a psychiatrist, which of course means that i need to apply to med school. BUT i am a psych student so i don't have the necessary science classes. do you think it would be a wise idea to switch into neuroscience, and take most of what i need even if it would mean i have to delay graduation by a semester or two? or should i just graduate with my psych degree and then go into a post-bacc program.

your opinion is appreciated!

My vote is option C: stay with psych (if you like it) and take the prereqs. How is it that you could add all the requirements of a brand new major AND take all of the prereqs but you can't just add the prereqs to your existing major?

 

[Poetic Silence]

My vote is option C: stay with psych (if you like it) and take the prereqs. How is it that you could add all the requirements of a brand new major AND take all of the prereqs but you can't just add the prereqs to your existing major?

I think the OP thinks that a hard science major will assist him in getting into medical school in contrast to a social science major.

 

[kappacookie]

My vote is option C: stay with psych (if you like it) and take the prereqs. How is it that you could add all the requirements of a brand new major AND take all of the prereqs but you can't just add the prereqs to your existing major?

Well, all the prereqs are the classes I need to complete a neuroscience degree. I've already completed my core requirements and taken enough psychology classes, so I just need bio, chem, orgo.

 

[sunlioness]

Ditto this.

If I were you, I'd just take the hard science requirements during your BA. This -will require a one year sequence of a single course in chemistry followed by a year composed of a nearly full schedule of 3 science courses plus lab. It will likely delay your graduation by a year, but at least you'll still be eligible for undergrad tuition and loans.

If you wait until you graduate, you will be delaying your application by a year while you apply to post-bac places. You will likely end up paying more tuition to do a post-bac than you would as an undergrad.

It really depends. I went the post-bac route because it was a lot cheaper for me. I went to an Ivy League school for my undergrad and a state school in my hometown for my post bac. I still qualified for financial aid because I actually applied to the local state school as if I was going for a second bachelors degree in molecular bio. Once I completed the post-bac, I withdrew. I had these loans paid back before I started med school.