What undergraduate degree would best help me while pre-med?

[BlackMale MD]

What degree would best benefit me?

I am 21 and have finally decided to go to school and pursue Med school.

I really need to work on my grammar, verbal and written, aswell as work on my social skills. Don't get me wrong, I can communicate, but grammar is very basic and is not very enriched, as I would think a doctor should have. Not many big words and very little intellectual words (words that make you seems very smart and educated).

I'm thinking of going for an English major and getting my pre Med reqs done.

I am not very good at writing mind stimulating essays or anything over a page.

Do you think pursuing an English major, would help me more than a Biology degree?

Do you think, I would be hurting my GPA going for the English degree.

PS: I'm generally successful in math in school. A lot of people tell me I'm smart, but I do come from mostly uneducated black community and most didn't care much about school. I fell into that trap and lost alot work ethic entering high school.

English or Biology and why? Pros and Cons

Thanks.

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[kpcrew]

bio degree is better
you can work in a lab or finish out a masters in education and teach kids in high school or something if you decide that medicine isn't for you
but it's harder and you will have to put in a lot of time for labs. also you're competing with a lot of other premed/predent etc.

an english degree is mostly good for making up strange associations and reading things into the text that the author might not have even intended to include
but the pro is that you can probably get a higher gpa and be more learned

 

[ZsaZsaM]

Hi, there. Choose whichever major (not just biology or English) that most interests you and that you're good at. This way you'll get the best grades you can and you'll actually enjoy yourself a bit. This is your chance to study something that really interests you. I made the horrible decision of majoring in bio and I was bored out of my mind. Wish I had done something completely different. Don't worry about your language skills. Most people's aren't great. BTW, congrats on deciding to go to school.

 

[MT Headed]

Humanities majors, on average, score higher on the MCAT than biological sciences majors. In all sections. Yes, including the Biological Sciences section.

Source: Official Guide to MCAT Exam, page 34.

 

[TheMightySmiter]

BA in Big Pimpin, from the School of Hard Knocks. Very well respected degree.

Really, though, I'd choose English over bio. More interesting classes (IMO) and if you need help with reading comprehension and writing skills, English will be way more useful. These skills are crucial for the MCAT. You'll learn all the science you need from the basic pre-reqs, and maybe a couple upper-division bio courses like Molecular or Cell Bio and biochem.

 

[BlackMale MD]

Thanks for both responses.
I think I might be leaning towards English.
Do you have to be great starting out at reading and writing to keep a high GPA.
As for me not being that great at it, am I setting myself up for failure. I feel as if I would feel better at myself and be better as a doctor to have a great bases for reading and writing.

As long as I work my ass off with the pre Med reqs will I still be prepared for Med school and the mcat?

 

[BlackMale MD]

Thank you to 3rd and 4th poster for your opinions as well.

I just want to make sure I'm not setting myself up for a low GPA going for the English degree, as writing and reading comprehension is not my forte.

But I feel it will make me a better student.

 

[kpcrew]

Humanities majors, on average, score higher on the MCAT than biological sciences majors. In all sections. Yes, including the Biological Sciences section.

Source: Official Guide to MCAT Exam, page 34.

this doesn't mean that having a humanities major makes you score higher on the mcat. it's a self-selected group.

 

[TheMightySmiter]

Thank you to 3rd and 4th poster for your opinions as well.

I just want to make sure I'm not setting myself up for a low GPA going for the English degree, as writing and reading comprehension is not my forte.

But I feel it will make me a better student.

Well, start by taking the introductory courses and see how you do in those. Almost every university has a writing center and tutors available to help you out. Also, most major schools have special programs for minority students that you can utilize for extra help. Take advantage of these resources! Sign up for a light course load your first semester or two and don't overload on extracurriculars right away. Chances are you'll do just fine!

 

[nadaba]

Thank you to 3rd and 4th poster for your opinions as well.

I just want to make sure I'm not setting myself up for a low GPA going for the English degree, as writing and reading comprehension is not my forte.

But I feel it will make me a better student.

Some of the hardest classes I ever took were upper division English classes. I don't know why some science majors assume it's an easy degree.

 

[MT Headed]

this doesn't mean that having a humanities major makes you score higher on the mcat. it's a self-selected group.

I know. Besides, if the goal is medical school admissions, rumor has it that Music Majors have the highest acceptance rates of all.

To the OP, just major in what interests you, and be sure to pick up the 4 science courses along the journey. Me? I majored in Computer Science and had a blast.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

I don't think you should major in English if your goals are purely to increase your vocabulary or ability to sound smart. In fact, as a doctor you might want to tone down the smart talk and keep it relatively simple, as you actually want to communicate something to the other party. But anyways, in any major you'll increase your vocabulary by simply going to lecture and listening to your professor use jargon and make sense of the world.

 

[Isoprop]

your major does not matter. major in whatever you are interested in.

 

[kpcrew]

Some of the hardest classes I ever took were upper division English classes. I don't know why some science majors assume it's an easy degree.

it's relatively easy to get good grades.
many of the cum laude people in my year were english or communications majors.

 

[MrLahey]

What degree would best benefit me?

I am 21 and have finally decided to go to school and pursue Med school.

I really need to work on my grammar, verbal and written, aswell as work on my social skills. Don't get me wrong, I can communicate, but grammar is very basic and is not very enriched, as I would think a doctor should have. Not many big words and very little intellectual words (words that make you seems very smart and educated).

I'm thinking of going for an English major and getting my pre Med reqs done.

I am not very good at writing mind stimulating essays or anything over a page.

Do you think pursuing an English major, would help me more than a Biology degree?

Do you think, I would be hurting my GPA going for the English degree.

PS: I'm generally successful in math in school. A lot of people tell me I'm smart, but I do come from mostly uneducated black community and most didn't care much about school. I fell into that trap and lost alot work ethic entering high school.

English or Biology and why? Pros and Cons

Thanks.

Honestly I did the Bio route and also Chemical Engineering...and looking back...DO WHATEVER YOU WILL GET THE BEST GRADES IN!

Numbers are more important that what you studied...I dont agree with it but when an adcom looks at 1000+apps numbers are the easiest way to get through them

 

[JESSFALLING]

If you're not good at writing, then you might do rather poorly in upper-level English. I'd recommend starting small! Take the two required English courses for med school (usually composition & literature) along with a year of Biology and Chemistry, and then see which one you like best. You may also find that you would enjoy a history, philosophy or religious studies major. Any of these majors will improve your reading and writing abilities. Psychology is also a decent major to consider that blends research, writing, and science skills with a valuable understanding of how people think.

Rest assured, though, that your major doesn't matter! However, if you decide to major in a non-science field, then you should seriously consider taking 3-4 extra upper-division elective courses to bolster your science knowledge base and your med school application. Good choices would be Biochemistry, Genetics, and one or two of the following: Physiology, Cell Biology, Immunology, Microbiology, Neuroscience, or Histology. I would also recommend that you consider taking a few psychology courses, a sociology course, and a nutrition course, as these will help round out your education. A macroeconomics course is also a really good idea to take because it will help you understand what the heck is going on in the world.

Lastly, if you want to improve your writing, please be aware that often the best way to do so is to read (which you'll do a lot of in college btw). Try reading diverse material like history, philosophy, religious texts, literature, and poetry. Pay attention to how the sentences are structured....In particular, notice how good authors keep the reading varied and interesting. Try to emulate some of their style. If and when you see a word that you don't know, stop and make a flashcard for it. Take some time and educate yourself. Buy a writing manual to learn your grammar and punctuation. Here's a really good one that I own that also includes a MLA guide: http://www.amazon.com/Writers-Reference-Diana-Hacker/dp/0312450257

Good luck. Enjoy your time in college. Work hard, and don't ever give up.

 

[liveoak]

anything but engineering (if you know you are headed towards medicine 100%)

biology is good because you are in the pre-med group...and you've got connections everywhere.

 

[Elpenor]

Philosophy majors tend to score higher than just about every other major (except math) on graduate exams, even getting higher "verbal" than English majors

 

[saveourpens]

Don't get me wrong, I can communicate, but grammar is very basic and is not very enriched, as I would think a doctor should have. Not many big words and very little intellectual words (words that make you seems very smart and educated).

.....so you're considering an English major to help you learn "big" and "intellectual" words so you can seem "very smart and educated"?

 

[muhali3]

^dude, resize or change your avatar

 

[ZsaZsaM]

To add to what I said earlier, you do not need to major in English to improve your language skills. You can take a few classes in that area and that could suffice. An English degree will actually be more literature focused (unless your school offers a writing concentration), so it might not help/interest you. Do not choose a major based on what you think will "help" you or make you a better student. Choose something that genuinely interests you and that you are good at. If you don't, you will end up miserable. When you get into the thick of things (tough classes, long hours, boring material, personal problems, etc) you will wish you had chosen something you really liked rather than what you thought you should take. Now, if English or bio really interests you then they could be good choices, but I'm not really getting that vibe from your post.

 

[coyotelime]

I agree with many have said, I think majoring in a science will help prepare you for the rigor of the medical school curriculum in terms of a large number of science heavy courses each semester and taking a few English courses would be enough. Maybe minor in English? A double major may be overkill, friends of mine who double major only chose their second because they truly enjoyed it and weren't/aren't completely sure about medicine.

Edit: Please understand that as a physician, you must be able to explain many complex diseases and conditions in laymen terms so your patients won't have blank stares on their faces when you are telling them what they have. A "big vocabulary" may not be as important as you think except when you're interacting with other members of the staff. But then it's not "big words" as much as medical vocabulary which you will learn in med school.

 

[DrHouse579]

Well, a bio major allows you to overlap ALOT of your med school pre reqs with your major pre reqs. Actually, I think, besides humanities and social sciences, I don't have to deviate at all from my degree plan/audit since it allows me to choose a number of upper-div bio electives (one of which will definitely be biochem). In essence, you should be cutting down on the number of required courses. I mean, you could always supplement your bio degree with a lot of humanities/english.

 

[Law2Doc]

it's relatively easy to get good grades.
many of the cum laude people in my year were english or communications majors.

If that's the case then you'd be a fool to be a bio major as you suggested above. The med schools really truly dont care what you major in. To the extent there's an edge, it goes to being a different major than everyone else, and having outside interests beyond the premed sciences. The days when it was thought that biology majors made better doctors went by the wayside in the 1980s, and at times schools have leaned toward the other extreme, trying to limit the number of pure science wonks in their class in the name of diversity. So if there's a major where it's easy to get good grades and it differs from the run of the mill premed bio/chem/biochem majors all the other premeds do, you kind of do benefit. Not to mention that the verbal section is where more premeds lose their points on the MCAT, so courses where you read and write more have their advantages. My personal feeling is that if your goal is to get into med school, you major in whatever will get you good grades and that you find interesting. Take the prereqs, but if things aren't going well, you can also save them for later -- you can always take them in a postbac and are better off with a high college GPA in something easy than to end up with a low GPA in something "premed".

 

[Law2Doc]

I think majoring in a science will help prepare you for the rigor of the medical school curriculum in terms of a large number of science heavy courses each semester...

premeds like to think this but it isn't true. Med schools certainly don't think this way. The dude who majored in dance with a 4.0 beats the bio major with the heavier course load and a 3.5 every time.

 

[LRAccord624]

Thanks for both responses.
I think I might be leaning towards English.
Do you have to be great starting out at reading and writing to keep a high GPA.
As for me not being that great at it, am I setting myself up for failure. I feel as if I would feel better at myself and be better as a doctor to have a great bases for reading and writing.

As long as I work my ass off with the pre Med reqs will I still be prepared for Med school and the mcat?

You already said you aren't that great at writing and English isn't your forte. Why would you want to major in it? The point of your major in college is simply to find something that you are reasonably good at and that you're interested in and explore it further.

You say you're good at math; do you like math? If so, you could major in something math-related. This could be math, some kind of engineering, or even psychology if you want an easier one (you'll get some math through statistics). Psychology might actually be good for you because it will incorporate math into a larger context of social skills, reading, writing, etc.

Really, though, you're just starting school after a long hiatus. Why the rush for a "major"? Why don't you meet with an adviser, pick some pre-reqs that count towards most/all majors and go to school for a semester or year. Then, you will have some experience with which to reevaluate your choice for a major.

 

[kpcrew]

If that's the case then you'd be a fool to be a bio major as you suggested above. The med schools really truly dont care what you major in. To the extent there's an edge, it goes to being a different major than everyone else, and having outside interests beyond the premed sciences. The days when it was thought that biology majors made better doctors went by the wayside in the 1980s, and at times schools have leaned toward the other extreme, trying to limit the number of pure science wonks in their class in the name of diversity. So if there's a major where it's easy to get good grades and it differs from the run of the mill premed bio/chem/biochem majors all the other premeds do, you kind of do benefit. Not to mention that the verbal section is where more premeds lose their points on the MCAT, so courses where you read and write more have their advantages. My personal feeling is that if your goal is to get into med school, you major in whatever will get you good grades and that you find interesting. Take the prereqs, but if things aren't going well, you can also save them for later -- you can always take them in a postbac and are better off with a high college GPA in something easy than to end up with a low GPA in something "premed".

he said he wasn't good at english. bio major is a bit more versatile and you'll have a better background in molec cell, genetics, biochem etc. when you're in medical school.

 

[MRSAful Fate]

Anecdotally, it seems to me that ADCOMs really like people with atypical degrees (theater, music, history, etc..) just because they're a little different and probably interesting individuals. That said, I think <85% of my class are bio or biochem majors, and those without a strong science background seem to be having a harder time than the rest.

 

[coyotelime]

premeds like to think this but it isn't true. Med schools certainly don't think this way. The dude who majored in dance with a 4.0 beats the bio major with the heavier course load and a 3.5 every time.

This is probably true, but without majoring in a science wouldn't it be difficult(if not impossible) to attain research experience which is crucial to acceptance to the big schools?

 

[Double Trouble]

Would a person who got a 4.0 in cheese appreciation with a 40 MCAT beat a person who got a 3.7 in biochemistry and a 38 on the MCAT?

If the person who majored in cheese appreciation was the one who got into medical school, would you really want him to be your doctor?

 

[Stumpyman]

Would a person who got a 4.0 in cheese appreciation with a 40 MCAT beat a person who got a 3.7 in biochemistry and a 38 on the MCAT?

If the person who majored in cheese appreciation was the one who got into medical school, would you really want him to be your doctor?

I wouldn't give a flying turd about what he majored in during undergrad, as undergrad is not a medical education.

 

[Double Trouble]

I wouldn't give a flying turd about what he majored in during undergrad, as undergrad is not a medical education.

TBH this is a good point... the majority of people who are premed biology majors are idiots who appreciate the field of medicine less than the people who have obscure majors anyways.

 

[Law2Doc]

...you'll have a better background in molec cell, genetics, biochem etc. when you're in medical school.

again, premeds say this, but it doesn't bear out in practice. In med school, there will be bio majors in both the top and bottom of the class. There will be nonsci majors in the bottom and top of the class. Doesn't seem to help one iota. What does matter is having a high GPA to get into med school in the first place.

 

[Law2Doc]

...

If the person who majored in cheese appreciation was the one who got into medical school, would you really want him to be your doctor?

yes because the science you learn in college is meaningless at the next level. It's sort of like worrying in high school about what someone did or didn't learn in kindergarten.

 

[Law2Doc]

This is probably true, but without majoring in a science wouldn't it be difficult(if not impossible) to attain research experience which is crucial to acceptance to the big schools?

Most people don't have this kind of trouble. You will still know a lot of professors from your prereqs. You just have to be more proactive.

 

[RavishingB]

TBH this is a good point... the majority of people who are premed biology majors are idiots who appreciate the field of medicine less than the people who have obscure majors anyways.

I love how you changed your tune after you were called out on your first post

 

[Morsetlis]

Get a degree in Sleeping and Happiness.

 

[kpcrew]

again, premeds say this, but it doesn't bear out in practice. In med school, there will be bio majors in both the top and bottom of the class. There will be nonsci majors in the bottom and top of the class. Doesn't seem to help one iota. What does matter is having a high GPA to get into med school in the first place.

"again premeds say this"
upper level bio classes are required for a bio major while english majors only have to finish the basic prereqs so yeah you will have a stronger background in bio.

 

[Double Trouble]

I love how you changed your tune after you were called out on your first post

I didn't get "called out", and I didn't "change my tune", as I wasn't really arguing anything in my first post. I was asking people who would they want to be their doctor. After that guy responded, I liked his comments, and I agreed with them.

Read again & go back to hSDN br0

 

[NickNaylor]

"again premeds say this"
upper level bio classes are required for a bio major while english majors only have to finish the basic prereqs so yeah you will have a stronger background in bio.

Your background might be stronger, but I think L2D's point is that it really won't help you all that much. What you'll learn and cover in undergrad will be covered extremely quickly in medical school and will likely only be the foundation for future material that you haven't been exposed to. It might mean less studying initially, but you'll still have to study quite a bit once you hit new material. I suppose it might help you with understanding broad concepts, but the content that we've covered so far isn't conceptually difficult - it just takes time to memorize everything.

tl;dr: Having a strong science background might help slightly, but more important is your work ethic and ability to study efficiently. Humanities majors can do that just as well as science majors.

 

[Double Trouble]

Your background might be stronger, but I think L2D's point is that it really won't help you all that much. What you'll learn and cover in undergrad will be covered extremely quickly in medical school and will likely only be the foundation for future material that you haven't been exposed to. It might mean less studying initially, but you'll still have to study quite a bit once you hit new material. I suppose it might help you with understanding broad concepts, but the content that we've covered so far isn't conceptually difficult - it just takes time to memorize everything.

tl;dr: Having a strong science background might help slightly, but more important is your work ethic and ability to study efficiently. Humanities majors can do that just as well as science majors.

I agree that not being a science major won't necessarily mean you will do bad during medical school, but it might hurt you in the admissions process, right?

 

[MT Headed]

I agree that not being a science major won't necessarily mean you will do bad during medical school, but it might hurt you in the admissions process, right?

While I am not an admissions officer, I've spoken to a number of them on and off the record, and I've never ever gotten that impression from them.

Completing your pre-reqs and the rest of an undergraduate major with good grades, and confirming that with a high enough MCAT score, is plenty enough to demonstrate that you can handle the academic rigors of medical school.

The more interesting question is, "not being a science major ... might help you in the admissions process, right?"

 

[Guy Montag]

again, premeds say this, but it doesn't bear out in practice. In med school, there will be bio majors in both the top and bottom of the class. There will be nonsci majors in the bottom and top of the class. Doesn't seem to help one iota. What does matter is having a high GPA to get into med school in the first place.

Listen to the resident, OP. My school has a wonderful history department and very interesting sociology classes. If I could go back I would major in one (or both) of these because they aren't deflated like the sciences here, and I really do enjoy these subjects. While I did pick a science that I love, it would have been better to have just minored in this science, handpicked the most interesting courses in that science, and picked a major that is just as interesting and yielded a 0.3 higher GPA. It isn't really fair, but adcoms don't care much about how difficult your school is, major is, course load is, etc. Do what your interested in that yields the highest GPA.

 

[gettheleadout]

I agree that not being a science major won't necessarily mean you will do bad during medical school, but it might hurt you in the admissions process, right?

Some schools even specifically state that major is not taken into consideration at all. The consensus is that it will never hurt you unless it's something like Recreation and Leisure Studies.

 

[dmf2682]

This.

Major in engineering. We're better than everyone else.

alright. just kidding. I said that to p*ss GetTheLeadout off. Hahaha. Just kidding.

Seriously. Do something you'll enjoy and can get a good career out of should you decide to not pursue medicine. Cover all your bases and you'll be fine.

your major does not matter. major in whatever you are interested in.

 

[45408]

"again premeds say this"
upper level bio classes are required for a bio major while english majors only have to finish the basic prereqs so yeah you will have a stronger background in bio.

...and it won't help much at all, which is exactly what L2D said. So yeah.

 

[MD Odyssey]

Philosophy majors tend to score higher than just about every other major (except math) on graduate exams, even getting higher "verbal" than English majors

This is wrong. http://medschoolodyssey.wordpress.c...ics-on-the-mcat-and-your-undergraduate-major/

 

[JESSFALLING]

This is wrong. http://medschoolodyssey.wordpress.c...ics-on-the-mcat-and-your-undergraduate-major/

No, this is wrong. Philosophy wasn't included in your survey...otherwise you'd be seeing it kick everyone's a**, especially in the VR and essay sections......except for maybe physics and math. Here's a little quote from your site, in case you forgot about it: "A little disclaimer here &#8211; not all majors are shown on these plots, nor is it clear to me what &#8216;Premedical' refers to either"

You can see how well humanities majors do here from the horse's mouth, AAMC (and it doesn't get more "humanities" than philosophy!): https://www.aamc.org/download/161692/data/table18-facts2010mcatgpabymaj1-web.pdf.pdf

 

[MD Odyssey]

No, this is wrong. Philosophy wasn't included in your survey...otherwise you'd be seeing it kick everyone's a**, especially in the VR and essay sections......except for maybe physics and math. Here's a little quote from your site, in case you forgot about it: "A little disclaimer here – not all majors are shown on these plots, nor is it clear to me what ‘Premedical’ refers to either"

You can see how well humanities majors do here from the horse's mouth, AAMC (and it doesn't get more "humanities" than philosophy!): https://www.aamc.org/download/161692/data/table18-facts2010mcatgpabymaj1-web.pdf.pdf

True. But, the fact that philosophy majors aren't reported at all indicates that they aren't all that well-represented in the admissions pool. Your assertion that philosophy majors dominate the field remains unfounded.

 

[JESSFALLING]

True. But, the fact that philosophy majors aren't reported at all indicates that they aren't all that well-represented in the admissions pool. Your assertion that philosophy majors dominate the field remains unfounded.

I agree with you that humanity majors are a small portion of the applicant pool. Obviously, those that apply to MS are a self-selecting group, so it isn't fair to say that their major by itself was a determining factor to their success. Perhaps they are just smart people? Hard to tell. The only hard data to support the fact that humanities majors do very well on the MCAT is the link that I previously posted, which doesn't differentiate between the various "humanities" subjects so I can't defend "philosophy" itself based on the data beyond a probable conjecture at the moment. Perhaps others can chime in.