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

[thesauce]

If your school puts a big emphasis on OSCEs (pretend patient encounters) like mine did, majoring in drama might prepare you the best.

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[Lewist02]

What degree would best benefit me?

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

First, I'll tell you that I was a Health Science major and I find that it did help me a lot in medical school. I was required to take biostatistics (which, we haven't really learned but is fundamental to understanding any research study), genetics, cell bio, exercise physiology, cardiorespiratory physiology, health assessment (analyzing EKG, Pulm graphs, etc), chronic disease, nutrition, A&P, and other similar classes. A&P may have given me a leg up in not having to memorize the basics, but I would have done probably the same without having taken it (I was just more familiar with terms). All my other classes benefited me with Cardio and Pulmonary, but not really anything else. I did not take biochem and still had an A last year in biochem, so obviously I did not need exposure to it previously.

Despite this, I still would have done fine in medical school. I enjoyed my major, which is why I took it on, and you need to make sure you do the same. It will not make any difference if you are an arts major vs. a biochem and molecular biology major (considering you would have the same GPA in either).

What will matter to an admissions committee is your GPA overall. Yeah, some upper level classes may help to show that you can handle them (if you can score well), but they will hurt you in the long run if you do not do well. Actually, I have heard several times that ADCOMs actually look more favorably upon Arts, Musics, History, Language, etc majors because it shows that you are well rounded in your endeavors. Three of my good friends were arts and language majors and were accepted into top twenty ranked schools two years ago.

DO WHAT WILL MAKE YOU HAPPY!! Undergrad will be your last opportunity to explore something else that is interesting to you, because once you get to medical school, you won't have that opportunity.

 

[Zoëyaya7398]

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.

This information is incredibly encouraging to me. Reading through these post has helped me to feel less pressured and stressed about not having a definitive direction/major (or being unsure/skeptical of my current one). I adore "the arts" (being a cellist/vocalist/drummer, painting,screenwriting, photography, foreign languages) , but I also discovered that I have a deep passion for neurology (my older sister has Schizophrenia & MS)- and many times I feel as if I've spent years (I'm 20 now) beating my head against a wall trying to come up with a balance between the two. The last thing that I ever want to do is go into either field with the wrong motives and end up unhappy, but I think very often of my future and I want financial security.

Knowing that I'm not alone in this situation gives me hope to stick with my gut. I want to pursue psychology (cognitive) as an entry-way into neurology, and perhaps I will also be able to double major in fine arts (to keep up with my cello playing and writing). I may minor in (cultural) anthropology to keep my options open and hopefully travel/work for the government until life works out for me (seeing as I am a multilingual individual).

I didn't really pose any specific question but I'd like to know if any of you could contribute any advice/encourage to me
about my journey/ideas?

And I must admit that I never intended to detract from BlackMale's original question, but I felt like this conversation was a sincere one that I really needed to be a part of so I needed to express myself on the subject.

Thanks everyone.

 

[Theafoni]

That music major acceptance stat is misleading, just aim for a high gpa and you should be good to go.

 

[Garurumon]

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.

Hi, English major/Biology minor here. Don't go for an English major if you don't have an aptitude or passion for it. Major in what you're genuinely interested in, not necessarily what will benefit you most. If math's your thing, go for it. If you're only majoring in English for practical benefits, you'll only be a detriment to yourself, and I imagine that adcoms can sniff out people who are "trying to look for an easy way around." Most colleges have some sort of foundation curriculum that would include basic English or writing classes. These will take care of your issue with grammar and written communication. Being an English major means going beyond those basics, and I doubt you'll be able to handle upper division courses if, like I said before, you don't have a sincere interest to read and write. I'll tell you right now that being an English major means doing loads of reading assignments, Socratic discussions, and writing essays or research papers that are at least 10 pages. People often get the wrong idea that majoring in English is easy. Noooo...you do have to put in effort and dedicaton to make an A, and it's certainly not easy if you don't have the passion for it.

I'm the opposite of you: strong in English but weak in math. If I were to major in math for the same reasons you provided above (improve my skills, etc.), I'd be miserable. Sure, I'll take the math courses that's required of me (for both graduation requirements and med school), but I'd never go above and beyond what I have to take.

No one major, not even BCMB (Biochemistry and Cellular-Molecular Biology), can truly prepare you for med school. I've heard this from med school friends who come from all walks of life, whether they finished undergrad as biology or philosophy majors. I'm sorry if my tone comes off strongly or even a little mean, but I encourage you to think about what's really best for you, not what's best for being an ideal applicant. Knowing where your strengths lie is a good start; some people go into school with no idea of themselves or what they want to do. I'm going to end in a Disney-esque note: follow your heart and major in something you like!

 

[Aloft085]

I would major in something that will help you get a job in the event that you do not go to medical school. I don't think either english or biology are particularly great choices in that regard.

On a side note, I think your writing and grammar skills will significantly improve over time in any academic major. You should also consider reading newspapers regularly in your spare time. Most are free online.