Would a poli sci major stand out alot to med schools?

[neur0goddess]

^ & would it give me a competitive edge or not really?

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[claduva94]

No. Major doesn't matter.

 

[Afford]

It might help in interviews if you have interesting stories.

 

[The Buff OP]

^ & would it give me a competitive edge or not really?

Depends. If you don't get in, blame it on Obama.
Serious answer: No. Major in whatever you like, just make sure you do the prerequisites.

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

I'm also hoping that poli sci majors get an enormous edge

 

[neur0goddess]

I'm also hoping that poli sci majors get an enormous edge

are you in ugrad?

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

are you in ugrad?

Nope. Post bacc, but I have a Poli sci degree.

 

[NoDakDok]

would it give me a competitive edge

No.

 

[gyngyn]

We really don't care about your major. You should, though.

 

[Evisju7]

^ & would it give me a competitive edge or not really?

I think no.

Interest and passion, regardless of program difficulty, looks good.

Being different just to stand out? Not so much.

 

[NickNaylor]

Doesn't give a competitive edge, but I'm personally always interested when I interview an applicant that majored in something outside of the sciences. But

 

[TxC]

No, but maybe you can eventually go into healthcare policy making if you're interested and improve the healthcare system!

 

[neur0goddess]

do you guys know anyone who successfully majored in poli sci and got into med school? jc

 

[gettheleadout]

do you guys know anyone who successfully majored in poli sci and got into med school? jc

Why would it matter?

 

[Goro]

We don't care about your major or minor, only that you did well in it.

^ & would it give me a competitive edge or not really?

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

My friend majored in poli sci and went to Perelman. But this shred of anecdotal evidence means nothing in the grand scheme of things. Non-science majors are welcomed at every med school.

 

[moop]

The major doesn't matter, but the activities and experiences that come out of being in that major certainly does. The bio premed is not going to pursue the same opportunities or have enough knowledge/expertise to get involved in the activities that a poli sci major will. I've always had trouble with the "med schools don't care about majors, so do whatever" piece because we do know that schools care a whole hell lot about activities (beyond the medically related stuff). If you major in poli sci and actually find chances to get involved in local advocacy organizations and leverage your knowledge to find internships and other cool gigs in policy, then those activities will certainly stand out in an application.

Above all, though, make sure you're interested in going that route. But if any of that sounds interesting, doing something in the social sciences will open up a whole ton of things you'd never ever touch as a science major premed. If we're gonna dice things up and talk about "standing out," the major still matters.

 

[neur0goddess]

Why would it matter?

so that I know it won't be impossible to balance a liberal arts major with pre-med reqs & that it's not rare to see someone in medicine with a poli sci degree.

 

[claduva94]

so that I know it won't be impossible to balance a liberal arts major with pre-med reqs & that it's not rare to see someone in medicine with a poli sci degree.

https://www.aamc.org/download/321496/data/2013factstable18.pdf
Everything said in this thread suggests that it would definitely not be impossible, as major makes no difference. Everyone has to juggle their major and the pre-reqs.

 

[Afford]

so that I know it won't be impossible to balance a liberal arts major with pre-med reqs & that it's not rare to see someone in medicine with a poli sci degree.

Pre med requirements aren't that many hours and med schools differ on the number of hours needed and the classes needed.

 

[HCumberdale]

Everyone has to juggle their major and the pre-reqs.

Everyone except for the pre-med majors (yes, it actually exists) at my university!

 

[theseeker4]

The major doesn't matter, but the activities and experiences that come out of being in that major certainly does. The bio premed is not going to pursue the same opportunities or have enough knowledge/expertise to get involved in the activities that a poli sci major will. I've always had trouble with the "med schools don't care about majors, so do whatever" piece because we do know that schools care a whole hell lot about activities (beyond the medically related stuff). If you major in poli sci and actually find chances to get involved in local advocacy organizations and leverage your knowledge to find internships and other cool gigs in policy, then those activities will certainly stand out in an application.

Above all, though, make sure you're interested in going that route. But if any of that sounds interesting, doing something in the social sciences will open up a whole ton of things you'd never ever touch as a science major premed. If we're gonna dice things up and talk about "standing out," the major still matters.

There is nothing preventing a bio major from getting involved in local advocacy organizations, etc. There is nothing preventing a poli sci major from getting involved in research. The argument above that "your major matters because activities matter" is a non sequitur; your major provides very few opportunities for unique activities you cannot find on your own.

 

[Megalomis]

http://stepin2it.com/

Just reported you. Not clicking on any of your shady links.

 

[claduva94]

Everyone except for the pre-med majors (yes, it actually exists) at my university!

On a scale from 1 to a bad idea that seems like invading Russia in the winter

 

[Lucca]

There is nothing preventing a bio major from getting involved in local advocacy organizations, etc. There is nothing preventing a poli sci major from getting involved in research. The argument above that "your major matters because activities matter" is a non sequitur; your major provides very few opportunities for unique activities you cannot find on your own.

I disagree with this. If you walk into a job fair and are not a CS or Eng student, good luck finding a position with one of those companies.

If you are a bio major and apply to a think tank and dont have experience or even course background knowledge about policy, economics, or sociology then have fun competing with all the people who are just as interested as you AND have that credibility under their belt.

As a poli sci major you would be have to have some kind of connection to get into a research position with any kind of real responsibility or autonomy.

There are several more examples. I wouldnt say major is the end all be all of opportunity makers but it certainly helps with getting your foot in the department, getting to know relevant faculty etc. in the same way a science major does. As a philosophy/biochemistry major I can promise you that the resources available to either of my departments are starkly different with little overlap.

OP, do poli-sci if it interests you. In my opinion, a liberal arts education is the best possible education you could get. If it doesn't interest you and you just want to be unique, drop it.

 

[moop]

There is nothing preventing a bio major from getting involved in local advocacy organizations, etc. There is nothing preventing a poli sci major from getting involved in research. The argument above that "your major matters because activities matter" is a non sequitur; your major provides very few opportunities for unique activities you cannot find on your own.

Yah.....no. You can find them, but people won't necessarily want you. I'm talking beyond volunteering and doing stuff for free, but more along the lines of internships and fellowships that will actually make you stand out in the app process. Actually, eve largely pro bono orgs don't just take any old John off the college block.

I can tell you for a fact that many public interest/policy/consulting organizations will not even look at anyone who has, say, a bio major over a history/econ/poli sci folk. (I recruited interns during my gap year at a consulting firm so I know of this bias. Consulting places are glad to have physics/quanty majors on board but no one cares about the biological sciences; it's fluff to them and they know it from previous experience that these guys don't know anything.) Local level may be more willing to take on any student from the nearby university, but being a poli sci premed opens up so many more doors ("I have the science rigor and analytical abilities and know how to write and read critically") than being a straight up bio major ever will. If we're debating anthropology v. sociology, that probably doesn't matter as much in this context. But poli sci/econ v. bio/chem? There's no comparison.

 

[neur0goddess]

I disagree with this. If you walk into a job fair and are not a CS or Eng student, good luck finding a position with one of those companies.

If you are a bio major and apply to a think tank and dont have experience or even course background knowledge about policy, economics, or sociology then have fun competing with all the people who are just as interested as you AND have that credibility under their belt.

As a poli sci major you would be have to have some kind of connection to get into a research position with any kind of real responsibility or autonomy.

There are several more examples. I wouldnt say major is the end all be all of opportunity makers but it certainly helps with getting your foot in the department, getting to know relevant faculty etc. in the same way a science major does. As a philosophy/biochemistry major I can promise you that the resources available to either of my departments are starkly different with little overlap.

OP, do poli-sci if it interests you. In my opinion, a liberal arts education is the best possible education you could get. If it doesn't interest you and you just want to be unique, drop it.

I'm debating double majoring in neurobio/polisci, doing a major/minor, or just majoring in one so I can balance pre med reqs/MCAT studying/research/ECs..honestly I've realized that I'm gonna get a ton of neuro in med school, not to mention I really want to go into surgery so I don't think a major in neuroscience will be all that practical..but for some reason I just find myself interested in biopsych, neuroanatomy and all of that. At the same time I know for sure that I want to get into politics later on, and it's always been my #1 passion. What exactly do you mean by "a liberal arts education is the best possible education"? Is it because it's well-rounded or prepares you for the real world or?

 

[Lucca]

I'm debating double majoring in neurobio/polisci, doing a major/minor, or just majoring in one so I can balance pre med reqs/MCAT studying/research/ECs..honestly I've realized that I'm gonna get a ton of neuro in med school, not to mention I really want to go into surgery so I don't think a major in neuroscience will be all that practical..but for some reason I just find myself interested in biopsych, neuroanatomy and all of that. At the same time I know for sure that I want to get into politics later on, and it's always been my #1 passion. What exactly do you mean by "a liberal arts education is the best possible education"? Is it because it's well-rounded or prepares you for the real world or?

I personally believe that being able to read something quickly, critically, and objectively and then discuss it intelligently is a valuable a skill as mathematics or basic research methods. No this doesnt mean "read a bunch and bs a paper". You get from your education what you put in and people will notice if you can't communicate or empathize with other human beings. I think a (quality) lib. Arts education prepares you for that better than any other

 

[Elizabethx89]

.

 

[Gauss44]

Choosing that major alone is different in an irrelevant way. No edge.

-Few applicants have "political science" majors. The vast majority are "science" majors.
-Political Science is no more impressive or unimpressive than most other majors.

However, if that major comes with a relevant and impressive story, then that might make you memorable in a good way come interview/essay time. It's been noted, that some ADCOMs try for a little diversity*. I recall the line, "Nothing's more common than...," in several statements on here.

*Note that "diversity" can mean choosing students with different hobbies, majors, personalities, etc. in addition to more traditional definitions.

 

[moop]

There is some truth to the idea that being within a certain department opens doors to a lot of opportunities one wouldn't have in another major. I'm a post-bacc with a degree in English, and there are tons of things I'm ineligible for at the school where I'm taking my pre-reqs because I'm not actually a "member" of any science department, nor do I have the upper-level science exposure necessary to participate in a lot of advertised research opportunities. Trying to get to know professors seems really forced, too, since I usually only have each one of them once. Were I a science major, I would be able to form relationships with science faculty much more naturally like I was able to do with my liberal arts professors. I believe adcoms when they say they don't care about your major, but I also think the entire process is sort of "designed" for science majors.

That said, I'm getting accepted to medical school before the rest of you regardless because my English degree makes me unique, impressive, and rare.

lol that's pretty cocky for someone who also said,

"realistically speaking, I wouldn't exactly be surprised if I wound up with a high 20-something [on the MCAT]."

 

[Elizabethx89]

.

 

[moop]

I'm sorry that you didn't pick up on the part where I was kidding. I thought for sure the "I'm getting into med school before the rest of you," combined with the emoticon, would speak for itself, but I guess I can't assume that everyone on here is capable of picking up on overt sarcasm.

Well apparently not that overt judging by the people who agreed with me, but ok I concede the point.

 

[Elizabethx89]

.