A possible major change

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CWL

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Hello,

First of all, I am new to this forum and I want to appreciate all the different opinions I might receive here.

I am currently a (2nd year) Bio-medical Engineering student at UT Austin. I picked the major in the beginning because I thought it would be somewhat related to Dentistry and it could serve as a backup plan if I do not make it into dental school.

However, due to the increase class load of engineering specific classes that are unrelated to Dentistry. The classes are not only hard in terms of GPA, but also time consuming so I could not participate in extracurricular activities that are beneficial to my application to dental school.

I am seriously considering switching majors to a Science degree (such as Biology or Biochemistry) so I can focus more on science classes and have a little more time for volunteering and shadowing.

Currently, I have a 4.0 GPA in overall GPA (including inorganic chemistry, math, Engineering Physics) and it is likely I can get all As in the classes I am almost done with (Organic chem, Bio, Physics).

I am an international student, but considered as a Texas resident when applying to Texas dental schools (a special law in Texas) so I will apply mainly to Texas schools.

My decision comes down to:
1. Is there a back up for Science major if I do not make Dental School the first year?
2. Is there an advantage for staying in a harder major such as Biomedical Engineering when applying?
3. What is the likelyhood of getting in if I am able to keep up with my grades, with a decent DAT score?

I think this decision to switch my major is very important and I hope I can get opinions from more people before I decide.
Thanks.
 
There's a reason why so few applicants are engineering majors 😀

First of all, kudos on getting a 4.0 in engineering...you are mad smart.


Job ops are better in engineering than science, especially if you want a career with a bachelors.
The downside is the difficulty. If you do well (3.6+), engineering makes you unique and helps. If you don't do well, that bio major with the higher gpa has the advantage, especially if he/she has stronger ECs.


Wrote this on my iPhone sorry for the grammar.
 
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Can I please get some more opinions?
 
If you think engineering will lower your gpa too much then you should definitely switch to a science major. I think that you might be able to handle it though because you already have a 4.0! However, you also need to have time to shadow and do ECs while you're in school in addition to all of your studying. Ultimately it's up to you.

As far as jobs for science majors, I'm not sure. Other science majors I know have mostly gone to grad school right after undergrad and are doing research.
 
Hello,

My decision comes down to:
1. Is there a back up for Science major if I do not make Dental School the first year?
2. Is there an advantage for staying in a harder major such as Biomedical Engineering when applying?
3. What is the likelyhood of getting in if I am able to keep up with my grades, with a decent DAT score?

I think this decision to switch my major is very important and I hope I can get opinions from more people before I decide.
Thanks.

1. A bachelor's deree in any science major is not going to get you very far without doing some type of graduate training. If you do not get in the first time applying, you could always be a research lab tech for a year as a job that will also give you a le up in the next round given you will have more research experience, which can only help you.

2. I think you are overestimating the value of being a engineering major. Sure it is hard but to be honest dental schools do not really care what you got your degree in. The important thing is to show that you are successful in whatever you are interested in. If you like Bio, Chem, Physics, ect. you should definitely do that.

3. Your GPA is flawless and if you keep up the effort and keep it even around 3.7 overall and science, you will look good at EVERY school. Your DAT is going to be probably the most important part of your application so get in the 20s and you can get into a lot of top teir schools.
 
Congratulations on your 4.0 in the biomedical engineering discipline. That is very impressive. To be honest, the prospects of obtaining a job in the engineering discipline are much higher than obtaining a job in the hardcore science division (biology, chemistry...). If you get a BSE in biomedical engineering you could go out and make a very good living with that degree. If you opt to pursue a BA or BS in biology or chemistry then you will have to pursue a PhD if you want to make a decent living and advance yourself and not opt to being a lab tech your entire life. All this is in hypothetical terms in case dentistry does not work out for you.

On another note, dentistry will work out for you based on your work ethic, thinking mentality, and ambition.

Best of luck and keep us updated!
 
Why make school harder than it needs to be. If you really want to be a dentist then don't worry about a back up. If you have a 4.0 already switch to a biology major, it will get all your pre dental bs out of the way and you will still earn a respectable degree. This way you don't have to live in the library and can volunteer and get shadowing done as well! Good luck buddy
 
Thank you all for the opinions provided.

I have made up my mind and switched to a Biology major.
 
Thank you all for the opinions provided.

I have made up my mind and switched to a Biology major.
Wait, what!? Don't be so damn fickle. Biomedical engineering is an incredibly relevant and valuable field to dentistry. The admissions committee knows that BME is one of the hardest subjects to major in and they will take notice of your achievement. If you enjoy the subject (I don't know who wouldn't) and can do well in the courses, stick with it! Your background will be useful, especially in the Oral Surgery, Restorative Dentistry, and Radiology departments. The hot areas of study is tissue-grafting and scaffolds or CAD/CAM technology. Think about it, more likely than not, it's going to be a biomedical engineer who is going to perfect the technology of digitally mapping someone's crown, veneer, or other restoration and have a machine manufacture the restoration within an hour! It's going to be a biomedical engineer who develops and standardizes 3-D imaging instead of the conventional and limited 2-D X-rays. A Biology major is a dime a dozen and if I were on the committee, I'd take special interest and notice of someone who not only majors in BME but also performs extremely well. Nevertheless, pursue what both interests you the most and makes you ask the most heuristic questions.
 
You shouldn't have to take classes during the summer. Do all of your shadowing and research then. It looks like you're set with the prerequisites and only have the DAT left. Again, use the summer to study for the DAT. You shouldn't have to change majors mid-way through your college education only because of the ill-conceived belief that you won't find enough time to shadow a dentist (an arbitrary and easy exercise; so easy a high-schooler or caveman could do it) and research (use the summer if you have to).
 
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