? about major and getting into medical school

[MzzMisty]

Does it really matter to medical schools in the long run if your a biology major or if you major in something else like psychology or english perhaps even a double major? i would appreciate any advice... ive heard both sides some say it doesnt some say it does.. does your acceptance go down .. etc.. thanks Misty

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[DrMom]

Major in something you like & use your electives for pre-med prereqs if you have to.

You definitely don't have to be a bio or other science major to have a good chance at acceptance. Be sure you keep your grades up (especially in the sciences) and do well on the MCAT.

IMO: having a "different" major will leave you better rounded & give you some things to talk about at interviews.

 

[reaton]

Misty,

Go to MDapplicants.com and AAMC.org/data/facts/start.hmt and look up the stats on what majors make it the most into medical school and what the MCAT scores are for those majors.

The previous post is correct - do what you do best! If you don't love science you won't do your best and won't get in.

 

[matthew45]

Speaking as a humanities major, two things.

1. I think being something other than a bio major will help you quite a bit. My History major was brought up in every one of my interviews and they all seemed impressed that I had majored in something because I really liked it.

2. That said, now that I'm a senior I'm getting in a few upper level science classes to kind of get me prepped for med school next fall (Micro, Physiology), I REALLY wish I had taken one or two of those before the MCAT.

It's a tradeoff, but you need to enjoy college - so major in what you want.

Matt

 

[UCLAstudent]

Nah, it really doesn't matter. However, being a biology major is convenient since all of the med school pre-reqs overlap with the biology classes you'd take.

 

[docmemi]

being bio means u take upper div bio classes, many of which you will retake in med school. i think its a good prep.

other majors make you different, can talk about it in your interview. seem to do better on mcat, esp verbal.

BUT, no matter what, your GRADES, i repeat GRADES, are the MOST important, not your major. especially your grades in the PREMED REQ. so do whatever you want and keep your grades, esp in sciences, high and youll be just fine.

 

[SarahGM]

I was a Spanish major and Religion minor, and I've been accepted to Columbia, UNC, Wake Forest, SUNY Downstate and Albert Einstein.

So we know at least THESE schools don't care... just kick butt on the MCAT.

Also, it never really came up in the interviews...

 

[gschl1234]

Originally posted by MzzMisty
Does it really matter to medical schools in the long run if your a biology major or if you major in something else like psychology or english perhaps even a double major? i would appreciate any advice... ive heard both sides some say it doesnt some say it does.. does your acceptance go down .. etc.. thanks Misty

I've heard that adcoms might give you some bonus point for being a non-science major but I don't think being a bio major actually hurts your chances.

 

[jlee9531]

major in anything you want....

i majored in biochem but minored in korean studies and scandinavian lit...most of the schools i have interviewed at have asked me about my interests in these fields and we have a good time talking about it.

listen to drmom. theres a reason shes our official sdn mom. she knows best.

 

[Hamface16]

In my mind it matters a whole lot what your major is and whether or not you get into medical school. If you pick a major just because you think it will help you get into medical school, not because you like it, you'll end up hating school more, being more stressed out and doing worse in your classes. Major in something that you love and will enjoy taking classes in rather than just biology or straight pre-med. Unless of course you LOVE biology and that is your thing- then by all means go for it. I watched too many of my friends suffer through majors/minors that they HATED for one reason or another until they finally got fed up and changed after 2-3 years of college to ever do that to myself. One of my best pieces of advice: never pander to the adcoms, whether it be your major, your volunteer or work experience, your life in general. When it comes time for your interviews you'll be able to talk with passion about the stuff you did do instead of trying to sound enthusiastic about stuff you did merely for the adcoms. Remember once you're in med school your curriculum is set- take every crazy, fun, just-because-you-love-the-subject class you can while you're in college!

 

[Samus Aran]

Love the name

 

[MzzMisty]

I just wanted to say thanks to all of you that replied.. I just wanted to get some opinions on the subject because ive heard so many different things from different people.. Like if you are a non bio major then your chances of getting in are less and that it might take a longer amount of time then that of a bio major and if you are a bio major then you have no life which i dont mind giving up but i do love biology i find it very interesting but i also love psychology and english they are all fascinating but if i took the later of the two i just wanted to make sure that im not ruining my chances of getting into medical school i know that it does show diversity but didnt want to get set back. well i appreciate everyones advice it seem as though everyone feels that if you do good in your science classes have a good gpa and good mcats then it shouldnt be a problem.. well please if you still have an opinion on the subject then post .. any advice is great.. thanks

Misty

 

[MzzMisty]

thanks Misty yours isnt so bad either

 

[quideam]

I'm a philosophy major, chem and bio minors. I also did research in philosophy, and that has been brought up at nearly every interview... so I think that having a "different" major, especially if you do well in it, can definetely make you stand out. If you love something other than science, study it - it will make your app different from the rest, and it will give you the opportunity to take classes you will never get to take again...

Besides, you need to have SOMETHING to talk about at parties other than redox reactions

 

[NRAI2001]

Is Public Health considered a science or non science major?

 

[roja]

I have a degree in film. I was in a Masters for Aesthetics studies program while I took my premed reqs. I did well enough on my MCAT with just het basics to interview everywhere I applied and teach for TPR.

I did NOT take biochem and got an A in med school. I also matched to my first choice in residency. So, did it really matter? nope. In fact, I think it makes you a better canidate. You stand out in interviews adn you are easier to remember. You are also more well rounded.

Just make sure to kick butt in your premed courses and study your rear off for the mcat

 

[English Chick]

I think being an English major was an enormous advantage on the MCAT, and not just on the verbal section.

 

[Jules84]

Originally posted by roja
I have a degree in film. I was in a Masters for Aesthetics studies program while I took my premed reqs. I did well enough on my MCAT with just het basics to interview everywhere I applied and teach for TPR.

I did NOT take biochem and got an A in med school. I also matched to my first choice in residency. So, did it really matter? nope. In fact, I think it makes you a better canidate. You stand out in interviews adn you are easier to remember. You are also more well rounded.

Just make sure to kick butt in your premed courses and study your rear off for the mcat

Awesome!!!!

 

[relentless11]

Originally posted by DrMom
Major in something you like & use your electives for pre-med prereqs if you have to.

You definitely don't have to be a bio or other science major to have a good chance at acceptance. Be sure you keep your grades up (especially in the sciences) and do well on the MCAT.

IMO: having a "different" major will leave you better rounded & give you some things to talk about at interviews.

^Thats pretty much the best advice for this topic. To build upon it, pretty much everyone here knows that if its something you enjoy doing, then you would have more motivation to do it. This usually leads to getting good grades and having a good time in your undergraduate career. It doesn't help anyone for you to be miserable for the course of 4-5 years because you hate your major.

Yes, DEFINATELY, you DO NOT have to be a ANY science major to apply to medical school. All you need are the pre-reqs. Usually these pre-reqs are 1 yr of General Chemistry, 1yr of Organic Chemistry, 1yr of math, 1yr of English, and 1yr of Biology. Some schools may require a quarter of Biochemistry or Genetics.

My question to you is then, what DO YOU LIKE TO DO? Are you strong with arts & humanities / social sciences? Or are you strong with bio / physical sciences? If you're strong with the non-science stuff, then major in that area, and just take the pre-reqs. If you're strong in sciences, take those courses, and "try" to take some non-science classes.

The key here is diversity, and it is a REALLY big thing at med school's. Personally if a person has a 3.8 as a History Major and has A's/B's in their pre-med requirements would make a pretty competative applicant. Some people might say "History" is easy. Sure it is, taking a couple courses is easy, but if its your major, and thats all you've dealt with for most of your undergrad life, then it sure would make pre-med classes tough. Of course on teh flip side, if you do badly in pre-med classes when you're a non-science major, then that kinda torpedoes your boat.

The truth is, yes, IF YOU CAN DO IT, and you LIKE being a non-science major, then go for it. You will just have to take a few preparatory classes to prepare for the MCAT. Science majors have that advantage, most of them would have taken nearly all of the subjects portrayed on the MCAT. I recall that during my MCAT-prep days, the humanities majors were having a very hard time with the Physical Sciences section and Biosciences Section. But they did very well in the Verbal section.

I hope that MCAT thing doesn't turn you away from being a non-science major. It just means you would have to take a few more prep-classes prior to taking the MCAT. So yea.

 

[MzzMisty]

just wanted to thank everyone for their replies i will take everyones advice and figure out the best option for me .. Misty

 

[AlternateSome1]

You can get into medical school with any major as long as you have taken the correct prereqs and do well on the MCAT. It is not more difficult to get in with another major, unless you are not adept at either test taking or science courses. It will not take extra time to get in with a non-bio major unless you do not manage your courseloads properly. While the majority of students who are accepted into medical school are bio majors, almost half are not. Here is some data from the AAMC that might ease your mind.

http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/2003/mcatgpabymaj1.htm


And if you want more anecdotal evidence, I am a Psych major with Chem and CS minors.

~AS1~

 

[MzzMisty]

thanks for the link

 

[NRAI2001]

I am majoring in public health and mcb. When applying to med schools will i be lumped into the biological sciences category.

 

[NRAI2001]

Also what is public health considered as? Is it a biological or a Specialized Health Sciences major? Is it a humanities or social science major?

 

[Wrigleyville]

Just to echo what everyone else is saying, I recommend you study whatever interests you as long as you can pick up your prerequisites.

 

[Brickhouse]

Originally posted by quideam
I'm a philosophy major, chem and bio minors. I also did research in philosophy, and that has been brought up at nearly every interview... so I think that having a "different" major, especially if you do well in it, can definetely make you stand out. If you love something other than science, study it - it will make your app different from the rest, and it will give you the opportunity to take classes you will never get to take again...

Besides, you need to have SOMETHING to talk about at parties other than redox reactions

Exactly what form does research in philosophy take?

 

[quideam]

I did research in evolutionary theory - the Dawkins vs. Gould debate. I read their books and a bunch of other books and articles and wrote a paper on how the two theories can be bridged to form a cohesive theory that's actually more complete.

I also did research on Aristotle's cosmology and how it effected science and religion in the middle ages.

So that's philosophy research for you... much more fun than bench work, in my opinion

 

[NRAI2001]

Originally posted by quideam
I did research in evolutionary theory - the Dawkins vs. Gould debate. I read their books and a bunch of other books and articles and wrote a paper on how the two theories can be bridged to form a cohesive theory that's actually more complete.

I also did research on Aristotle's cosmology and how it effected science and religion in the middle ages.

So that's philosophy research for you... much more fun than bench work, in my opinion

Was ur work ever published?

 

[quideam]

Well, my aristotle paper was presented at a philosophy conference, and is part of their annual publication (I can PM you the link if you're interested).

The evolutionary theory stuff hasn't been submitted anywhere... mostly because i've been way too busy with other stuff. However, it's going to be published in this year's undergrad research journal at my school, though mostly just because I think that would be cool - it's obvsiously too late for it to help me w/ med schools at this point.

(on another note, I did have several other publications, but in a different field)

 

[NRAI2001]

Cool

 

[Bailey's Irish]

I am a Medical Anthropology major, and I remember reading in the MSAR that Anthropology majors have the highest acceptance rates to medical school. Just some food for thought. Anthropology is damn fascinating I recommend it to everyone.

 

[Freakingzooming]

Originally posted by quideam
Well, my aristotle paper was presented at a philosophy conference, and is p....


Can BA paper writing research count as real research too? Haha. Im actually covering the same topic for my paper, not really the Gould/Dawkins theory (Gould was right!), but the influence of religion on science.

For the op, my advice is finding something that enlivens you... I chose philosophy of science because it allowed me flexibility becuase I didn't know what really enlivened or enraptured me.. I thought heck, I'll take a concentration designed to handle different classes from different departments so I can hit up multiple topics.

I had some ups and downs on this but I thought overall I learned so much more.

My opinion is for us, nonscience majorers, I really didn't want to spend anymore time with premeds than I had to. Plus, I thought my time with science would eventually arrive much later and well with med school and practicing medicine or pursuing academic medicine, i would have the rest of my life devoted to science.

On top of these reasons, I'm not much of a writer or critical reader and I thought expanding my comfort zone would help in those areas.

But honestly, the choice will be yours. Good luck and don't fret if you don't know until your third year cuz that was when I decided.

 

[rayraad]

I also agree that being a non-bio major is a bit of an advantage...

But even if you're not convinced of this...even if you think a bio major is more likely to get you into your top choice...

Is it worth being a bio major for this reason alone? This is your last chance to learn something else in a structures setting...you will be specialized in bio/medicine for the rest of your life.

It's not just a matter of whether you'll go to a better medical school...it's also whether you'll be a happy and satisfied with yourself and what you've accomplished.

 

[NRAI2001]

Originally posted by NRAI2001
Also what is public health considered as? Is it a biological or a Specialized Health Sciences major? Is it a humanities or social science major?

Does anyone knowthe answer?