Advising Needed

[mourikisn]

So I am currently a student at the University of Maryland. I transferred last fall (fall 2017), and am a third year undergrad. I was a comp sci major at my old institution, and I did enjoy my time in comp sci, but when I transferred I decided I wanted to be "pre-med" and spent my first two semesters completing biology requirements to become a bio major. I will inevitably be spending an extra year at the university (5 years undergrad), but only have a total of 2 years left.

After speaking with a relative who has recently graduated medical school and matched with a residency program, he told me about the certain things med schools look for in an applicant. One of the things he asked me, was why I chose biology and what about biology interests me. I honestly couldn't answer the question other than it had all the requirements for medical school. Now, I am interested in biology and find it fascinating how we are all interconnected, but I don't have a very intricate personal answer to the question. However, I have always loved computers and have been building them since I was a kid. I have taught myself to program two different programming languages (not too well though) and love technology in general. But, I don't see myself sitting behind a computer everyday for the rest of my life, and I didn't particularly enjoy the formal structure of learning to code in classrooms.

The overall question I have to answer is if I like a different major that I am more personally interested in pursuing, and would take the same amount of time to graduate, should I pick that major or stick with my current biology plan. Of course my end goal is to go into medicine, however I don't want to appear as a student who is simply taking biology to check the boxes for med school.

*I do also have the option of obtaining a minor in computer science along with my biology degree.*

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[curbsideconsult]

Forget the minor. No one looks at those. Major in what you're interested in. As a student interviewer, I don't think I've once ever asked someone why they chose a particular major unless it was really unique. With all the emphasis on technology in medicine these days I highly doubt anyone will question your passion for medicine based on your computer science major should you choose to go that route. True, most students major in bio or chem or something of that nature, but there are plenty of premeds who get in with a major in anthropology or psych or history or what have you.

BUT, you WILL get asked "why medicine?" if you get interviews. If you can't answer that question well in an interview, you very likely won't be getting an acceptance.

In order to get an interview, you have to show adcoms that you're interested in medicine by your activities (and a really well written personal statement). What have you done to show that you want to serve those less fortunate than you and help alleviate human suffering? Those are the kinds of things you need.