Allied Health Sciences as Undergrad Major? Bad idea?

[Georie11]

I'm a senior applying BUT my major is Science Exercise (Pre-Med/Pre-physical Therapy)...

After looking at medical school acceptance stats, seems that average of incoming accepted med student from other majors (health-related degrees) is only 2-3% off class!! Does this hurt my chances since my Major is not too common?? Thanks

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[PreMedder]

I'm a senior applying BUT my major is Science Exercise (Pre-Med/Pre-physical Therapy)...

After looking at medical school acceptance stats, seems that average of incoming accepted med student from other majors (health-related degrees) is only 2-3% off class!! Does this hurt my chances since my Major is not too common?? Thanks

Only 2-3%?! Dude, you need to pick a major with at LEAST 50% acceptance rate... 🙂rolleyes🙂

Major in what you enjoy/can excel in. If "Science Exercise" is just that, then by all means go for it. But if you think med schools will favor it, or something along those lines, then you would be mistaken.

 

[LuciusVorenus]

I'm a senior applying BUT my major is Science Exercise (Pre-Med/Pre-physical Therapy)...

After looking at medical school acceptance stats, seems that average of incoming accepted med student from other majors (health-related degrees) is only 2-3% off class!! Does this hurt my chances since my Major is not too common?? Thanks

The reason it's only 2-3% of class is because not that many people have that major, not because only 2-3% of people with that major get accepted. For example, biology is usually 45% of the incoming class but they have a lower acceptance rate to medical school than dance majors, who are usually less than 5% of the incoming class.

 

[apumic]

The reason it's only 2-3% of class is because not that many people have that major, not because only 2-3% of people with that major get accepted. For example, biology is usually 45% of the incoming class but they have a lower acceptance rate to medical school than dance majors, who are usually less than 5% of the incoming class.

This is true; however, it is worth noting that health sciences majors are at a distinct disadvantage in both MCAT scores and admissions rates. While bio majors (the 2nd "worst" major) get in at a rate of 40-45%, health sciences students get into med school at rates below 30%. They also have the lowest avg MCAT scores. In other words, health sciences is the one set of majors that adcoms actually do "care about."

 

[LuciusVorenus]

This is true; however, it is worth noting that health sciences majors are at a distinct disadvantage in both MCAT scores and admissions rates. While bio majors (the 2nd "worst" major) get in at a rate of 40-45%, health sciences students get into med school at rates below 30%. They also have the lowest avg MCAT scores. In other words, health sciences is the one set of majors that adcoms actually do "care about."

No offense to the OP intended, but at my school the people who do health sciences include a large portion of the people who couldn't "cut it" in our traditional 8 or so biology programs. Obviously there are lots of exceptions to this rule, since I knew a few really smart Health Science majors myself, but do you think this has anything to do with it? Or is this just my school...

 

[Evergrey]

Hey OP, I wouldn't sweat it. First of all, it's too late to change your major 😛 Secondly, I don't think it's the major ITSELF that causes people to do poorly in the admissions process. If you are great, you can major in Overwater Basket-unweaving and still get into medical school.

Personally, I can be quite a hardcore pragmatist. You can't change your major anymore. Focus on improving aspects of your application that will have a demonstrable effect -- writing better essays, getting activities together during application year so you can write about them in update letters, etc.