Any Double-Major Pre-meds out there?

Started by usermike8500
Showcase Professionalism with the PREview® Exam
This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Get help with your application

Use all the free resources available to you from SDN: articles, guides, expert advising, forums discussions, and school research.

Browse articles Compare schools My application plan Read Interview Feedback
Practice for interviews Ask an Advisor
U

usermike8500

Full Member
10+ Year Member
5+ Year Member
15+ Year Member
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
Just wondering if any of you are applying to medical school with double majors. If so, do you think that double-majoring makes you a stronger applicant by making you more well-rounded?

I'm working on secondaries right now and am wondering if I should emphasize my double major (molec bio, communication) on the essays.

(I don't really have much else to brag about on these things unfortunately 🙁).
 
yeah, I think I'm well rounded, but only because I did "hard" sciences. But you should def. emphasize your communication major. 🙂 your background is something a lot of premeds don't have

usermike8500 said:
Just wondering if any of you are applying to medical school with double majors. If so, do you think that double-majoring makes you a stronger applicant by making you more well-rounded?

I'm working on secondaries right now and am wondering if I should emphasize my double major (molec bio, communication) on the essays.

(I don't really have much else to brag about on these things unfortunately 🙁).
Click to expand...
 
I'm a philosophy and neuroscience dual major. I absolutely feel it makes me more well-rounded, but I have no idea if that makes me a stronger applicant.
 
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
i'm a biomedical engineering and spanish double major. i think (and hoping) that it will show me as a well-rounded student. hopefully, it also gives me an edge in the application process.
 
Linguistics and Biochem double major, Psych minor.

It definitely made me more well rounded, in terms of research as well as coursework. There are disadvantages- mainly in the form of scheduling difficulties. For example, I had to do quite a bit of maneuvering to fit all of my classes and was usually at about 20 credits with 3 or 4 sci classes per semester. If you're willing to put in the time, and possibly take a GPA hit, its worth your effort.
 
Just started my MII year...but a couple of years ago I graduated with a double major in English & Communication. I applied to ~ 15 or so schools (can't remember exact number now...less than 20 I think.)...got 7 interview invites...went on 5 of them...and I can tell you honestly that during those 5 interviews there was a lot of interest generated over the fact that I had studied Communication.

I don't think a double major in and of itself is impressive to most admins...but WHAT you double major in might be impressive. From my experience (and hopefully yours in the near future) a Communication major is very impressive given the evidence that doctors who can communicate well encounter fewer law suits in their career (not to mention they provide more thoughtful service to patients...but that's just my observation).

To anyone who wants to double major...I would suggest coupling a science major with a liberal arts major. Whether its Philosophy, English, or what have you...it looks very favorable. There are a TON of liberal arts majors in my med school class..everything from Graphic Arts to East Asian Studies.

And yes...many admins consider it important to be a well rounded person. But bottom line...just study what you enjoy and do well in it.
 
MedSchoolFool said:
Just started my MII year...but a couple of years ago I graduated with a double major in English & Communication. I applied to ~ 15 or so schools (can't remember exact number now...less than 20 I think.)...got 7 interview invites...went on 5 of them...and I can tell you honestly that during those 5 interviews there was a lot of interest generated over the fact that I had studied Communication.

I don't think a double major in and of itself is impressive to most admins...but WHAT you double major in might be impressive. From my experience (and hopefully yours in the near future) a Communication major is very impressive given the evidence that doctors who can communicate well encounter fewer law suits in their career (not to mention they provide more thoughtful service to patients...but that's just my observation).

To anyone who wants to double major...I would suggest coupling a science major with a liberal arts major. Whether its Philosophy, English, or what have you...it looks very favorable. There are a TON of liberal arts majors in my med school class..everything from Graphic Arts to East Asian Studies.

And yes...many admins consider it important to be a well rounded person. But bottom line...just study what you enjoy and do well in it.
Click to expand...

How about a science major coupled with a business major or minor?
 
Majors: Civil Engineering, Chemistry, Biology

Minor: Mathematics


Come from a family of engineers and wanted to be a doctor...thus my undergraduate life was hell 🙂

As for making a better applicant, not sure but hope so! The communications degree definately sounds like a plus, I would definately work it in somehow where it is applicable of course.

Good luck!!
 
I'm a Biochem and American History double major. I think it helps make u well rounded, the history is going to help with all the writing i get to look forward to with my app. History helps bring my GPA up to so its a win-win :meanie:
 
lainapox said:
Major 1: Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Major 2: Molecular Biology & Biochemistry
Potential major 3, if I decide to take 1 extra course: Biology.
(Probably just the first 2, though)
Click to expand...

You know, if you write it all out, it actually just looks like you did 6 majors. Way to go 😀.
 
Chemistry and Religion... How's that for both ends of the spectrum?

Don't think it will help in any way, though.
 
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
I'm a quadruple major: neuroscience, philosophy, bioengineering and linguistics
I'm also triple minoring in spanish, music and german
I'm going to have to stay an extra semester to finish up all the requirements, but I think its definitely worth it if you can handle the work.
 
I majored in English and political science with a minor in French. I'm going back for med school prerequisites this fall.😳
 
geez, how many semester hours do some of you take each semester?

I am a psych major and trying to fit a math major in as well, but the schedules become very hectic. It would be possible, but require me taking 3 labs in some semesters and 5 classes during MCAT prep and interview season.

I wish it was easier to double major, there are so many interesting subjects!
 
I imagine the double major doesn't help nearly as much as you would have to sacrifice to achieve a double major in unrelated fields. I wouldn't do it just for med school but if you seriously want to double major you'd probably get some kind of attention for it even if it's nominal.
 
Triple major (math, chem, German) here as well, but I'm actually of the opinion that having the majors listed on my transcript isn't really that impressive. Purely anecdotal, n=1, and more applicable to grad school applications, but when talking to my PI about majors, he stated flat out that whenever reading through applications, he doesn't even look for the major field, but rather just quickly skims through the courses and grades, because of the variance in degree requirements for majors at different schools (or even between different variants of a major at the same school--at my school, there are three widely varying "math majors").

I definitely do think that taking classes in multiple fields helped me become a far more well rounded person, which may help later on in applications (no clue yet!😀), but that could have been done anyways without fulfilling the requirements for a major. Still, if the process of achieving multiple majors speaks significantly to your skills or personality, then I think it's perfectly valid to speak about multiple majors on app essays.

Caveat Emptor: Do note that my PI told me the above in relation to my decision on whether or not to pursue another major in addition to my three, and he wanted me to spend more time in lab, which an additional major could preclude...😉
 
I am a double major in Biology and French. Going to French classes was like a vacation compared to Biochem, Genetics, etc etc but really I didn't intend to major in French until I realized I'd already taken half of the required courses.

If you're going to double/triple/quadruple major, you should really do it in something you find interesting and motivating. Otherwise, you'll keep asking why you made it so hard on yourself with no good answer (<-- this from one of my roommates).
 
I am a Microbiology/History major and I think that it sets me apart from a lot of applicants. I did not double major to set me apart but rather because I was interested in history and decided to pick up another major. Got sick of sciences all the time. You should emphasize on your other major as it is unique and will help you....I think. I am going through the process of applying now too.
 
I doubled in Biology and Psychology, the Psych major was significant because all my research was in psych (clinical psychology and language development/cognition). I really enjoyed both majors 🙂
 
Bio and English here. I don't think that double majors are beneficial to MD applications, but that's not why I did it in the first place. I doubled because I wanted to do both and thought it would be fun. I was right.

English studies have their benefit, though, insofar as it really stimulates critical thinking and writing skills that you don't get in conventional science curricula.
 
I made the genius decision of going for double (Two largely independent) degrees rather than a double major. If all goes as planned I'll graduate a year late with a B.A in Law, Societies and Justice and a B.S in Micro.

It really comes down to doing what you enjoy. I was really interested in social trends and their impact on legal precedent, and infectious disease is just...awesome? Is that horrible? I don't know...

Anyway, don't do anything just to make yourself more "well rounded". When it comes up in an interview (you never know), how passionate will you seem about it?

A single humanities major (anthro, history) with research (science-related or not) and a solid non-science LOR will do more for you than simply shaking your alma matter upside-down for degrees...
 
Double major in Chemistry and Economics with a concentration in Italian Language (Italian major not offered at my school). I think double majoring makes me a well-rounded/stronger applicant, but the same could be accomplished without the second major (just taking a variety of classes).
 
im religion and biology... decided to connect the two with my thesis on how religion affects medicine... got to travel abroad a lot so im happy 🙂
 
I majored in marine biology and chemistry with an environmental concentration, minored in french, and yeah... I don't think it will help, not with applicants with four or five majors out there... sheesh.
 
I will graduate with two degrees. A B.S. in Math and a B.G.S. in General Studies. My minors are Biology, Chemistry, and Business. Like previous posters have said, it's not the actual major or degree that improves your application, its the varied coursework that goes along with it.
 
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
I was a double major (Neuroscience and Psych) and triple minor (Math, Chem, and Theatre).

However, I really don't think being a double major helps you as much in the application process as most people would like to think. Many interviewers will skim the academic record of applicants, caring a lot about GPA and very little about everything else. Usually, they will not use someone's majors to determine their "well roundedness". Some schools may not care about well-roundedness at all, and those that do care usually use factors like non-medical volunteer work, extracurriculars, essays, and interviews to judge it.

If you want to do a double major, do it for yourself, not to look good to a medical school.
 
I was Chemistry and Philosophy major, got in. Almost everyone always asked me about the choice (probably because it's somewhat odd). I think it does make you stand out if you have two divergent majors. If you are a Physics/Math or Chemistry/Biology major, probably it won't be particularly useful. But if you have specialized in two completely different areas, that shows that your skillset is broad and you can think in different modes. (I hate the term well-rounded, though) Don't count on it alone, but it can't hurt, if you are actually good (and interested) in both subjects.
 
Double major: Chemical and Molecular Engineering
Applied Mathematics and Statistics

But if you look at it, maybe I'm a quadruple major:

Chemical Engineering
Applied Mathematics
Molecular Engineering
Statistics




Yeah an applied math major didn't make me any more well rounded. I did it because it looks good (not for med school but for any other job that I wanted to try and get) and wasn't too hard to get. It actually turned out to be easier to do the double major than doing a minor in another engineering field. They're absolutely nuts with the requirements for an EE minor.


I hate the phrase well rounded. Well-rounded leads to college students having to take ****ing bull**** courses that they don't want to sit through but because their university wants them to be "well rounded". Yeah I'm more ****ing well rounded because I had to sit through ****ing Irish History. Nobody makes history majors go become more well rounded by taking Thermodynamics. The well rounded history/arts majors end up taking something like introduction to algebra and that counts as well rounded for them. I could easily have taken more engineering classes or math classes or something less worthless instead of irish history and latin american history and russian history or philosophy GHKSDGHASIDFHASLFIh.

LOOOK AT ME I'M A FANTASTIC DOCTOR CAUSE I WAS WELL ROUNDED AND DIDN'T JUST TAKE CLASSES AT MEDICAL SCHOOL BUT I ALSO STUDIED MEDICINE FROM A WITCH DOCTOR IN THE JUNGLE OF NOTUMBO
 
Biology and Art History here.

The Art History major was a good fit for me. I was even able to spend time in Peru doing art history related research. I believe that it has made me a more well-rounded applicant - let's see what Med. Schools think??
 
Double major in Materials Chemistry and Mechanical Engineering. Also Co-Op

It was a terrible idea for a premed and it trashed my GPA. My GPA was premed competitve the (very very few) semesters that I only held a normal courseload, instead of the 18 science credits that I always needed to do the double major. I've seen a science/Liberal arts double work out well for some people, and a double liberal (espcially a social science/language double) barely seems to increase the workload at all, but a double science major is just a bad idea.

I did eventually weasel my way in with the help of an SMP, but looking back no amount of well roundendness makes up for how much the double hurt my GPA.
 
Psych and biochemistry major! I actually get a lot of people looking at me funny when I tell them I'm doubling in these areas. I think it definitely helps in diversifying my studies--the psych courses are soo different from my biochem classes, but I enjoy learning about psych and hopefully, as an added bonus, med schools will like that too 🙂
 
I know minors aren't as important as majors but do they add some value to the well-rounded education part?
 
Wylde said:
geez, how many semester hours do some of you take each semester?

I am a psych major and trying to fit a math major in as well, but the schedules become very hectic. It would be possible, but require me taking 3 labs in some semesters and 5 classes during MCAT prep and interview season.

I wish it was easier to double major, there are so many interesting subjects!
Click to expand...



I took a few 24 hour semesters , more of a time management issue than really an academic challenge 🙂
 
I'm doing a double major in Biochem and chemistry. Yes, I know it seems silly, but there is only a difference of 2 classes, and as long as I am so close to the other degree, I might as well get it. It gives me more options if I do not manage to get into med school.
 
Mayday said:
I'm doing a double major in Biochem and chemistry. Yes, I know it seems silly, but there is only a difference of 2 classes, and as long as I am so close to the other degree, I might as well get it. It gives me more options if I do not manage to get into med school.
Click to expand...

I want to major in Biochem, but for that I need to take 2 semesters of Physical Chem, Multivariable Calculus (Calc III), Stats, and 6 hrs of mandatory Chem research 😱. So, I just chose Biol/Business dual instead. I mean, business knowledge can always come in handy at some point in life. But yea, I realize majoring in Biochem gives one more career opportunities.
 
Pharmacy and Biology
Not as cool as a lot of other double majors. Helpful in some respects. For good or bad, in the application/interview process, I imagine I will get a lot of questions about why I'm not becoming a pharmacist, and becoming a doctor.
 
I was a biology/english double major. I guess it proves that I can read and memorize. I think that undergrad should offer a major in critical thinking, because that's the most important thing.

But I think being truly well rounded comes from experience. I suppose I'm likely to say this as a non-trad, but seriously. I'll take the Pepsi Challenge and say that I'm the only Retired Carpenter/Former Fransican Monk/Bagpipe Band Pipe Major/Small Business owner on this thread!

OK, done congratualting myself 😴
 
I am a Bio and a Chem major. The only thing that might make me a well-rounded applicant is that i took a bunch of classes outside my major. Besides that i dont really think double majoring makes much of a difference
 
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
so does double majoring help in med school admission?
 
Biochemistry and Neuroscience...

I dont have a simple double major though...I was in India for a 3 year B.Sc. program in Biochemistry...After graduating I decided to come to the US for a second major in Neuroscience...(and indirectly a second B.S. degree)...


I think it will help a little...I at least hope it would...Come to think of it...If someone spent an extra year (or two) in college it should always give the applicant a slight advantage...I think a lot of people decide to go for double majors just because they think that it will help them in the future and not so much because they had a burning desire to study a plethora of subjects...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

RareUsername
How are business-oriented pre-meds getting into med school?
Replies
32
Views
2K
Mr.Smile12
Mr.Smile12
T
changed major
Replies
1
Views
342
Med Ed
Med Ed
D
Biochem & Bioinformatics double major VS Chem Eng
Replies
5
Views
1K
einvincible12
einvincible12
A
Pre-Med Potential Student, Figuring Out What Path to Take
Replies
11
Views
1K
Aafaaq
A
M
Help me try to make a plan as a bio major
Replies
1
Views
488
Mr.Smile12
Mr.Smile12