Astrophysics/Medieval Studies Premed- Insane??

Eponine94

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So, I'm finally a senior (Class of 2012 woot!) and have begun pulling my college list together from the vast clump of "maybe"s and "good scholarships"s and "that place has awesome dorms"s that have been floating around my head for the better part of the last year. One thing I'm looking at is the choice of major for a pre-med. I know its "traditional" for a pre-med to major in bio or chemistry, probably for very good reasons, but I'm really interested in other subject areas that aren't very related to medicine (i.e. medieval studies and astrophysics)

Is it a silly idea to take on an a)really hard major like astrophysics or astronomy/physics when it doesn't have much to do with medicine and b)a second major in an area that I really love, and would consider a career in if it wasn't so pointless, like medieval studies? I am really fascinated in both these areas, so I'm not trying to "impress" with hard/esoteric majors.

I'm really just looking for any opinions-- if any pre-meds or current med students did one or more of these majors, comments would be really appreciated!
 
Just think, you're going to be killing yourself in med school. Why not take a break for a while, and focus on just one of those? If only I'd majored in the social sciences when I had a chance...
 
I'd give you a 100% on the Medieval Studies major! It won't get in the way of your pre-reqs, and it will set you apart from other applicants. I would only recommend astrophysics if you really love it and are ready to dedicate a lot of time to excelling at it. Upper division astrophysics classes can kill your GPA, and you need to be prepared for that. Take a couple of intro classes in astrophysics before declaring your major to make sure that it's really worth the extra work. Remember, all the time you spend on astrophysics classes (when you aren't even going into that field) is time taken away from research or clinical experience you could be getting.


At the school where I did my post-bac, astrophysics was a tough major to even be accepted to, and they wanted students who would not only be able to excel academically but who actually wanted to have a career in astrophysics. It might be different at other schools, but I don't know if they would have accepted someone whose ultimate goal was medicine.
 
Woah... your C/O 2012 and you haven't posted on the official HSDN class of 2012 thread yet? :smack:.

Anyways, from what I have been told about picking majors is that Adcoms do not care how hard your major was. So a 3.4 in Engineering Chem is worse than a 4.0 in Communications. It's not fair, but that's how it works. However, pursuing a major that you find interesting may keep you interested and motivated to do well, while you may slack off and not do so well pursuing an easy major that is boring. Also, medieval studies sounds pretty cool. 🙂
 
I'd give you a 100% on the Medieval Studies major! It won't get in the way of your pre-reqs, and it will set you apart from other applicants. I would only recommend astrophysics if you really love it and are ready to dedicate a lot of time to excelling at it. Upper division astrophysics classes can kill your GPA, and you need to be prepared for that. Take a couple of intro classes in astrophysics before declaring your major to make sure that it's really worth the extra work. Remember, all the time you spend on astrophysics classes (when you aren't even going into that field) is time taken away from research or clinical experience you could be getting.


At the school where I did my post-bac, astrophysics was a tough major to even be accepted to, and they wanted students who would not only be able to excel academically but who actually wanted to have a career in astrophysics. It might be different at other schools, but I don't know if they would have accepted someone whose ultimate goal was medicine.

that sounds so cool! I think it would set you apart and I know, personally, I would find this more interesting and do much better in than physics.

and yeah, physics just by itself is supposed to be an extremely difficult major, let alone astrophysics, I'm not sure its worth sacrificing your GPA for unless you are really passionate and talented at it.

Definitely try an intro course before declaring, maybe switch the normal prereq schedule around to allow for normal physics the first year instead of waiting till junior year- that way you have freedom to change your mind and not disrupt the normal 3 year sequence.
 
This is the sole reason why I browse hSDN.


Here is my opinion:

1. None of this list matters, cause you will kill yourself with work and other things before you get to med school.

2. While still having to take a ton of incredibly hard classes...You won't cover many of the health profession prereqs...Making your schedule that much heavier...but then you STILL have to schedule in your medieval studies class...Scheduling and your schedule will be a NIGHTMARE (see #1)

3. You won't cover much of what is on the health profession admission tests in the majors (DAT/MCAT/PCAT etc..) (see #1)

4. You won't be preparing yourself for any professional school classes (directly anyway) (see #1)

5. Everyone will think you're a joke (see #1)

Summary:
There are all kinds of things I am interested in...But the fact is dentistry is the king (med for you I guess)...These schools are insanely competitive to get into...And going on some wacko major path, unless your IQ is 140 and or you expect to have absolutely no life, the workload will crumble your GPA, limit your time to shadow/do EC's, limit time to study for admission tests, burn you out before you get to med school, etc.. (seriously hurt your chances of getting in)



Keep in mind you can always do an easy major and just take the astrophysics/medieval studies classes you want too as electives, no need to major in it...
 
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It's doable, but you'll probably have to take some summer classes (maybe your pre-med classes?). I didn't go with a traditional set of majors, and I learned a lot of stuff that I wouldn't have learned as a biology major. Astrophysics would prepare you well for graduate school if you change your mind in undergrad about pre-med (no "what can I do with a BS in biology"). Scheduling could be a problem, but it depends on how many sections of a class there are and when they are offered. Good luck 🙂
 
It's doable, but you'll probably have to take some summer classes (maybe your pre-med classes?). I didn't go with a traditional set of majors, and I learned a lot of stuff that I wouldn't have learned as a biology major. Astrophysics would prepare you well for graduate school if you change your mind in undergrad about pre-med (no "what can I do with a BS in biology"). Scheduling could be a problem, but it depends on how many sections of a class there are and when they are offered. Good luck 🙂

Ugh, pre-med summer classes...All of the material at three times the pace... 👎
 
Actually, the summer I spent taking orgo was amazing. It was fast-paced, yes, but that way I didn't have time to get distracted and forget everything I'd learned the week before. I wish I could have taken all my pre-reqs that way. I get bored pretty easily if I feel that the class isn't going quickly enough. Summer orgo was the perfect remedy for that, and I loved it!
 
Ditto. I wish all of my classes could have been compacted like summer courses. I hate repetition and slow pacing of classes, and taking a few classes each summer ameliorated some of that boredom.
 
Do what you're passionate about and interested in. I think that sounds pretty cool. It'll probably be tough work, but if you are genuinely interested in these things, do them now, while you have the opportunity. If you think a double major might be too heavy, you can always minor in one of them, too. I'm a bio major, but I'm doing minors in classics and Asian studies, so there's always room to explore things you're interested in. 🙂
 
1. None of this list matters, cause you will kill yourself with work and other things before you get to med school.
Nonsense. It's completely possible to take a rigorous course load in college and still have time to do outside activities. In fact, you will likely have more free time during college than you will ever have during the rest of your adult life until you retire. It's also completely possible to be in medical school and still have time to do outside activities, although granted that you will be busier at some times than others.

2. While still having to take a ton of incredibly hard classes...You won't cover many of the health profession prereqs...Making your schedule that much heavier...but then you STILL have to schedule in your medieval studies class...Scheduling and your schedule will be a NIGHTMARE (see #1)
Again, not the big problem you're making it out to be, especially if you attend a medium-sized or large U where there are multiple sections of all the intro classes. I went to a small liberal arts college with only one section of each class, and I still managed to take one or two humanities classes every semester along with my science classes. (I was a natural sciences and Spanish double major.) Also, taking summer classes is always an option if you can't fit the classes in during the regular semester.

3. You won't cover much of what is on the health profession admission tests in the majors (DAT/MCAT/PCAT etc..) (see #1)
Not a problem. These tests cover only basic, freshman and sophomore level science knowledge, including intro biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, and for the PCAT, calculus. Upper level science courses like genetics or biochem may be helpful, but are absolutely not required.

4. You won't be preparing yourself for any professional school classes (directly anyway) (see #1)
My friend, very little that you take in college will prepare you for any professional school classes--unless you are somehow able to take classes along with the professional students. But that's ok, because the purpose of going to college is not to prepare you for professional school. It's to prepare you to be an educated, well-rounded person who understands that there is more to life (and medicine/dentistry/pharmacy) than just sitting in the bio lab. In fact, med schools highly encourage (and sometimes even require) applicants to take coursework outside of the sciences. Psychology, art, literature, philosophy, and other humanities will expose you to other perspectives on the human condition, and you will actually be a *better* professional because of it.

When medical students get kicked out of school, is the problem that they couldn't hack it academically? Usually not. It's usually because of issues with professionalism. When patients complain about doctors, is their biggest concern that the physician isn't knowledgeable enough? Usually not. It's usually because they don't like the doctor's bedside manner. No matter how smart you are, and no matter how much medical information you know, you won't be a good physician unless you're also good at understanding and interacting with people from all walks of life.

5. Everyone will think you're a joke (see #1)
This is the biggest fallacy in your post of all, and the reason why I felt the need to respond. *No one* will think that an applicant with a non-science major is a joke. In fact, statistically, non-biology majors have *better* odds of being accepted to medical school than do biology majors. You can go to the AAMC website and look up the data if you're interested.

OP, you should major in whatever you want. As long as you complete (and do well in) the four prereq courses I mentioned above, and you do well on the MCAT, no one will care if you major in something besides chemistry or biology. In fact, it may even be an asset to your application, as well as make you more interesting to interview.

Again, I can't emphasize enough to all of you that college is the best opportunity you will have for most of your adult life to take some time to stop and smell the roses. So, take classes in medieval studies if that's your thing. Go study a semester abroad if you can afford it and you want to really learn about culture and language. Fifteen years after graduating college, I don't at all regret not having taken more science classes, because I had more than enough science classes in grad school and med school. I am required to attend five hours per week of medical lectures in residency, and I will be required to continue taking "refresher" classes as an attending physician for the rest of my career. You, too, will have the rest of your career to study your profession. Don't waste the opportunity that you have now to study something else just for the sheer fun of it.
 
I agree with the above. Do what you are interested in! You will enjoy it more and put more into it, thus getting more out of it. If you took some cake major to get easy grades, you will not enjoy yourself..
 
Nonsense. It's completely possible to take a rigorous course load in college and still have time to do outside activities. In fact, you will likely have more free time during college than you will ever have during the rest of your adult life until you retire. It's also completely possible to be in medical school and still have time to do outside activities, although granted that you will be busier at some times than others.


Again, not the big problem you're making it out to be, especially if you attend a medium-sized or large U where there are multiple sections of all the intro classes. I went to a small liberal arts college with only one section of each class, and I still managed to take one or two humanities classes every semester along with my science classes. (I was a natural sciences and Spanish double major.) Also, taking summer classes is always an option if you can't fit the classes in during the regular semester.


Not a problem. These tests cover only basic, freshman and sophomore level science knowledge, including intro biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, and for the PCAT, calculus. Upper level science courses like genetics or biochem may be helpful, but are absolutely not required.


My friend, very little that you take in college will prepare you for any professional school classes--unless you are somehow able to take classes along with the professional students. But that's ok, because the purpose of going to college is not to prepare you for professional school. It's to prepare you to be an educated, well-rounded person who understands that there is more to life (and medicine/dentistry/pharmacy) than just sitting in the bio lab. In fact, med schools highly encourage (and sometimes even require) applicants to take coursework outside of the sciences. Psychology, art, literature, philosophy, and other humanities will expose you to other perspectives on the human condition, and you will actually be a *better* professional because of it.

When medical students get kicked out of school, is the problem that they couldn't hack it academically? Usually not. It's usually because of issues with professionalism. When patients complain about doctors, is their biggest concern that the physician isn't knowledgeable enough? Usually not. It's usually because they don't like the doctor's bedside manner. No matter how smart you are, and no matter how much medical information you know, you won't be a good physician unless you're also good at understanding and interacting with people from all walks of life.


This is the biggest fallacy in your post of all, and the reason why I felt the need to respond. *No one* will think that an applicant with a non-science major is a joke. In fact, statistically, non-biology majors have *better* odds of being accepted to medical school than do biology majors. You can go to the AAMC website and look up the data if you're interested.

OP, you should major in whatever you want. As long as you complete (and do well in) the four prereq courses I mentioned above, and you do well on the MCAT, no one will care if you major in something besides chemistry or biology. In fact, it may even be an asset to your application, as well as make you more interesting to interview.

Again, I can't emphasize enough to all of you that college is the best opportunity you will have for most of your adult life to take some time to stop and smell the roses. So, take classes in medieval studies if that's your thing. Go study a semester abroad if you can afford it and you want to really learn about culture and language. Fifteen years after graduating college, I don't at all regret not having taken more science classes, because I had more than enough science classes in grad school and med school. I am required to attend five hours per week of medical lectures in residency, and I will be required to continue taking "refresher" classes as an attending physician for the rest of my career. You, too, will have the rest of your career to study your profession. Don't waste the opportunity that you have now to study something else just for the sheer fun of it.

Most of what you said I am aware of and didn't really say...

Yes, most of what it on the tests is basic biology/chem/math etc... And like I said, an astrophysics or medieval studies major shoots by a good bit of that.

Ok, so you can handle a workload like that while still doing incredibly well, I would be burning myself out trying to do very well in a situation like that. All of the physicians I have asked have told me to take it easy. Astrophysics double major WITH premed classes/tests is not taking it easy.

I'm familiar with the "These classes won't really help you in med school" deal....But honestly tell me that a biology major wouldn't help you more than a medieval studies major in med school AND on admissions tests. SOME questions on the MCAT/DAT/PCAT etc.. come from the odd places like ecology/histology/advanced organic chem.

I am fully aware a ton of accepted students aren't bio/chem/science majors. I'm just saying, a lot of people would snicker at you if you told them you are an astrophysics/medieval studies major/pre-med. Wasn't talking about adcoms.


I can fully understand where you are coming from. I have nothing against people who do the non traditional approaches like you did, would probably be a lot of fun to study abroad and such. That's just not me and I feel it is safer for most people not to toss wrenches NEAR the system like that.
 
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Contrary to popular belief, being an astronomy or astrophysics major does not mean you have less time to do other things than other majors. I majored in astronomy, took most of the classes for the physics major, all of the classes for a planetary science minor and could have fit in all of the med school pre-reqs if I had that much fore thought at the time.


Yes, most of what it on the tests is basic biology/chem/math etc... And like I said, an astrophysics or medieval studies major shoots by a good bit of that.
Medieval studies maybe...but this is definitely not true for astro...
Chem I&II is usually a requirement for both astronomy and physics, so with astronomy you get the physics, chem, and math. out of the way in your major already. You will also have to take university wide english requirements and frequently humanities courses. This means that within an astro major you will complete over 50% of the med school requirements without even having to take extra courses.


Research also isn't a problem as you will generally be required to do astronomy related research as a major requirement. The research process is the same, no matter what the subject.

There is no astronomy tester class that's going to tell you if you like it. If you take an intro class at the non major level, it will have very little to do with the hardcore subject matter and all of the core classes require a full load of physics and calculus before you even take them.
 
This is definitely possible, if you plan wisely. I majored in biochemistry and comparative literature. Those were the days....

A couple of caveats: I assume you haven't decided on a college yet. Once you do (or if you have a short list) check out the course catalog and look at the requirements for each of those majors. Create an approximate schedule (4-5 courses per semester including labs) to see if it's even possible to graduate on time. Remember to leave space for premed classes and any distribution requirements.

Before declaring, take classes in both your potentials to see if you actually like them. (I declared chemistry in my first year, based on my HS experience, and then discovered that I didn't actually like it that much. Mistake.)

Keep in mind that two such disparate majors might prevent you from enjoying other parts of the college experience. Like studying abroad -- I was the only comp lit major who wasn't able to study abroad, because of the chemistry requirements.

Best of luck!
 
Statistically speaking, your best chances of getting into med school will be as a biology, chemistry, biochem, biomedical sciences, or similar major with a 3.5+ GPA and a 30+ MCAT.

I was an engineer with a little over a 3.0 GPA and spent a boat load of time doing a lot of hard work for the Corps of Cadets (like ROTC at most other colleges, but bigger) at my school and got a 36R on the MCAT. I didn't get in.

Admissions committees typically don't appreciate the difficulty of engineering, physics, and other hard sciences. But for some reason they supposedly think liberal arts majors are unique and more well rounded. It's up to you which course you want to take, and which risks you're going to assume.
 
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