Astrophysics Pre-Med

[getoutofmyor]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

I'm an incoming freshman majoring in Astrophysics as a pre-med major. Is there anyone who is doing/has done this before? I would like to hear people's opinions/advice on doing something as difficult as this as a pre-med.

 

[MedicineN'Jazz]

I'm an incoming freshman majoring in Astrophysics as a pre-med major. Is there anyone who is doing/has done this before? I would like to hear people's opinions/advice on doing something as difficult as this as a pre-med.

Just wondering...is there a reason that you’re aiming for Astrophysics? Medical school is only getting more and more competitive. Are you positive that this major won’t ruin your GPA? Few have come back from that, making Caribbean MD schools a major hit

 

[getoutofmyor]

Just wondering...is there a reason that you’re aiming for Astrophysics? Medical school is only getting more and more competitive. Are you positive that this major won’t ruin your GPA? Few have come back from that, making Caribbean MD schools a major hit

Out of all of the sciences, I'm most interested in physics and I enjoy the theoretical and large scale aspect of an astronomy concentration. I already have 16 hours of credits behind me with core classes taken in highschool so that will lighten the load for me as I get started.

 

[MedicineN'Jazz]

Out of all of the sciences, I'm most interested in physics and I enjoy the theoretical and large scale aspect of an astronomy concentration. I already have 16 hours of credits behind me with core classes taken in highschool so that will lighten the load for me as I get started.

Oh boy, buena suerte! Although it could be worse. You could’ve had a passion for Astromechanical engineering

 

[sabsaf123]

Do you have the take "A Calculus Approach to the Physics of Biochemical Engineering"?

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Out of all of the sciences, I'm most interested in physics and I enjoy the theoretical and large scale aspect of an astronomy concentration. I already have 16 hours of credits behind me with core classes taken in highschool so that will lighten the load for me as I get started.

Do you. I majored in pure math. It was hard, but it was what I enjoyed. Worth it.

 

[The Unburnt]

This is awesome, good luck! Echoing the "make sure this doesn't ruin your gpa" though

 

[deleted862527]

Go for a major you enjoy and are passionate about. Difficulty varies from one student to the next. If astrophysics is something you enjoy, then you should definitely go for it regardless of difficulty. There are many applicants who majored in very difficult fields, such as engineering, etc. who still were admitted. Just do your best and follow your heart and the rest will follow.

 

[Pholaffle]

I would have killed to have an astrophysics major in college

 

[Unlimited Apps]

Make sure your GPA is atleast above 3.7 and as high as possible but apart from that, do whatever major your heart desires (and is atleast somewhat marketable for back-up career prospects, though not a problem for you lol).

 

[Pagan FutureDoc]

I dual majored in physics and chemistry and my physics degree focused on astrophysics.
Honestly my physics and math classes were some of the easiest ones for me to get good grades in. But that’s just me, some other students might struggle greatly. But getting a PhD in astrophysics was my plan B.

 

[getoutofmyor]

Do you have the take "A Calculus Approach to the Physics of Biochemical Engineering"?

No I don't

 

[getoutofmyor]

This is awesome, good luck! Echoing the "make sure this doesn't ruin your gpa" though

Thank you! The gpa is my main concern

 

[getoutofmyor]

Go for a major you enjoy and are passionate about. Difficulty varies from one student to the next. If astrophysics is something you enjoy, then you should definitely go for it regardless of difficulty. There are many applicants who majored in very difficult fields, such as engineering, etc. who still were admitted. Just do your best and follow your heart and the rest will follow.

Thank you!

 

[getoutofmyor]

I dual majored in physics and chemistry and my physics degree focused on astrophysics.
Honestly my physics and math classes were some of the easiest ones for me to get good grades in. But that’s just me, some other students might struggle greatly. But getting a PhD in astrophysics was my plan B.

Great, was there a certain approach you had to learning/studying the math and physics or did it seem to come naturally? I would appreciate advice

 

[Pagan FutureDoc]

Great, was there a certain approach you had to learning/studying the math and physics or did it seem to come naturally? I would appreciate advice

I’ve always been better at math and science than other subjects. For me there wasn’t really any special approach I used. Just making sure you understand the basics, working a ton of problem, and paying close attention to detail.

 

[Robin-jay]

I wouldn't chance the GPA.

Medical schools much prefer you play little league T-ball well, than major league baseball on a sub-par level.

 

[bonedoc5576]

I would advise against it as a potential GPA-killer unless:

1. Contemplating things like black holes, dark matter and quantum gravity is what you do for pleasure.

2. You want to be a physician-astronaut

 

[It's lupus!]

The book Extreme Medicine is written by a physician who majored in astrophysics

Sent from my Pixel XL using SDN mobile

 

[FroYoOreo]

Four years is a long time, you might change your mind. Just saying.

 

[Dr. Scribe]

I'm an incoming freshman majoring in Astrophysics as a pre-med major. Is there anyone who is doing/has done this before? I would like to hear people's opinions/advice on doing something as difficult as this as a pre-med.

Even if you don’t get an amazing GPA, adcoms will appreciate the fact that you took difficult classes.

That being said, you should still plan on getting at least an A- average (3.67) GPA.

I think that you will develop great critical thinking skills with this major, which will help you prepare for the MCAT (the most important factor in admissions)

The reason people tell you study what you want is so that you throw your full weight into your studies and get good grades. If you can’t do both, you’ll have to decide whether you’d rather pursue an MD or PhD.

Becoming a DO with less than stellar grades (~3.4) should be doable though, assuming you have a solid MCAT (~510).

Best of luck to you.

 

[Robin-jay]

Even if you don’t get an amazing GPA, adcoms will appreciate the fact that you took difficult classes.

No they won't.

 

[Dr. Scribe]

No they won't.

Yes, they will.

 

[Robin-jay]

Yes, they will.

A 3.7 in astrophysics looks way worse than 3.8 in biology, and biology is astronomically easier.

 

[ciestar]

A 3.7 in astrophysics looks way worse than 3.8 in biology, and biology is astronomically easier.

A 3.7 is competitive. Slack will be given here, obviously. But no astrophysics major will be cut a break for a 3.4 GPA because they had a hard major

PS: a 3.7 never looks bad lol

 

[Robin-jay]

A 3.7 is competitive. Slack will be given here, obviously. But no astrophysics major will be cut a break for a 3.4 GPA because they had a hard major

PS: a 3.7 never looks bad lol

There's just no point in doing a hard major on your pathway to medical school. A 3.7 may not look bad, but why not just get a 3.9+ in a biology major and bypass this whole situation.

Medical admission committees are generally "stats" based, not "holistic" as they want their applicants to believe.

A 3.9 biology GPA, 510 MCAT, and the bare minimum of extracurricular are all that's needed.

Any more than that (hard majors, starting health organizations, clinical employment, etc.) are risking taking away time from the coveted GPA and MCAT.

 

[ciestar]

There's just no point in doing a hard major on your pathway to medical school. A 3.7 may not look bad, but why not just get a 3.9+ in a biology major and bypass this whole situation.

Medical admission committees are generally "stats" based, not "holistic" as they want their applicants to believe.

A 3.9 biology GPA, 510 MCAT, and the bare minimum of extracurricular are all that's needed.

Any more than that (hard majors, starting health organizations, clinical employment, etc.) are risking taking away time from the coveted GPA and MCAT.

I never believed schools were as holistic as they claim...otherwise people wouldn’t scramble for SMP’s despite stellar post-baccs and stuff.

Hmm, I only had a 3.73 with my biology major.

 

[Lawpy]

I'm an incoming freshman majoring in Astrophysics as a pre-med major. Is there anyone who is doing/has done this before? I would like to hear people's opinions/advice on doing something as difficult as this as a pre-med.

Astrophysics is fun but it’s not for everyone. If you are good in math and physics, go for it and make sure you have a high GPA. If you can crush the MCAT and have strong ECs, you’ll enjoy a successful cycle and your astrophysics background will help you stand out

 

[Robin-jay]

I never believed schools were as holistic as they claim...otherwise people wouldn’t scramble for SMP’s despite stellar post-baccs and stuff.

Hmm, I only had a 3.73 with my biology major.

Yea, the fact that people have stellar post-bacs/grad. grades and are still being forced into 50k+ SMP programs is crazy.

The older I get, the more critical I am of the importance of GPAs. I haven't decided exactly what makes the ideal physician, but it isn't GPAs or standardized test scores, that's for sure.

 

[Robin-jay]

Astrophysics is fun but it’s not for everyone. If you are good in math and physics, go for it and make sure you have a high GPA. If you can crush the MCAT and have strong ECs, you’ll enjoy a successful cycle and your astrophysics background will help you stand out

I just think the cons heavily outweigh the benefits here.

Doing well in astrophysics = ADCOMs think its unique and will look favorably upon it, but only slightly.

Con of doing poor in astrophysics (less than 3.7) = doesn't matter that you even majored in it, could ruin your chances of medical school

risk/benefit here just doesn't pan out.

 

[Equality]

Do what you love and things will work themselves out. I majored in music performance and neuroscience and got into top tier med school because the admissions committee liked that I did something different. Continued with music throughout med school. Even residency program directors loved my interest in music, and now I'm finishing ophtho residency. Turns out my skills in music performance transfer well to microsurgery.

I'm not on the admissions committee, but I've sat on pre-med advising panels with adcom members, and they all say the same thing.

Do what you love, not what you think med schools love. Your dedication and passion will show through your application. Med schools want great people, not necessarily great grades.

 

[Lawpy]

I just think the cons heavily outweigh the benefits here.

Doing well in astrophysics = ADCOMs think its unique and will look favorably upon it, but only slightly.

Con of doing poor in astrophysics (less than 3.7) = doesn't matter that you even majored in it, could ruin your chances of medical school

risk/benefit here just doesn't pan out.

You’re right and that’s something to consider. But strong applicants find a way to excel. That’s why it’s important for OP to understand their own strengths/weaknesses before deciding what to do. If they’re good at math and physics (i.e. they can confidently get a high GPA), they can pursue this route since the risks are minimal.

For an average applicant looking for ways to be more competitive? I wouldn’t recommend it. Astrophysics is hard and you need to be driven and good at math/physics to do well.

 

[Robin-jay]

You’re right and that’s something to consider. But strong applicants find a way to excel. That’s why it’s important for OP to understand their own strengths/weaknesses before deciding what to do. If they’re good at math and physics (i.e. they can confidently get a high GPA), they can pursue this route since the risks are minimal.

For an average applicant looking for ways to be more competitive? I wouldn’t recommend it. Astrophysics is hard and you need to be driven and good at math/physics to do well.

There's more factors to play than just the OP's strengths and weaknesses. A major as difficult as astrophysics may have unprecedented problems, and I'll share a major ones:

Your professors in "these" courses likely don't care about your professional goals, meaning they are less likely to give lenient grades.

I had a chemistry 600 level class where NO ONE earned an "A". The professor didn't see it as "impeding" on students chances at medical school, it was just his way to allocate grading he felt was fine. This wouldn't happen in a typical pre-med course like microbiology.

There is a reason engineers generally have closer to a 3.0 than to a 4.0, and its because these professors are designed to grade this way, whether or not you are performing academically better than a typical pre-med counterpart major.

If the OP has great math/physics skills, then fantastic. But unfortunately, you have to acknowledge the University he is attended and how they grade such courses, and also the professors who teach it. You can't really prepare for this, and therefor the most logical approach is the safe and easy biology route.

I do understand what you're getting at, I really do. I took courses typical medical students would probably get C's, D's, and even fail. But even getting a B+ in those courses hurts more than it helps.

 

[863168]

@Robin-jay You realize you are superimposing your own shortcomings over a stranger who is essentially an undifferentiated stem cell trying to explore what college is about and what it has to offer.

 

[Robin-jay]

@Robin-jay You realize you are superimposing your own shortcomings over a stranger who is essentially an undifferentiated stem cell trying to explore what college is about and what it has to offer.

What I'm saying is that this undifferentiated stem cell has to learn that his own strengths/weaknesses aren't the only factor at play. That wishful thinking would be in an ideal world.

In the real world, the university and professors you have do make a difference, and even your major. Even if its a small difference (B+ or A-).

 

[Lawpy]

There's more factors to play than just the OP's strengths and weaknesses. A major as difficult as astrophysics may have unprecedented problems, and I'll share a major ones:

Your professors in "these" courses likely don't care about your professional goals, meaning they are less likely to give lenient grades.

I had a chemistry 600 level class where NO ONE earned an "A". The professor didn't see it as "impeding" on students chances at medical school, it was just his way to allocate grading he felt was fine. This wouldn't happen in a typical pre-med course like microbiology.

There is a reason engineers generally have closer to a 3.0 than to a 4.0, and its because these professors are designed to grade this way, whether or not you are performing academically better than a typical pre-med counterpart major.

If the OP has great math/physics skills, then fantastic. But unfortunately, you have to acknowledge the University he is attended and how they grade such courses, and also the professors who teach it. You can't really prepare for this, and therefor the most logical approach is the safe and easy biology route.

I do understand what you're getting at, I really do. I took courses typical medical students would probably get C's, D's, and even fail. But even getting a B+ in those courses hurts more than it helps.

I agree and OP should take into account of the grading policies and department quality of their university. I admit I didn’t experience harsh professors with harsh grading curves, since I tended to avoid them if I can by looking for better alternatives. Generally, the physics and math departments I know had good and engaging professors with fair grading scales and they’re always open to help students understand the course material better.

This varies by university and department so I think OP should do a closer research on math, physics and astrophysics departments to estimate their quality. If they find that professors are engaging and welcoming with fair grading scales, that’s a good sign.

 

[Robin-jay]

I agree and OP should take into account of the grading policies and department quality of their university. I admit I didn’t experience harsh professors with harsh grading curves, since I tended to avoid them if I can by looking for better alternatives. Generally, the physics and math departments I know had good and engaging professors with fair grading scales and they’re always open to help students understand the course material better.

This varies by university and department so I think OP should do a closer research on math, physics and astrophysics departments to estimate their quality. If they find that professors are engaging and welcoming with fair grading scales, that’s a good sign.

I agree that by taking the right precautions, you could avoid any troubles with certain professors/departments that use a harsh grading scale. But still, I don't know why you would take the unnecessary risk.

Medicine is the least forgiving field of any.

 

[863168]

@Robin-jay I think we have different perspectives on what constitutes an ideal world and a real world. If the real world is honestly the difference between an A- or a B+, then we became a utopia without me noticing. I get the impression that you're a little unhinged by some classes that made you bend over and take a B, maybe a C. I think that you adapted by adopting a cynical perspective of undergrad which is understandable, but believing that your new solution works for everyone else is delusional. Many people are able to perform without the need to game the system. I think that strengths and weaknesses are the bread and butter of what defines people and their ability to overcome adversity. You can change your environment, your major, and your professors as you have pointed out. But you only have yourself to hold accountable on test day when it comes to making sure you perform. For me at least, it was the scary hard "real world" moments that snap me back and realize that I will get through it because I've made it this far and I'm still trucking.

 

[Robin-jay]

I get the impression that you're a little unhinged by some classes that made you bend over and take a B, maybe a C.

I scored in the "B" range for the class that no one scored an "A" range. But I do agree that it was frustrating to take chemistry 600 level courses without very much promise you will get a solid "A". The professors mindset was "who cares what your grade is, its suppose to be a difficult class, and I won't give any A's this semester".

I think that you adapted by adopting a cynical perspective of undergrad which is understandable, but believing that your new solution works for everyone else is delusional. Many people are able to perform without the need to game the system. I think that strengths and weaknesses are the bread and butter of what defines people and their ability to overcome adversity.

I'm not saying people can't overcome adversity, especially when that adversity is just a harder major. My point is simply that the risk/benefits ratio for taking an astrophysics major over a biology-like major is not in OP's favor.

You can change your environment, your major, and your professors as you have pointed out. But you only have yourself to hold accountable on test day when it comes to making sure you perform.

A strong internal lotus is great. It makes for good ambition. But the real world has more luck than you think.

For me at least, it was the scary hard "real world" moments that snap me back and realize that I will get through it because I've made it this far and I'm still trucking.

I've been employed before during a gap year, and the "real world" are moments such as realizing "wow, academics are an extremely poor indication of how employment actually works" and "interesting, people seem to move up based ONLY on how much their boss gets along with them, and not performance". Those are "real world" moments.

 

[CherryRedDracul]

Simply put, choose a major that you enjoy and won't destroy your GPA.

I chose an engineering major, and while it was tougher than most other majors, I don't regret it. My GPA, though, could have been better if I chose biology or psych or whatever.

 

[Robin-jay]

Simply put, choose a major that you enjoy and won't destroy your GPA.

I chose an engineering major, and while it was tougher than most other majors, I don't regret it. My GPA, though, could have been better if I chose biology or psych or whatever.

To each their own. I've taught university chemistry students and the OP may not quite fully understand at this stage in college what those rigorous courses will consist of.

I'm not even sure I would tell students looking to go to medical school to enjoy their major. Literally just take the easy biology degree route and get accepted.

 

[CherryRedDracul]

To each their own. I've taught university chemistry students and the OP may not quite fully understand at this stage in college what those rigorous courses will consist of.

I'm not even sure I would tell students looking to go to medical school to enjoy their major. Literally just take the easy biology degree route and get accepted.

Not everyone gets accepted. Everyone should have a back-up plan because not everyone's dream comes true.

I enjoyed engineering and probably would have been content getting a job within that field. But I enjoy being a physician more.

 

[Robin-jay]

Not everyone gets accepted. Everyone should have a back-up plan because not everyone's dream comes true.

I enjoyed engineering and probably would have been content getting a job within that field. But I enjoy being a physician more.

I agree. But two things.

1. Having a major you like because it makes a good back-up plan rather than taking an easy major to make it easier to get into medical school is near contradictory. If medical school is your first plan, then do what you need to for your first plan (easy bio major), not automatically start prepping for a back-up plan by reducing your chances getting in to your first plan.

2. If one's backup plan was say, dentistry, and your major even cost you you're chances at that, then your tougher major could also be costing you backups.

 

[It's lupus!]

Dude. Do what makes you happy. If astrophysics gets you out of bed in the morning and biology doesn't then clearly don't do biology. Education is going to be an ongoing drudge don't do something that's easier for the sake of a long term goal. Easy major can be just as painful and it really does do anything for you. In my experience, people caught up gaming the game in life often end up miserable or burnt out before the run is up. That doesn't mean be stupid about your path but it does mean that you should always be in pursuit of what makes you happy. There is nothing stopping you from doing any particular major. There are certainly some challenges associated with that major but that shouldn't detour you from it.

Sent from my Pixel XL using SDN mobile

 

[Robin-jay]

Dude. Do what makes you happy. If astrophysics gets you out of bed in the morning and biology doesn't then clearly don't do biology. Education is going to be an ongoing drudge don't do something that's easier for the sake of a long term goal. Easy major can be just as painful and it really does do anything for you. In my experience, people caught up gaming the game in life often end up miserable or burnt out before the run is up. That doesn't mean be stupid about your path but it does mean that you should always be in pursuit of what makes you happy. There is nothing stopping you from doing any particular major. There are certainly some challenges associated with that major but that shouldn't detour you from it.

Sent from my Pixel XL using SDN mobile

If you were called in to be a pre-med adviser tomorrow, and a student with no experience of rigorous college courses says "Hey, I want to become a physician someday and was thinking about majoring in astrophysics", would your advice be "do it because it makes you happy"?

If you would, then thats fine and I can 100% understand your point. But I think its over dramatic to say being a biology major is a major drudge because of the time and effort, if a student doesn't like the subject. A biology degree hardly takes any time or effort. How can you drudge something when the hardest biology courses you'll ever take are immunology or microbiology. Those should be nearly effortless and not time consuming at all, even if you didn't like the major.

My point is that even if you drudge getting a biology degree, it certainly isn't a struggle.

If I was in that position, I'd sit the student down and tell them that maybe they should take a couple classes to see if they are able to keep a high GPA, but mostly tell them biology is just a safer bet.

 

[It's lupus!]

If you were called in to be a pre-med adviser tomorrow, and a student with no experience of rigorous college courses says "Hey, I want to become a physician someday and was thinking about majoring in astrophysics", would your advice be "do it because it makes you happy"?

If you would, then thats fine and I can 100% understand your point. But I think its over dramatic to say being a biology major is a major drudge because of the time and effort, if a student doesn't like the subject. A biology degree hardly takes any time or effort. How can you drudge something when the hardest biology courses you'll ever take are immunology or microbiology. Those should be nearly effortless and not time consuming at all, even if you didn't like the major.

My point is that even if you drudge getting a biology degree, it certainly isn't a struggle.

If I was in that position, I'd sit the student down and tell them that maybe they should take a couple classes to see if they are able to keep a high GPA, but mostly tell them biology is just a safer bet.

Course difficultly as mentioned in my post is not relevant. 4 years of uninteresting work IS drudge and will be painful.

Sent from my Pixel XL using SDN mobile

 

[Robin-jay]

Course difficultly as mentioned in my post is not relevant. 4 years of uninteresting work IS drudge and will be painful.

Sent from my Pixel XL using SDN mobile

40 hours a week job for 4 years you dislike would be a drudge.

The amount of time you actually spend doing biology a week at the undergrad. level is hardly even part-time status.

 

[JohnJacobJungler]

If you are passionate about it man, go for it, however as others have cautioned if it wrecks your GPA it will hurt your chances.

If you actually really enjoy astrophysics and decide that clinical medicine is not for you then you have an excellent backup plan. I don't think Robin-Jays advice is solid here. Don't choose something because it is easier. Nothing that is great was ever done without putting in effort.

Plus every pre-med is a bio major and they are a dime a dozen. Assuming that you do well in your classwork, your major and coursework will hopefully make adcoms read and evaluate the rest of your application with more diligence (which is a good thing). If you want I can share a person story about my friend who is a physics major who got into medical school.

Good luck OP

 

[Turkishking]

If you feel confident that you can do well go for it. Look around online to see the professors, and some reviews. Once you actually start taking classes, and if you find out it’s not what you expected you can switch majors.

 

[Redpancreas]

@Robin-jay You realize you are superimposing your own shortcomings over a stranger who is essentially an undifferentiated stem cell trying to explore what college is about and what it has to offer.

All his or her points are valid and under-recognized to newer pre-meds regardless of what the motivations for his or her statements are. You seem to be the one trying to psycho-analyze and make things more personal/complicated than they really are.

OP, I strongly suggest you do your research and figure out how these astrophysics classes are. It’ll vary based on university and I know someone who majored in astrophysics and the classes were not terribly difficult. Like Lawper says, play to your strengths.