B.A. or B.S. in Physics?

[Member 83232]

Right now, I'm entering as a physics major on the B.S. track, but my school also has a B.A. in Physics specifically for Pre-Meds that requires less physics hours and less math hours in order to allow students to fit in the med-school prereqs and a minor if they want. Supposedly, that program has a good acceptance rate into med-school, but I'm wary of doing it instead of the B.S. I'm afraid it will look lazy. If I can, I actually want to take the as many hours in physics and math as I can. However, I'll need to somehow fit in my prereqs, and I also want to do Neuroscience and Spanish minors. I'm willing to overload if I need to and take summer courses, but I'm afraid that I'll get close to the end and realize that there's no way I can finish everything. I'm starting in the second year of Calculus because of dual-enrollment, the second year of Physics (Optics) because of AP work, I only need one year of required honors English because of dual-enrollment, and I can take my social science classes in the winter. That should help some, but I'm still afraid I'd be taking on too much to actually finish.

I should mention that my goal is to do an MD/PhD for Neuroscience and that I'm majoring in Physics because it's one of my passions. I'm willing to put in the extra work if it's possible to pull off, but everyone keeps saying I'm crazy for trying to do it. Do any of you have experience taking a slightly atypical major and some minors and still getting everything done?

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[mirimonster]

Right now, I'm entering as a physics major on the B.S. track, but my school also has a B.A. in Physics specifically for Pre-Meds that requires less physics hours and less math hours in order to allow students to fit in the med-school prereqs and a minor if they want. Supposedly, that program has a good acceptance rate into med-school, but I'm wary of doing it instead of the B.S. I'm afraid it will look lazy. If I can, I actually want to take the as many hours in physics and math as I can. However, I'll need to somehow fit in my prereqs, and I also want to do Neuroscience and Spanish minors. I'm willing to overload if I need to and take summer courses, but I'm afraid that I'll get close to the end and realize that there's no way I can finish everything. I'm starting in the second year of Calculus because of dual-enrollment, the second year of Physics (Optics) because of AP work, I only need one year of required honors English because of dual-enrollment, and I can take my social science classes in the winter. That should help some, but I'm still afraid I'd be taking on too much to actually finish.

I should mention that my goal is to do an MD/PhD for Neuroscience and that I'm majoring in Physics because it's one of my passions. I'm willing to put in the extra work if it's possible to pull off, but everyone keeps saying I'm crazy for trying to do it. Do any of you have experience taking a slightly atypical major and some minors and still getting everything done?

It can be done. Every school has different major requirements. I've seen people finish two majors in four years without overloading, but it can't always be done. The best is to sit down with an advisor 🙂eek: can't believe I'm recommending this. I hate advisors) and plan out the next four years, and then stick to that plan religiously. That's the only way you'll be able to find out if it's possible. I finished two vastly different majors (read: 0 classes in common) and almost completed a minor (decided it wasn't worth it in the end), but it took me 5 years to do it. Then again, I didn't plan everything out ahead of time, took a ton of classes I wanted but didn't need, and definitely did not take the most direct route. People still call me crazy, but I'm so happy I did it.

On the note of BS/BA, I would go BS. In physics, BS looks better, and if at the end of the next four years you don't want to do medicine, that BS will be much more useful. My 2c. And if you do want to do medicine, it will still be more useful.

Have you considered neuroscience major with physics minor? If neuroscience is what you want to do, seems like that's what you should be doing. Still, diversity's nice too, so I'm not saying you have to switch or anything. Just curious what your reasoning is.

 

[TopTomato]

I'm pretty sure when it comes to BA/BS it doesn't matter. I went to Rutgers and a Cell Bio Neuroscience major got a BA no matter what you did. However accounting majors got BS.. so go figure. I think the institution where you went says more than the letters that come after you degree.

 

[Pinkishcheese]

I'm a B.S physics major that only recently realized that I want to go into medicine. I'm going to have to take an extra semester to complete bio 2 but that is ONLY due how late to the party I am. It is very possible to get a B.S. in physics, a minor, and complete the premed requirements, especially if you have D.E. credits.

 

[Praefectus]

If you can get a second major with the BA, I'd go with that route. However, it honestly doesn't matter which one you earn.

 

[JESSFALLING]

It doesn't matter. The only people that might think you are lazy would be graduate physics programs......so make sure you don't want to pursue a PhD in Physics if you go the B.A. route.

 

[mimelim]

I can shed some light directly on this as I was a Physics major and I asked adcoms specifically this question. BA vs BS does not matter from a pure MD perspective. Most programs will not know that you even had the option. It is a bachelors in Physics and thats all they will take from it. If they want to know how hard you worked, they can look at the courses and their corresponding grades.

MD/PhD is a little different. The warning that I got was, some people in academics can't understand a BA (even if it was the only option), think all Masters are a waste of time and are just in general pretty silly when it comes to what things are called. If you were to apply to MD/PhD programs and a major selling point (bio physics, rad onc research etc.) was your Physics background, there is an extremely small, but possible chance that one of those people would read your application and get annoyed. It will not make/break your application and the overall impression that I got from the HMS and Wash U. adcoms I talked to said, don't worry about it.

 

[Member 83232]

Thank you all for your reassurance. I shall indeed try to do everything. 🙂 I'll go talk to an adviser when I arrive in the fall and get everything mapped out the best I can.

 

[Ansar]

Dunno, man. My school only offers BA in Physics, and it can be as physics intense as you want it to be...so, the BA/BS divide thing seems moot to me.

I've seen in some schools, though, like the University of Minnesota (Twin Cities), that for degrees like Math, they have a BA and a BS option. There's only minor differences...I suppose BA if you're really dead-set on getting a math degree, but aren't really going to go to graduate school or use it much (maybe to be a high school prof?)

Since you're pre-med, and you say the BA Physics at your school is for pre-meds, I'd go for that, since I guess you're set on medical school and, I suppose, don't wish to take more Physics courses than is necessary?

 

[Member 83232]

Dunno, man. My school only offers BA in Physics, and it can be as physics intense as you want it to be...so, the BA/BS divide thing seems moot to me.

I've seen in some schools, though, like the University of Minnesota (Twin Cities), that for degrees like Math, they have a BA and a BS option. There's only minor differences...I suppose BA if you're really dead-set on getting a math degree, but aren't really going to go to graduate school or use it much (maybe to be a high school prof?)

Since you're pre-med, and you say the BA Physics at your school is for pre-meds, I'd go for that, since I guess you're set on medical school and, I suppose, don't wish to take more Physics courses than is necessary?

Basically, the B.S. program has 42 hours of Physics and 18 hours of Math, while the B.A. has 24 hours of Physics and 6 hours of Math (the first year of Calculus which I already have covered). The B.A. allows for much more flexibility, but I'm afraid that it would look lazy. As I love Math, I'd probably end up trying at least to squeeze the extra 2 years of in anyway, so it could potentially not even free up that much for me. I'll talk to an adviser when I get there though. I've heard good things about our Health Professions Advising Office.

 

[JESSFALLING]

I just wanted to add that looking "lazy" and looking "interdisciplinary" are two very different things. If you are taking rigorous coursework in other departments, in lieu of physics, no one should slight you for pursuing the BA. And, since your goal is graduate-level neuroscience, it is imperative that you have a diverse background (e.g. computer science, math, physics, chemistry, biology, philosophy, psychology, etc.) Personally, I think that you should go with the BA and then double major and/or minor in one of the other supporting subjects listed above. Lastly, don't underestimate physics' ability to lower your GPA and suck away your time. Sticking with the BA should help in that regard. Oh, and don't forget that you need at least a year or two of quality research for the MD/PhD programs. Research > extra courseload for admissions purposes. And, yes, you still should volunteer, shadow, and show leadership potential.....otherwise, medical schools may doubt your sincerity for medicine (despite your great grades, research, and personality).

Good luck.

 

[Ansar]

Basically, the B.S. program has 42 hours of Physics and 18 hours of Math, while the B.A. has 24 hours of Physics and 6 hours of Math (the first year of Calculus which I already have covered). The B.A. allows for much more flexibility, but I'm afraid that it would look lazy. As I love Math, I'd probably end up trying at least to squeeze the extra 2 years of in anyway, so it could potentially not even free up that much for me. I'll talk to an adviser when I get there though. I've heard good things about our Health Professions Advising Office.

I don't think it'd look lazy. I dunno. Here at Cornell, you can do inside concentration, which is taking some more upper level physics courses (Stat Mech, Advanced QM, General Relativity, more labs...), but you can also do outside concentration (e.g. in chem, bio, math, econ, CS, etc...), which means you don't have to do any physics after your one course in QM and your upper level EM and Analytical mechanics, but instead you take some more upper level classes in that other dept (chem, bio, math, econ, CS, etc...), so you're still not giving yourself an easy time, as JESSFALLING points out.

I'm doing Chem concentration, so I'm planning on taking grad level Ochem classes and biochem to fulfill that instead of taking General Relativity and those really really grad school oriented Physics classes. I don't see why a medical school would consider someone lazy for doing that.

Don't sweat it. I've heard others say the schools don't even focus a lot on your courseload anyway, as long as it is not filled with easy classes...and as any type of Physics major, the classes aren't easy.

 

[tiedyeddog]

Do whatever is easiest.