business degree while doing premed??

[randyam29]

hi everyone. i'm on my second year college and currently doing a business major, but at the same time taking sciences as a minor. long term goal: getting into a top-ten medical school. i've heard from friends and relatives (graduated from med school) that getting a major not in science but in anything else and at the same time doing premed improves your chances of getting into a good med school, therefore what i'm doing would be considered quite sharp. i'm not sure about that and would like to know what u think about if getting an economics bachelors along with a science bachelors (premed) would really increase your chances of getting into let's say UM or Harvard.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Scarlett OHara]

All I can say I change my major from psychology to Finance, first because I want to be filthy rich one day (and in case I drop med school dream; back up plan), and secondly because I think it's a more essential skill than psychology that's employable (at least undergrad).

Prestige doesn't matter much to me, since I figure a doctor is a doctor, and I'll gladly take any medical school acceptance. Ideally, I want a California, New York, Georgia, Florida medical school, or one to a big city for entertainment. So location/cost is more important to me, than the prestigiousness. I don't want to be in a boring town cooped up in the coldness.

If it does play a role on the impact of your acceptance, then I figure it's because you're unique. You're not taking a science degree like everyone else, so you're different.

 

[StoicJosher]

It is the GPA and MCAT (plus EC's) that matter. Not your major. The only thing I can think of that would be even slightly advantageous is if you had some EC's that related to your business major that might make you unique. But it comes back to three points:

1) GPA
2) MCAT
3) EC's

 

[JESSFALLING]

Double major isn't needed. Take interesting classes, complete the requirements, ???, go to med school 🙂.

 

[Law2Doc]

Double major isn't needed. Take interesting classes, complete the requirements, ???, go to med school 🙂.

Agreed. Just be a business major and take the premed prereqs, and you are fine. You don't need a double major or two bachelors etc. Med schools don't really care what major you had. You might have more to talk about in an interview if you aren't a cookie cutter bio or biochem premed major, so yeah, it sometimes Its helpful to have an unusual major. I've seen folks who were art or religion majors do well.

 

[IMSingular]

Unless you are in a paper chase you can learn most of the stuff of MBA curriculum at MIT Open Course.

 

[hj3818]

It is the GPA and MCAT (plus EC's) that matter. Not your major. The only thing I can think of that would be even slightly advantageous is if you had some EC's that related to your business major that might make you unique. But it comes back to three points:

1) GPA
2) MCAT
3) EC's

^^ That's what's most important.

I'm someone with a prior business bachelor's degree and, while it definitely helps ...it's not going to miraculously allow me to gain entry into a "top 10 med school", especially because the main concern is getting into one that fits me, regardless of rank.

The skills I've learned as a business major can most likely be gained through FT employment after school, and/or working during school, or just even being part of a community/organization and doing something other than showing up to meetings/sitting in the back of the room listening to lectures. All technical skills I've learned in classes such as finance and accounting won't directly relate to a physician's job function, although it certainly could matter in terms of running a private practice/maneuvering through the paperwork every occupation is doomed to have. On the other hand I have to say I've done some interesting case studies in various upper level courses.

But anyway long story short - if you're going to tack on an unrelated double major in hopes that it'll impress someone, I fear you might be setting yourself up for something you don't really love, and thus will have no motivation to succeed in...😕

 

[varsityblue]

My feeling is that medical schools don't care so much about what you major in so long as you excel in whatever you do. That said, don't fall into the trap of majoring in whatever you think is the most "prestigious" or the "hardest" discipline simply to impress adcoms. You should be passionate and enthusiastic about whatever you study.

 

[randyam29]

thank you all for your responses! yeah i think the best way to go is to just major in something that you like and complete the requ' always taking good care of your GPA and getting as good results as possible in the MCAT.

 

[johnisles2011]

I don't know how the business major is at your school, but at my school, it's well known to be super easy (despite a fairly high ranking). I had a premed friend who did the business major. He had a stellar gpa cuz the classes were easy, but he still filled the requirements. Pretty awesome, right?
If I could do it all over again, I would definitely NOT have been a bio major. That's a ball buster.

Plus, at interviews he was able to talk in depth with people about his interest in a potential MD/MBA... and fact is they need SOMEONE to do it.

 

[finallyfengmous]

I don't know how the business major is at your school, but at my school, it's well known to be super easy (despite a fairly high ranking). I had a premed friend who did the business major. He had a stellar gpa cuz the classes were easy, but he still filled the requirements. Pretty awesome, right?
If I could do it all over again, I would definitely NOT have been a bio major. That's a ball buster.

Plus, at interviews he was able to talk in depth with people about his interest in a potential MD/MBA... and fact is they need SOMEONE to do it.

Which school did u go to?

 

[Law2Doc]

Which school did u go to?

Um, This guy hasn't been on SDN for three years. Please don't necro bump for this kind of post.