Business major change to biology for pre-med

[FutureMedicine]

Hello everyone. I hope someone can offer some insight/advice into my situation.

I’m a business major who has completed 3 years of study already. I have a 3.9+ overall GPA and a 4.0 major GPA.

Through several experiences over the last 1-2 years, I have come to realize that my true calling is in the direction of medicine and not business. Through all that I have learned about myself, I feel that studying medicine and helping people as a doctor is the direction that is right for me. These experiences include some volunteering/service opportunities that I had as well several observations at hospitals/doctors’ offices.

Now here is where the choices start. I already have some of my pre-requisite classes but I still need all of chemistry (2 yrs) and biology (1 yr). I have two options which I can pursue.

One is that I can finish my major and take all the classes that I need for the pre-requisite requirements. This will take me 1.5 (if taking summer classes) to 2 years from now which would put me applying for the entering class in fall 2010 (MCAT Spring 2009). Via this option I might take organic chemistry 1 & 2 at a different university than my regular undergraduate institution. I would rather not do this since a lot of people seem to agree it is good to have all classes completed at the same school.

The other option I have is that I can switch my major to biology which will also take 2 years and position me to also apply for the class entering in fall 2010 (MCAT Spring 2009). This option would allow me to take many more biology/medicine related classes including biochemistry, physiology, genetics, etc. I have read that these classes are looked at by admissions committees.

At the moment, I am favoring the biology option as I find the field very interesting and would love to learn more in depth about several of the subject areas. I am pretty content on not pursuing a career in the business major that I am currently enrolled in.

The money issue is not something I am looking at now. I am most interested in being successful in my studies and pursuing something that will allow me to help the world. I would lose some credits as a result of the major switch but not too many since the majority of my first three years were all college core classes.

I would really appreciate it if some other members could offer me some advice. Which is the better option to go with in terms of being the most advantageous for getting accepted into medical school? 1. Staying as a business major or 2. Switching to biology?

Either way, I understand that I will have to stay in school a year extra but I am ready for this because I would rather make the change now than regret not having done something 20 years from now.

Thank you everyone!!

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[futureboy]

You should finish your business degree. First of all, it is a very useful degree. Like it or not, medicine is a business as well as a calling/profession. Knowledge of accounting, finance, taxes, marketing, etc. will serve you well no matter what you do in medicine. It will also give you better career options in the event you don't get in. Your grades are superb so far, but you never know.

Secondly, I would think the business degree could give you an edge in med school admissions. Instead of being one of many, many bio majors, you might stand out more as a business major. If you really have a passion for bio, you could get both degrees, or at least take advanced classes that would help in med school.

Hope this helps, and good luck to you!

Hello everyone. I hope someone can offer some insight/advice into my situation.

I’m a business major who has completed 3 years of study already. I have a 3.9+ overall GPA and a 4.0 major GPA.

Through several experiences over the last 1-2 years, I have come to realize that my true calling is in the direction of medicine and not business. Through all that I have learned about myself, I feel that studying medicine and helping people as a doctor is the direction that is right for me. These experiences include some volunteering/service opportunities that I had as well several observations at hospitals/doctors’ offices.

Now here is where the choices start. I already have some of my pre-requisite classes but I still need all of chemistry (2 yrs) and biology (1 yr). I have two options which I can pursue.

One is that I can finish my major and take all the classes that I need for the pre-requisite requirements. This will take me 1.5 (if taking summer classes) to 2 years from now which would put me applying for the entering class in fall 2010 (MCAT Spring 2009). Via this option I might take organic chemistry 1 & 2 at a different university than my regular undergraduate institution. I would rather not do this since a lot of people seem to agree it is good to have all classes completed at the same school.

The other option I have is that I can switch my major to biology which will also take 2 years and position me to also apply for the class entering in fall 2010 (MCAT Spring 2009). This option would allow me to take many more biology/medicine related classes including biochemistry, physiology, genetics, etc. I have read that these classes are looked at by admissions committees.

At the moment, I am favoring the biology option as I find the field very interesting and would love to learn more in depth about several of the subject areas. I am pretty content on not pursuing a career in the business major that I am currently enrolled in.

The money issue is not something I am looking at now. I am most interested in being successful in my studies and pursuing something that will allow me to help the world. I would lose some credits as a result of the major switch but not too many since the majority of my first three years were all college core classes.

I would really appreciate it if some other members could offer me some advice. Which is the better option to go with in terms of being the most advantageous for getting accepted into medical school? 1. Staying as a business major or 2. Switching to biology?

Either way, I understand that I will have to stay in school a year extra but I am ready for this because I would rather make the change now than regret not having done something 20 years from now.

Thank you everyone!!

 

[sunset823]

I agree with the above poster...I would add that a biology major, besides being way over-represented in this particular applicant crowd (duh lol), may not be exactly what you are looking for, because you would also take classes in evolutionary/ecological biology and such as part of the major (I enjoyed these classes, so my 'general' bio major made sense), but you may be looking more along the lines of molecular or biochemistry (from your GPA seems you're good at math, so the latter would be an option), but both of these would take a lot more time, and you'd basically have lost all the useful business credits

Anyway, it is better to finish your business degree, and just enter a post-bac program - you may be able to take advanced bio classes in place of the prereqs you've already fulfilled, but this seems like a faster route, and it sounds like you would do really well in a postbac (1 year), which would put you in a good school by 2010

 

[sunset823]

I agree with the above poster...I would add that a biology major, besides being way over-represented in this particular applicant crowd (duh lol), may not be exactly what you are looking for, because you would also take classes in evolutionary/ecological biology and such as part of the major (I enjoyed these classes, so my 'general' bio major made sense), but you may be looking more along the lines of molecular bio or biochemistry (from your GPA seems you're good at math, so the latter would be an option), but both of these would take a lot more time, and you'd basically have lost all the useful business credits

Anyway, it is better to finish your business degree, and just enter a post-bac program - you may be able to take advanced bio classes in place of the prereqs you've already fulfilled, but this seems like a faster route, and it sounds like you would do really well in a postbac (1 year), which would put you in a good school by 2010

 

[CoolRunnings]

I am in the exact same boat as the OP, and decided to stay with business. However, how will top 10 med. schools see this? I know they look favorably on liberal arts majors over bio. majors, as it's a nice change of pace, but how would they feel about business majors? Remember, only a couple of the Ivys even have undergraduate business programs...opinions? Anyone gone to a top school w/ a business degree?
thanks

 

[postbacker]

Finish your business degree, and any of the pre reqs you cannot finish before getting that degree simply take as a post bac student (in your case, an informal post bac will suffice).

Do not switch to a biology major - completely unnecessary, a waste of time and money...

 

[Law2Doc]

Finish your business degree, and any of the pre reqs you cannot finish before getting that degree simply take as a post bac student (in your case, an informal post bac will suffice).

Do not switch to a biology major - completely unnecessary, a waste of time and money...

Agree with this totally. Non-sci majors are very well received by med schools and there is no real reason to switch.

 

[soonereng]

Seems like everyone is saying stick with the business degree.

I too would say finish the business degree unless you hate the business courses. They will indeed come in useful in the future assuming that there isn't a takeover of the healtcare industry by socialists.

I just wouldn't adivse sticking with a degree you don't like over one that you would.

 

[Law2Doc]

I just wouldn't adivse sticking with a degree you don't like over one that you would.

Agree with this. However too many people seem to be stuck in the 1970s notion that to go to med school you ought to be a bio major. Those days have come and gone. Any major is fine now.