Can I major in ANYTHING during undergrad?

[Kelo]

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Im getting ready to start college (next month).

I know of a lot of people who are pre-med students and a couple pre-dent students.. and a majority of them are majoring in either Biology, or Chem.

I want to major in somthing that interests me, and somthing I know I can do good in, so my GPA will be good...

So "Communications" is going to be my choice.

Is harder for somebody to get into a med/dent school with a major that is not science related?

Also, what is your/was your undergrad major? <--love that smiley

 

[apumic]

Im getting ready to start college (next month).

I know of a lot of people who are pre-med students and a couple pre-dent students.. and a majority of them are majoring in either Biology, or Chem.

I want to major in somthing that interests me, and somthing I know I can do good in, so my GPA will be good...

So "Communications" is going to be my choice.

Is harder for somebody to get into a med/dent school with a major that is not science related?

Also, what is your/was your undergrad major? <--love that smiley

Short answer: Yes, you can

Longer answer: Yes; however, there are some caveats -- one being anything BUT Comm -- no seriously! Vocational, non-academic majors such as comm, nursing, and business are generally not viewed as good preparation for medical school.

P.S.
Learn to spell. A wannabe comm major who can't spell is like a doctor who can't figure out how to do CPR on a dog. Yeah, technically not your field, but really?! If you don't know even the basics of parallel fields... you get the picture.

 

[CielloStelatto]

please, PLEASE, major in something that interests you. it kills me when people give up their interests because they think some admissions committee or boss down the road will like some other major or whatnot.

as long as you fulfill every science (or other) prerequisite described by the schools you will apply to, then you are covered. lots of schools (at least med schools and many grad schools, not sure of dent) like to see you've had a variety of experiences, and that you know what interests you. so cover your bases, and find what interests you. no need to choose this early on, either!

and ps. it would be something you do well in (i couldn't resist. grammar nazi)

 

[CielloStelatto]

and i'll agree with what apumic said. i was hoping you would just find some other interest and go for it, but you might as well have good advice right off the bat. communications isn't really an "academic" major, per some individuals. sure, it is a good fit for those who want to go IN to communications. is your goal to be on tv, or something? even journalism is MUCH more academic.

if you want to do the grad school route, I would recommend a more "academic" major - something that will give you skills you could use in any field.

 

[Kelo]

Hm.

First one.. I was in a hurry, therefore my grammar was not supposed to be perfect..If your being a nazi about grammar, I dont not even want to know what your going to be complaining about being a doctor.

Not trying to be rude, but this is the internet brother...It's not school.. There's nobody grading me on my grammar... Your probably one of those med students who thinks your smarter than everyone else...In reality your not.. haha

And two.. Could somebody name some "Academic Majors" since Comm. is not one obviously....

 

[ILikeDrugs]

Med schools have accepted music and other art majors. Pick which ever major you want and ace your pre-med requirements and try to take a couple of upper division biology courses. That's all you'll need. 🙂

 

[ChemEngSoonMD]

Im getting ready to start college (next month).

I know of a lot of people who are pre-med students and a couple pre-dent students.. and a majority of them are majoring in either Biology, or Chem.

I want to major in somthing that interests me, and somthing I know I can do good in, so my GPA will be good...

So "Communications" is going to be my choice.

Is harder for somebody to get into a med/dent school with a major that is not science related?

Also, what is your/was your undergrad major? <--love that smiley

Can != Good Idea

 

[F4 Phantom]

And two.. Could somebody name some "Academic Majors" since Comm. is not one obviously....

Bio and chem? haha

 

[Yudid]

Yes u can major in anything!

Two years ago i was also new in college and stuff like that, had no idea what major to choose and etc but i knew that in the future i want to be in a health profession. So adviser told me to choose science major, thats what i chose, my major was biology. After a year i hated my major. It was so hard for me and i didnt enjoy it at all. Truth to be told several times i wanted to come to that adviser and tell him everything whats on my heart and on my mind. Then, i transferred to a different school... Guess what major i chose???? Bilogy 😉. In the future i want to change my major to chemical and bio engineering. This is my short story. I am glad that i chose that kind of pathway.

Admissions want to see students with serious majors. And i have lots of friends which are pre med students but were advised to choose some easy majors and right now hate those advisors, because it is a minus.

Its only about u, what major u will choose. However, if you do not enjoy science why are you going to med?

P.S. SCIENCE ROCKS!!!!🙂

 

[Kelo]

I LOVE science...But HATE math .

haha

seriously

 

[coldweatherblue]

Is harder for somebody to get into a med/dent school with a major that is not science related?

Also, what is your/was your undergrad major? <--love that smiley

1. No; if you have a genuine interest in your chosen major and can *prove* to adcoms (through a good science GPA and MCAT scores) that you are a good applicant you are not at a disadvantage.

2. I graduated with a bachelor's in music, emphasis on classical guitar. I use it everyday in med school.. during exams I just listen to Mozart in my head (have almost the entire piano sonatas up there) and thank God that music and humanities exist. fwiw I never noticed feeling behind any of the science people in my class and never noticed any academic difficulty first year. I say this because people will say that humanities majors are less prepared but if we are I certainly didn't notice it.

 

[ILikeDrugs]

I forgot to mention that I graduated with a BA in psychology. I really wasn't interested in anything that was offered, plus I really love psychology. Looking back, I would've gone to a school that offered neuroscience, but I still enjoyed what I learned as a psych major. 😀

 

[Yudid]

I LOVE science...But HATE math .

haha

seriously

Hahaha same here!!! I have no idea how i gonna take calc 2. 4 more weeks before i gonna get into the hell of math world!;(

 

[rowerontheriver]

Depends on your school, but maybe you can double major? That way you still get a chance to do communications, but have something with a bit more substance as well. Don't know how it is at most schools, but by the time you got done with all the med-school prereqs at my undergrad, you had to take a project class, genetics, biochem, and two upper level courses and you had the major. Something to consider...

 

[ChemEngSoonMD]

Im getting ready to start college (next month).

I know of a lot of people who are pre-med students and a couple pre-dent students.. and a majority of them are majoring in either Biology, or Chem.

I want to major in somthing that interests me, and somthing I know I can do good in, so my GPA will be good...

So "Communications" is going to be my choice.

Is harder for somebody to get into a med/dent school with a major that is not science related?

Also, what is your/was your undergrad major? <--love that smiley

With a degree like COM, you better make sure you get into med school because if you don't, you are probably going to get a whole lot of options in terms of a career or a decent pay.

There are many things you can potentially be interested in, why not take one thats both interesting and high pay and challenging? For example, I like chemistry but I'm not going to major in it because I don't want to be stuck as a lab tech. Instead, I did chemical engineering which has chemistry backgrounds, but now you are more valuable because you can solve problems and help build companies and manufacturing processes rather than having just a pure science understanding.

 

[Perrotfish]

With a degree like COM, you better make sure you get into med school because if you don't, you are probably going to get a whole lot of options in terms of a career or a decent pay.

+1. Virtually none of the premeds I knew from freshmen year actually ended up in medical school. A Communications major is just fine for your application (there is no such thing as an 'academic' major, btw), but don't you want a back up plan?

 

[just one]

Many people say go for whatever major interests you, but if you want to become a physician then how is Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Biochemistry, etc not interesting to you? If it is not interesting to you now then when will it be, in medical school when courses are coming at you 90 mph? The one advantage from being a science major is that theoretically you could be more prepared for medical school by becoming more exposed to upper division science courses in undergrad. Will all that said, any major is acceptable to medical schools.

 

[DrYoda]

As others have said, any degree is acceptable for your medical school application.

For getting a good job there are really a limited number of degrees available. Engineering, business and nursing degrees are IMO the best degrees for getting a decent job out of undergrad.

 

[lstone13]

Im getting ready to start college (next month).

I know of a lot of people who are pre-med students and a couple pre-dent students.. and a majority of them are majoring in either Biology, or Chem.

I want to major in somthing that interests me, and somthing I know I can do good in, so my GPA will be good...

So "Communications" is going to be my choice.

Is harder for somebody to get into a med/dent school with a major that is not science related?

Also, what is your/was your undergrad major? <--love that smiley

Of course! Major in whatever you'd like, but make sure that in the prereq's, you must ace them (because they're all you have for your science GPA). Also, as a fellow Speech Communication major, I might suggest pairing your degree with either a minor or a double major (for me, it was Political Science). Just a thought.... Since I am a Speech Communication major, feel free to PM me if you want more thoughts on the degree itself, etc.

Oh yeah... one more thing... don't assume that the major will be easy. Honestly, some of my harder classes I have taken (and yes, I have taken upper level science courses) have been within my major. There's a LOT of subjectivity that comes into play with your professor and whether your thesis is agreeable with him/her.

 

[CielloStelatto]

Hm.

First one.. I was in a hurry, therefore my grammar was not supposed to be perfect..If your being a nazi about grammar, I dont not even want to know what your going to be complaining about being a doctor.

i don't really get what you're saying about the complaining. wasn't complaining.
but - ouch. talk about slapping someone in the face while they were trying to be helpful. 🙁 just thought I would be friendly and point it out. sorry I don't like the sound of doing good in something..

Your probably one of those med students who thinks your smarter than everyone else...In reality your not.. haha

that hurts. 🙁 you have no basis to say that.

peace out.

 

[EyEnStein 07]

yes, you may. Major is irrelevant however note that science majors may help you in general things like when sitting for the MCAT...you might come across a question..and you know the answer to it because of a biochem or upper division science class you took.

 

[apumic]

Academic majors include: sciences, liberal arts (e.g., psychology, math, history), some fine arts (e.g., BA in Music would be liberal arts but a BM in Music Performance would be vocational), etc.

Vocational: nursing, exercise science, athletic training, business, communications, etc.

Think about what a given major is asking of you. Is it heavy on things like research and critical thinking or is it more applied/vocational in nature?

Also, note that there are exceptions to vocational majors being bad. For instance, engineering is technically vocational in nature but is a difficult enough major requiring advanced technical skills and critical thinking such that it is often viewed as being on par w/ most any academic major.

It should also be noted that adcoms vary from not really caring about majors to saying they would "simply throw out the application of [someone who had a vocational major]"

 

[SunDevilDoc]

1. If you are trying to say you are, use you're, not your. I hate that crap. You said that 6 times in your second post. Major in english

 

[dw2158]

Academic majors include: sciences, liberal arts (e.g., psychology, math, history), some fine arts (e.g., BA in Music would be liberal arts but a BM in Music Performance would be vocational), etc.

Vocational: nursing, exercise science, athletic training, business, communications, etc.

THANK you. how do people not know this?

1. If you are trying to say you are, use you're, not your. I hate that crap. You said that 6 times in your second post. Major in english

OP, i also vote major in whatever... as long as it's academic and not vocational.

 

[WhatsNext]

I say major in Comm if you really want to. Keep in mind that you will most likely be taking ~40+ credit hours outside your major in order to be considered for med school. Many medical schools strongly recommend that their applicants have taken upper division science courses (genetics, biochem, histology, etc.), and sometimes those classes have pre-reqs that are not included in the core med school requirements (i.e. even more coursework outside your major).

Let's see - keep your science GPA up, as well as your cumulative. Make sure you have sound extracurriculars (community service, clinical exposure, shadowing, etc.). Finally, do well on the MCAT. Then I can't possibly see why you wouldn't be a competitive med school applicant with a major in Communications.

 

[FuturaDocta]

OP,

Major in anything you like and can imagine yourself actually using if you change your mind about med school.

Communications does not sound like prep for med school, so take some of those classes in undergrad (biochem, embryology, human behavior, histology, anatomy, etc). If you do well, then the adcoms would love you 🙂

 

[Optimalsauce]

Academic majors include: sciences, liberal arts (e.g., psychology, math, history), some fine arts (e.g., BA in Music would be liberal arts but a BM in Music Performance would be vocational), etc.

Vocational: nursing, exercise science, athletic training, business, communications, etc.

Think about what a given major is asking of you. Is it heavy on things like research and critical thinking or is it more applied/vocational in nature?

Also, note that there are exceptions to vocational majors being bad. For instance, engineering is technically vocational in nature but is a difficult enough major requiring advanced technical skills and critical thinking such that it is often viewed as being on par w/ most any academic major.

It should also be noted that adcoms vary from not really caring about majors to saying they would "simply throw out the application of [someone who had a vocational major]"

At any major university, Business and Engineering are anything but vocational. Classes are theory based ("research and critical thinking") and not career training ("applied/vocational in nature").

At my university, business and engineering profs are some of the highest paid. Professors in these subjects are paid for their research and not their "vocational training". At my university professors are paid on average in the following order: law > business > medicine > engineering > all other.

One could argue that Biology is a vocational major because all it does it teach you how to be a biologist. Get real.

OP, if you are at any major university, any major should be fine. Show you are competent in the sciences with your pre-reqs, and you should be competetive.

 

[Optimalsauce]

I say major in Comm if you really want to. Keep in mind that you will most likely be taking ~40+ credit hours outside your major in order to be considered for med school. Many medical schools strongly recommend that their applicants have taken upper division science courses (genetics, biochem, histology, etc.), and sometimes those classes have pre-reqs that are not included in the core med school requirements (i.e. even more coursework outside your major).

Let's see - keep your science GPA up, as well as your cumulative. Make sure you have sound extracurriculars (community service, clinical exposure, shadowing, etc.). Finally, do well on the MCAT. Then I can't possibly see why you wouldn't be a competitive med school applicant with a major in Communications.

That's a bingo!

 

[americans]

A bachelors of Science in psychology form Drury University

... or....

A bachelors of Science in Sports and health science with a concentration in pre-sports medicine form American Millitary University.

 

[chman]

A bachelors of Science in psychology form Drury University

... or....

A bachelors of Science in Sports and health science with a concentration in pre-sports medicine form American Millitary University.

Dude, why do you keep asking this on different threads, not to mention your own thread? Stop, it is not cool. No, it does not matter! Not that I have heard of either, go to the one you want.

 

[FT 9]

I LOVE science...But HATE math .

haha

seriously

kind of a double negative there LOL as you'll use math in almost every science class. like people say do what you want, but i wouldn't recommend communications. not trying to burst your bubble but it seems below average. try something that you like and will put you out there and blow those med school selectors minds of!

 

[bigbad]

People always say "oh major in anything you like" but in reality, if you don't major in a science there's no way you're gonna finish in a "normal" amount of time.

I'm a little concerned about getting all the classes I need before I take the mcat and I'm majoring in a science. Good luck.

 

[lstone13]

People always say "oh major in anything you like" but in reality, if you don't major in a science there's no way you're gonna finish in a "normal" amount of time.

I'm a little concerned about getting all the classes I need before I take the mcat and I'm majoring in a science. Good luck.

Uhhh... that's definitely not true.

 

[dw2158]

People always say "oh major in anything you like" but in reality, if you don't major in a science there's no way you're gonna finish in a "normal" amount of time.

I'm a little concerned about getting all the classes I need before I take the mcat and I'm majoring in a science. Good luck.

100% false.

 

[siliso]

Go for liberal arts. If you know you're going to medical school, you could be one English Lit major who won't end up waiting tables. The prereqs at minimum are 8 one-semester courses. There's enough elective room in a liberal arts major to get it done - plus you will probably have math and science requirements of some kind anyway.

 

[Algophiliac]

Is doing two unrelated majors going to look very bad? Just as an example...maybe an astronomy and fashion double major, or something like that.

 

[lstone13]

Is doing two unrelated majors going to look very bad? Just as an example...maybe an astronomy and fashion double major, or something like that.

Why would that look bad?

 

[flip26]

Is harder for somebody to get into a med/dent school with a major that is not science related?

If by "harder" you mean they get accepted at a lower rate, the answer is "no."

Go to the AAMC website and look at the stats they have compiled. There is one RE majors and matriculation.

 

[Algophiliac]

Why would that look bad?

It just looks very odd...maybe like I don't know what I enjoy? I'm not sure how I'd be able to explain the decision to take those two particular majors (again, those were just examples) when they have no inherent similarities.

 

[Isoprop]

It makes you look more well-rounded.

IMO, a biology, history double major sounds like a person worth talking to. A biology, physics double major sounds like a person who needs to go out more.

But! Undergrad major is probably one of the last things adcoms look at. More interested in grades, MCAT, ECs, LORs, & PS + essays.

 

[lstone13]

It just looks very odd...maybe like I don't know what I enjoy? I'm not sure how I'd be able to explain the decision to take those two particular majors (again, those were just examples) when they have no inherent similarities.

Possible explanation: "While these two majors may seem unrelated, and for all practical reasons they are, they are two fields that I wanted to learn more about and knew that my time at X university would be my only opportunity to do so. Sure, I have chosen not to pursue them as my careers, but I intend to maintain my interest in them in some capacity. I believe my many interests in a wide variety of topics and my exploration of these subjects makes me a well-rounded person."

Or something along those lines...

 

[ChemEngSoonMD]

It makes you look more well-rounded.

IMO, a biology, history double major sounds like a person worth talking to. A biology, physics double major sounds like a person who needs to go out more.

But! Undergrad major is probably one of the last things adcoms look at. More interested in grades, MCAT, ECs, LORs, & PS + essays.

Yeah but who the hell has time to do something like Engineering + History major? Are you really going to take on the burden of another major just to make you "well rounded"?

 

[siliso]

Seriously...a decent liberal arts education is a gift that lasts a lifetime, especially when you actually have a career plan to go along with it. It's worthwhile in itself to be broadly educated, to be "liberated from the present," to be familiar with the canon of the humanities and social sciences. Vocation-oriented majors are valuable, but they aren't a liberal* education (tourism management doesn't fall under the category of critically examining the finest output of human endeavors, I think). As a plus, 4 yrs' experience in spitting out decent prose in minimum time makes the old writing sample a piece of cake, and I never spent one moment agonizing over verbal reasoning.



*Note this does not refer to anything related to Democrats or Republicans.

 

[Compass]

You do not go to college to major in something to seem more "well-rounded." You go there to major in something you like. In ChemEng's situation, it's obviously chemical engineering. In mine, it's computers and biology. Unless you're majoring in Biology and Chemistry and Biochemistry, you're not being un-well rounded.

 

[ensuii]

I was an econ major and am now in med school...when deciding upon which major to choose consider this:

1) Being a science major will not be of tremendous benefit; it doesn't more your application look any better nor will the knowledge you accumulate translate beyond the first month of medical school.

2) Opting to pursue a nonscience major will have no repercussions on your medical school application or future success in medical school should you gain and accept admission.

With that being said, keep in mind that you have no idea what kind of person you will be in 4 years. I know its ridiculous to think that you could possibly entertain something other than what you've wanted to do since you were born, but honestly, hedge your bets. You have no idea what your interests will be or what the state of the economy will look like down the road (especially true considering the current climate of heathcare reform). I want to reiterate what people have said thus far: do what you enjoy. HOWEVER, be mindful of the fact that you are getting closer and closer to your terminal stage of education; you have to start thinking about how you're going to gain employment. Majoring in Spanish is fine if its your passion...but what kind of jobs will it open up to you in 4 years? My advice is to identify what you're good at, find a major that will develop your cognitive abilities along those lines and take premed courses simultaneously. If you do this, worst case scenario is that you don't get into medical school but get a good job that you like.

 

[bigbad]

I was an econ major and am now in med school...when deciding upon which major to choose consider this:

1) Being a science major will not be of tremendous benefit; it doesn't more your application look any better nor will the knowledge you accumulate translate beyond the first month of medical school.

2) Opting to pursue a nonscience major will have no repercussions on your medical school application or future success in medical school should you gain and accept admission.

With that being said, keep in mind that you have no idea what kind of person you will be in 4 years. I know its ridiculous to think that you could possibly entertain something other than what you've wanted to do since you were born, but honestly, hedge your bets. You have no idea what your interests will be or what the state of the economy will look like down the road (especially true considering the current climate of heathcare reform). I want to reiterate what people have said thus far: do what you enjoy. HOWEVER, be mindful of the fact that you are getting closer and closer to your terminal stage of education; you have to start thinking about how you're going to gain employment. Majoring in Spanish is fine if its your passion...but what kind of jobs will it open up to you in 4 years? My advice is to identify what you're good at, find a major that will develop your cognitive abilities along those lines and take premed courses simultaneously. If you do this, worst case scenario is that you don't get into medical school but get a good job that you like.

How hard is it to get your pre-reqs out of the way while actually getting your degree?

Do non-science majors have less requirements so you have time for your pre-med stuff? With the exception of engineering I guess.

 

[lstone13]

How hard is it to get your pre-reqs out of the way while actually getting your degree?

Do non-science majors have less requirements so you have time for your pre-med stuff? With the exception of engineering I guess.

As a double non-science major, I can say definitively that we have exactly the same amount of requirements as science majors do. We all have to graduate with the same number of hours/credits (including engineering majors). However, by strategic planning, you should be able to fulfill your core classes with your science prereqs. And yes, I graduated on time.

 

[ensuii]

How hard is it to get your pre-reqs out of the way while actually getting your degree?

Do non-science majors have less requirements so you have time for your pre-med stuff? With the exception of engineering I guess.

It really wasn't that hard in hindsight...I planned my semesters out in advance such that I would never have more than 17 units per semester but still managed to do a major+pre-med requirements.

My school had basic requirements for English and Math so that basically left 2 semesters of gen chem, 2 semester of ochem, 2 semester of bio and 2 semesters of physics. 8-10 Classes over 6 semesters (had all my pre-reqs done by end of 3rd year) isn't too bad, especially if you take a class over the summer. Make sure you don't take two though, summer is meant to be your chilling out period and you only have until the beginning of M2 to enjoy them 😛.

 

[chman]

As a double non-science major, I can say definitively that we have exactly the same amount of requirements as science majors do. We all have to graduate with the same number of hours/credits (including engineering majors). However, by strategic planning, you should be able to fulfill your core classes with your science prereqs. And yes, I graduated on time.

I partly disagree with this. While it is true that everyone needs the same amount of credits to graduate, science majors are usually more credits to complete. For instance, at my school a biology degree is 90 credits, where as a political science degree is 50. This makes a serious argument to go ahead and major in whatever you want. I will probably major in a social science, then take the necessary science classes, including upper divisions.

The bottom line is to major in what you like. If you want to major in communications, go for it! Communication is an great skill to have as a doctor.

It kind of bugs me when people say major=job. This is only partially true. It is all about how one presents themselves. For instance, if I were to go strait to the market with a social science or humanities degree I would emphasize my writing ability and critical thinking skills.

 

[lstone13]

I partly disagree with this. While it is true that everyone needs the same amount of credits to graduate, science majors are usually more credits to complete. For instance, at my school a biology degree is 90 credits, where as a political science degree is 50. This makes a serious argument to go ahead and major in whatever you want. I will probably major in a social science, then take the necessary science classes, including upper divisions.

Very interesting... that's not the way it works at UGA. We have the same number of core hours to fulfill (90), and we have the same number of major hours to complete (30). Both total 120 hours to reach completion and to graduate.

I guess it just varies per school...