Changing my major to biology a good idea?

[DennisMikula]

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I'm in a dilema. My plan was to get my degree in Clinical Laboratory Science so I would stand out in the application process at Med School. But I just found out it would take me at least 5, almost 6 years to graduate with that plus I'd have to take a ton of pre-reqs that aren't in that program.
My advisor told me I should consider a degree in Biology because it meets the pre-reqs (most of them at least) and I could be done in 4 years. And if your going to tell me to do what I am interested in, I am definitely interested in Biology.

One more crucial fact is that I plan to do a peace corps tour directly after graduating which is a 2 year and 3 month program before going into med school.

So without the whole peace corps fact is it really that bad to be majoring in Biology since so many apply with this degree? Do you think that since I am going into the peace corps it will set me apart more since my major will be so common?


It just seems from reading posts that a Biology major is frowned apon?

 

[vladmoney]

major in what you want to major . <--- thats a period

 

[schrizto]

Clinical lab science major wouldn't give you a huge advantage. I think you should major in biology, because you like it and it will save you a year or so's worth of tuition compared to your current major.

 

[DennisMikula]

Ok. I'm just trying to make sure this doesn't lessen my chances by a huge amount becuase so many people apply with it...

 

[tallash]

1) You're thinking about this 100x more in depth than most admissions folks consider it.

and, even if I was wrong re: 1),

2) Is uncommon enough to make up for any *unlikely* drawbacks with the Bio major

 

[muhali3]

The major doesn't make a difference, just do well in the required prereqs and perhaps a few upper-level bio courses.

 

[DennisMikula]

1) You're thinking about this 100x more in depth than most admissions folks consider it.

and, even if I was wrong re: 1),

2) Is uncommon enough to make up for any *unlikely* drawbacks with the Bio major

That's what I figured. The only drawback, if ANY, would be its commonality, but the peace corps would definitely set that off.

 

[Law2Doc]

The major doesn't make a difference, just do well in the required prereqs and perhaps a few upper-level bio courses.

First, being a science major won't make you stand out. Something in the fine arts might. Second, nobody cares. The days when premeds needed to be science majors ended in the 1980s. You are probably best served just taking the prereqs plus whatever interests you and perhaps will give you a more well rounded education. Don't be one of those people who takes all quasi-med school type courses that you are going to have to retake in more detail anyway, and don't squander all you credits on courses you think will assist you on the MCATs, etc. get yourself a good education, take the prereqs, and don't dwell on it further.

 

[tallash]

First, being a science major won't make you stand out. Something in the fine arts might. Second, nobody cares. The days when premeds needed to be science majors ended in the 1980s.

And, for the record, not everyone was a science major in the 1980s, either. I had a 'nontraditional' major and was interviewed by at least two older surgeons (as in they went to school well before the 80s) who shared my major.

 

[Mesokun]

I thought Peace Corps want at least a year worth of commitment?

I never went through the nomination process so that might be wrong.

 

[Uisa]

I'm in a dilema. My plan was to get my degree in Clinical Laboratory Science so I would stand out in the application process at Med School. But I just found out it would take me at least 5, almost 6 years to graduate with that plus I'd have to take a ton of pre-reqs that aren't in that program.
My advisor told me I should consider a degree in Biology because it meets the pre-reqs (most of them at least) and I could be done in 4 years. And if your going to tell me to do what I am interested in, I am definitely interested in Biology.

One more crucial fact is that I plan to do a peace corps tour directly after graduating which is a 2 year and 3 month program before going into med school.

So without the whole peace corps fact is it really that bad to be majoring in Biology since so many apply with this degree? Do you think that since I am going into the peace corps it will set me apart more since my major will be so common?


It just seems from reading posts that a Biology major is frowned apon?

Why would a biology major be frowned upon? After all it's the med schools who suggested that you can major in w/e you want as long as you do well in the required courses!?

And plus if you're going back and forth between your majors based on what you think will look good on a resume, you're not really doing yourself a favor.

 

[DennisMikula]

I thought Peace Corps want at least a year worth of commitment?

I never went through the nomination process so that might be wrong.

Its actually 2 years and 3 months. Thats why I made another post asking about doing PEace Corps right after graduating being a good idea. but no one answered me 🙁

 

[SpaceDementia]

Don't worry about choosing a major that will "stand out."

Worry about 1) majoring in something you enjoy (seriously... it's four years of your life where you can study virtually whatever you want) and 2) majoring in something that will allow you to do well academically.

At the end of the day, it's your grades that are judged. The guy with a 4.0 in Ballroom Dancing (maybe not that, but you get the point) is going to do better in this process than the guy with a 3.0 double-majoring in Engineering and Biochemistry (if that's even possible).

If you really want to do something that will help you in this process -- assuming it falls within your interests -- then major in the humanities. There's generally a bit of an advantage for those applicants.

 

[htg2010]

i dont mean to be rude, but you need to make these decisions on your own. the only advice that should be given to your initial question is major in something that you enjoy, whether its bio or art history. it doesnt matter as long as you do well in the pre-reqs

secondly, the peace corps needs to be thought about long and hard, and you need to decide what is best for you. i personally think it will look great on a med school application, but you need to understand that it is a huge commitment, and will not be an easy 2 years. I have debated about enlisting myself, but when med school already takes 4 years to finish, the date I can start practicing is pushed back even further. it all depends on what your priorities are. not what other people think you should do.

 

[DennisMikula]

i dont mean to be rude, but you need to make these decisions on your own. the only advice that should be given to your initial question is major in something that you enjoy, whether its bio or art history. it doesnt matter as long as you do well in the pre-reqs

secondly, the peace corps needs to be thought about long and hard, and you need to decide what is best for you. i personally think it will look great on a med school application, but you need to understand that it is a huge commitment, and will not be an easy 2 years. I have debated about enlisting myself, but when med school already takes 4 years to finish, the date I can start practicing is pushed back even further. it all depends on what your priorities are. not what other people think you should do.

Thank you and yes i understand the decision is mine. What I'm asking is if I were to join the Peace corps right after graduation, what would I do about the MCAT and applying to medical schools? Take the test before and apply after? Do both before? Do both after?

 

[Mesokun]

I think MCATs are good for at least 2 years for most schools...some allow 3 year old scores.

I actually have a friend that was supposed to leave for Africa this year. He has already graduated and is working now while prepping for the MCAT. I don't know if he will really leave the country in the end, but he didn't sound very concerned about MCAT expiring as he wanted to take it before leaving.

So I think you should find out from the individual schools you are interested how long MCAT scores remain valid.

Reading what you said makes me think that you are choosing majors and doing Peace Corps just to stand out for med schools. From what I have heard and read, that's probably not the best way to go.

You want to be sure that you will likely enjoy your major and the Peace Corps experience before you make a decision because you can't really back out from either of them.

Also, I actually regretted graduating with Biochem and Microbio degrees - it's meant as a preparation for graduate school, and there's not a lot of meaningful jobs out there for bachelors except in the research labs, and I don't want to do research. I really wished I can go back in time and pick something like laboratory medicine because I will be trained as a medical tech, which allows me to find work right out of college. I personally don't mind staying in school longer because I know I would be better prepared when I leave.

But just to give you my opinion for your question, I think it is better to do it more conservatively - take the MCAT AFTER you return to the States. You want to be as prepared as possible and you definitely don't want to scramble just to get your AMCAS out of the door. Besides, are you sure you can get the score you want on your first try?

I did just that, and now I have to go back to school for 1 more quarter and bleeding money for everything I do while looking for a job.

 

[JJMrK]

Obviously you need to make your own decision, but if it were me, I'd certainly do the 4 year degree as opposed to the 6. If both will get you where you want to go, why spend the extra 2 years? If I were really interested in it I would consider it, but it sounds like you're interested in whatever will get you into medical school. If that's the case, the biology major sounds a lot more efficient.

 

[DennisMikula]

I will emphasize that the Peace Corps is something I really want to do. Looking good for medical school is only a plus for me. I've even considered doing it AFTER med school but I think it would be the best for me to do it right before.

 

[Law2Doc]

And, for the record, not everyone was a science major in the 1980s, either. I had a 'nontraditional' major and was interviewed by at least two older surgeons (as in they went to school well before the 80s) who shared my major.

The 1980s was where the change-over occurred. (hence "ended in the 1980s") If you go back a few years (the 70s and prior), better than 95% of med students were very typical science majors. Which is part of the reason this next generation still has the mindset that to be premed you ought to be a bio, biochem, etc major -- because that's how daddy did it. But it's no longer true, or even necessarilly desirable.

 

[Tin Man]

I will emphasize that the Peace Corps is something I really want to do. Looking good for medical school is only a plus for me. I've even considered doing it AFTER med school but I think it would be the best for me to do it right before.

It's great if you want to do the Peace Corps. I researched it myself.

What I saw, though, makes it VERY difficult for someone who wants to go to medical school. The Peace Corps not only requires about a year of your life (which isn't bad), but also takes about a year just to process your application. Not only that, but they almost exclusively take people who have ALREADY GRADUATED from college. Which, even if you do switch to biology major, means you won't be getting back to the States for at least two years, since your application probably won't be considered until after you graduate (so you can't fill it out early).

So, being at least two years out of school, if you had already taken the MCAT, that means you're going to MAYBE have one run at med school using a previously-taken MCAT before it expires. While your Peace Corps experience will certainly give you something to talk about, it likely won't be in a clinical enviornment (at least one that would give you even a vague idea of what the US's is like), and it won't be research. Really, with only a biology degree (at the least), the chances of you doing anything more involved than building houses and maybe teaching basic arithematic to children is very low, since most people who get to do medical stuff have medical certifications (like nursing degrees) already.

So, with one previous MCAT, a biology degree, and only one chance before having to risk retaking the MCAT and praying you remember enough after being out of practice for three years, you would have to cross your fingers that the admissions people would view your manual-labor Peace Corps adventure as more worthy of a medical student than all of the clinical and research hours that your peers would have been building up while you were away.

If you want to try it, don't let me stop you. But, being a kindred soul, I decided that I was going to focus purely on getting into medical school as a pre-med, and as a physician later join Doctors without Borders, or something of the like. Might be a good option for you as well.

 

[DennisMikula]

It's great if you want to do the Peace Corps. I researched it myself.

What I saw, though, makes it VERY difficult for someone who wants to go to medical school. The Peace Corps not only requires about a year of your life (which isn't bad), but also takes about a year just to process your application. Not only that, but they almost exclusively take people who have ALREADY GRADUATED from college. Which, even if you do switch to biology major, means you won't be getting back to the States for at least two years, since your application probably won't be considered until after you graduate (so you can't fill it out early).

So, being at least two years out of school, if you had already taken the MCAT, that means you're going to MAYBE have one run at med school using a previously-taken MCAT before it expires. While your Peace Corps experience will certainly give you something to talk about, it likely won't be in a clinical enviornment (at least one that would give you even a vague idea of what the US's is like), and it won't be research. Really, with only a biology degree (at the least), the chances of you doing anything more involved than building houses and maybe teaching basic arithematic to children is very low, since most people who get to do medical stuff have medical certifications (like nursing degrees) already.

So, with one previous MCAT, a biology degree, and only one chance before having to risk retaking the MCAT and praying you remember enough after being out of practice for three years, you would have to cross your fingers that the admissions people would view your manual-labor Peace Corps adventure as more worthy of a medical student than all of the clinical and research hours that your peers would have been building up while you were away.

If you want to try it, don't let me stop you. But, being a kindred soul, I decided that I was going to focus purely on getting into medical school as a pre-med, and as a physician later join Doctors without Borders, or something of the like. Might be a good option for you as well.

I plan on doing my volunteer work and research as an undergrad student. I have nothing better to do anyway. Isn't that what most people do? Also I plan on applying my senior year that way by the end of that year I'll be through with the application process.
Also the time you have to serve in the peace corps is actually 2 years and 3 months. The 3 months being your training period.

So my plan would be to obviously get good grades. Volunteer as well as do some research(at least a year) during my undergrad. Apply about a year in advance of my graduation. Then do the peace corps for its 2 years and 3 months. And take the MCAT after. Sure I would have forgotten a lot that I learned in school but I can study my ass off.

Maybe a good plan? haha

 

[tmcleavor]

11111

 

[Tin Man]

I plan on doing my volunteer work and research as an undergrad student. I have nothing better to do anyway. Isn't that what most people do? Also I plan on applying my senior year that way by the end of that year I'll be through with the application process.
Also the time you have to serve in the peace corps is actually 2 years and 3 months. The 3 months being your training period.

So my plan would be to obviously get good grades. Volunteer as well as do some research(at least a year) during my undergrad. Apply about a year in advance of my graduation. Then do the peace corps for its 2 years and 3 months. And take the MCAT after. Sure I would have forgotten a lot that I learned in school but I can study my ass off.

Maybe a good plan? haha

Yeah, good luck with that. Keep in mind a couple of things.

1) The medical enviornment is changing fast, especially right now. You leave for two years, and your clinical experience might not be worth as much when you come back.

2) Two years is a LONG time to remember things in the kind of detail you're going to need to for the MCAT, and it is highly unlikely you will have access to materials that can help you remember. Depending on where you are, you may not even have internet access.

3) As I mentioned before, the work you'll likely be doing will not be medical work, and while it will show great volunteer motivation, it may or may not be any better than doing an extra year of clinical work.

4) When you come back, you'll most likely be considered a non-traditional student. Not a bad thing, but it will change the game a little bit for you.

5) You'd better be ready to defend how working in the Peace Corps either demonstrated your commitment to medicine or helped spurn it. Some (albeit close-minded) adcoms may not feel that medicine is your top priority if you decide to go build houses for two years. And you run a definite risk of saying, "I like to help people" when you do something like the Peace Corps.

As I said, I wish you the best, and if you can make it work, I am glad for you. It's going to make life quite a bit more difficult than most pre-meds have to deal with, but all power to you.

 

[DennisMikula]

Yeah, good luck with that. Keep in mind a couple of things.

1) The medical enviornment is changing fast, especially right now. You leave for two years, and your clinical experience might not be worth as much when you come back.

2) Two years is a LONG time to remember things in the kind of detail you're going to need to for the MCAT, and it is highly unlikely you will have access to materials that can help you remember. Depending on where you are, you may not even have internet access.

3) As I mentioned before, the work you'll likely be doing will not be medical work, and while it will show great volunteer motivation, it may or may not be any better than doing an extra year of clinical work.

4) When you come back, you'll most likely be considered a non-traditional student. Not a bad thing, but it will change the game a little bit for you.

5) You'd better be ready to defend how working in the Peace Corps either demonstrated your commitment to medicine or helped spurn it. Some (albeit close-minded) adcoms may not feel that medicine is your top priority if you decide to go build houses for two years. And you run a definite risk of saying, "I like to help people" when you do something like the Peace Corps.

As I said, I wish you the best, and if you can make it work, I am glad for you. It's going to make life quite a bit more difficult than most pre-meds have to deal with, but all power to you.

Yeah I might even wait till after med school to go into the peace corps. Also I changed my major to Psychology with a Minor in chemistry and a concentration in biology.

Seems like the most interesting major to me and i'll get my pre-reqs done.