Choosing a major

[sdelucia]

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I am between two majors: Chemistry and Psychology. I am going to a be a junior in the fall at this point I need to decide which will be my major and which will be my minor. Psychology has been easier for me thus far. I have a 4.0 GPA in psychology whereas in Chemistry I have a 3.1 (only based on chem I&II, organic I, and quant). I enjoy Chemistry more and would rather study that but it is harder for me and I worry about not getting into medical school. I was told by a pre health advisor to select psychology as my major so that I can get a good GPA but my chemistry advisor said that a more difficult subject would be given wait. I am in two labs, one in each subject. If I stuck with Psychology I would also be in an honors program where I would do some independent research (however this is designed for students who want to get a PhD). I have taken 8 psychology classes so a have satisfied all the minor requirements. I just want to make the best decision for getting into medical school. I'd appreciate any help!

 

[whitecoatadvising]

I agree with your advisor...from the perspective of medical school admissions. I think that having a higher overall GPA is much better. However, you may need to do some work in more science classes to bring up your science GPA, depending on your other grades in science classes.

 

[aldol16]

You should pursue which one interests you most. Really. Otherwise, you run the risk of being miserable for the next two years. Sure, psychology is easier and will get you a higher GPA. But is that worth your mental health?

With respect to GPA, you should be able to show that you can excel at all your courses. You will encounter chemistry again in medical school, whether it's in biochemistry or pharmacology. But in the end, medical schools do care a lot about GPA because they report their averages. In an ideal world, harder majors would be given more weight but in terms of calculating a med school's average GPA, all majors are weighted equally. That's why numbers appear to be so important.

 

[Dr.Kitty]

You mentioned you like Chemistry more & that's all you need to make a decision. Major in Chemistry.

 

[Dandine]

My first reaction was Psych since you have completed the requirements. That said, based on your post, I'm assuming the honors program project is required for all psych students regardless of course of study (I may be wrong so correct me if so). If that is something you are interested in, then that would give more reason to go with that major.

Another question is, considering you've gotten most of Psych down and assuming you only have a few more Chem credits, whether a double major is an option. I'd only go this route though if you're certain you can complete the Chem reqs plus the psych project above. And I'm guessing Chem probably has a research requirement too (again, correct me if I'm wrong), so it may eventually come down to which you could see yourself actually completing.

Long story short: if you like Chem and are willing to go through the reqs, go Chem. As @aldol16 mentioned, it would probably help to take more science courses anyways if you want to increase BCPM GPA and that could help you in completing the major as well. Likewise, if you can't see yourself completing Psych (because of the project requirement, etc.), don't.

Those are just some thoughts; in the end all courses will be considered by schools, so your choice of major is more to do with what you want to work towards, IMO.

 

[sdelucia]

You should pursue which one interests you most. Really. Otherwise, you run the risk of being miserable for the next two years. Sure, psychology is easier and will get you a higher GPA. But is that worth your mental health?

With respect to GPA, you should be able to show that you can excel at all your courses. You will encounter chemistry again in medical school, whether it's in biochemistry or pharmacology. But in the end, medical schools do care a lot about GPA because they report their averages. In an ideal world, harder majors would be given more weight but in terms of calculating a med school's average GPA, all majors are weighted equally. That's why numbers appear to be so important.

Thanks for your imput! Your point of causing mental distress definitely made me think about this in another perspective. It has been a problem in regards to studying psychology. Last semester I felt like I was wasting my time and energy studying for classes I didn't care about. I have been very focused on my grades because I am so concerned about getting into medical school but it has worked against me. I want to focus on just enjoying what I am studying.