College majors for Surgeons?

[tomz]

Hello,

Just out of curiosity to you surgeon to be students. What were your majors and minors in college ( not grad school ) ? And I heard it takes a long time before you are a surgeon... What job do you do to make a living until then?

Regards,

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[Blade28]

I was a Bioengineering major and Latin Literature minor in college.

Not sure I understand your second question - after 4 years of med school, those pursuing general surgery complete a 5-7 year residency (depends on the instutition). You could also go into other fields with their own residencies, such as ortho, ENT, etc. After a residency, you could also opt to pursue a fellowship, which may be an extra 1-3 years of training.

However, all this training is, technically, a "job." That's how you're making a living.

 

[tomz]

I was a Bioengineering major and Latin Literature minor in college.

Not sure I understand your second question - after 4 years of med school, those pursuing general surgery complete a 5-7 year residency (depends on the instutition). You could also go into other fields with their own residencies, such as ortho, ENT, etc. After a residency, you could also opt to pursue a fellowship, which may be an extra 1-3 years of training.

However, all this training is, technically, a "job." That's how you're making a living.

Thanks for your reply,

My second question intend to ask that since this training period is long and epochal, what side job if any, do you do beside studying surgeries to make a living? For instance you have a Bioengineering major, do you work to pay for tuition costs for your surgeon training? And how much is surgeon training? (Approx.)

 

[Blade28]

Uh...well, even though there are new workweek hour limitations, you're still working 80+ hr/wk as a resident. There's not much time to take on another job. Some people "moonlight," that is, work extra shifts at community hospitals/ERs for extra money, but usually those count towards the 80 hr. In addition, I've usually heard about those residents being in the middle of research years.

One point of clarification - as a surgical resident, or "surgeon-in-training," you ARE earning a salary. You don't need to find another job to pay for tuition like in med school.

 

[fourthyear]

I'll be more specific - med school costs about 15,000-40,000/year, with the low end being in-state tuition for a few state-supported schools, and the high end being all private schools and even some state schools. During med school a few people may find some time to work, but most people just rely on loans. Everyone gets approved for these loans, with most being federal stafford loans. So most people graduate with about 60,000-200,000 in debt (most people need loans for living expenses too). Very few scholarships are given out for med school, it's mostly just loans. You can wait to pay these back if you want though - you can either start during residency or defer them till afterwards.

During residency most people make about 30,000-45,000 for any specialty at any program. Most have a gradual increase of about 1,000-2,000/year. Programs in cities with higher cost of living usually pay on the higher end of the scale. This income is enough to live on but not enough to make much dent in those loans or to support a family on if you have one. Unfortunately, as said above, most surgery programs don't allow work outside of your residency program anymore b/c they've limited our work hours to 80/week including all work. In the past people could make quite a lot of extra cash moonlighting at other hospitals, but they were doing this extra work on top of their regular 100-120 hour workweeks, making them walking zombies. So we don't have that choice anymore. Now we're well rested but still underpaid, the new way of surgery training.

 

[Winged Scapula]

I was a Experimental Psychology Major with a Minor in Mathematics, and have an advanced degree in the same. As you will soon see, you can major in anything you want to get into medical school as long as you finish the required course work, and this is no different for someone who wishes to be a surgeon.

As noted above, residents are paid a salary and can defer repayment of their medical school loans during training. Most surgical programs do not allow moonlighting now except during research/lab years. The salary while not much, is generally enough to pay for basic needs without further assistance.

Hope this helps.

 

[supercut]

Major in whatever floats your boat.

THough I did my undergrad about 20 years prior to med school, I started out as a premed and science major. Long story why it took me so long to get to med school.

Bottom line..I wish I had majored in something non science, like a language, or business. (Many patients are spanish speaking only ...would be great to not have to get an interpreter for basic interactions. Or business...medicine is a business and it is becoming increasingly important to pay attention to business aspects)

As long as you have all the prerequisites for med school, you can major in anything you want.

 

[Dr.Chloe]

I'm glad this question was asked because I have been wondering the same thing (I'm a journalism major). Another related question I was wondering was if any of you non-bio majors felt at a disadvantage when it comes to the MCAT and/or early med classes. Thanks!

 

[Winged Scapula]

I'm glad this question was asked because I have been wondering the same thing (I'm a journalism major). Another related question I was wondering was if any of you non-bio majors felt at a disadvantage when it comes to the MCAT and/or early med classes. Thanks!

Nope - after all, you still have to take the pre-req courses and the MCAT doesn't test upper division biology for the most part. I took the MCAT after I'd finished my coursework. I guess if I'd majored in Bio I might have done better, but then there's still Physics, Chemistry and the rest of the sciences.

 

[dr.evil]

Mathematics major with a double minor in Biochemistry/Exercise Physiology (yeah, I did the 5 year undergrad, I don't know what the hell I'm doing, plan)

MCAT wasn't too bad but I felt noticeably weak on Verbal but actually did alright

 

[toofache32]

My college degree is in classical guitar performance. I never understood why people wanted to major in the same subject twice (Biology and later medicine). All you have to do is take the minimum prerequisites.

 

[tom_jones]

major - biology minor - math

If i had it to do over again, would have majored in mathematics. I was always much better at this than other subjects and only had to do minimal studying to get A's. A math major is the strongest degree by far due to the perceived difficulty. You can do whatever you want with a math degree. But thats just my 2 cents. Most people avoid math if possible.

A bio degree is next to worthless if you don't go to med school

 

[FliteSurgn]

Major - 1) Electrical engineering
2) Analytical chemistry

I recommend a major that you're interested in for the knowledge that you'll gain and not as a means to an end (ie. just a way to get into med school). If I hadn't went to med school, I would have enjoyed either of the above career fields because I really liked them.

 

[njbmd]

Hi there,
Undergraduate double major in Biology/Analytical Chemistry with Physics/Math minor. Graduate degree in Biochemistry with Molecular Biology dissertation in cell-cell communication.

If I had it to do over again, would major in American Studies with Spanish minor and take the pre-med courses. I would still have ended up in the same place minus lots of time at the research bench. Major in anything that you like and do well.

njbmd 😀

 

[Ergo]

Heres the skinny in med school admissions:

👍 GPA: You need a 3.3 minimum for consideration (3.5 or better is usually a safe score) They recognize that some degree programs are more difficult to ace - ie. A lower GPA is acceptable with a degree in a heavy science or engineering from any school. A degree in Biology or a soft science (psychology) would require a higher GPA and art degrees etc are expected to make even higher GPAs. Trends of improvement are noticed but generally the overall GPA must make the minimum cutoff.

👍 MCAT: Average test score 24.
Average accepted to state school 27.
Average top tier school 31.

Advice - take the test very seriously. This one score counts as much as 4 years of work for that GPA, and its one standardized measure that can sink you or give you leverage when compared to Ivy league/silver spoon folks. So dont take it until youre ready. Do several thousand practice questions, read both correct and incorrect answers. Kaplan and Princeton Review both have good programs and resources and are worth the money. btw - if youre short on money Kaplan has a "scholarship" program available on request, which gives a discount tuition for persons short on income. I used Kaplan (34) and later taught for Princeton.

👍 INTERVIEW: If you've been selected for an interview then your application is acceptable 🙂 Act normal, not weird. Be friendly, not too eager, confident not nervous. Dont bring up any controversial views. This isnt the time to talk about how you are going to change medicine (by supporting overhaul of the system, or whatever. It sounds NAIVE). Basically they will try to screen out people who dont seem like team players, or seem immature/naive, or too shy, or just weird.
Buy a nice, conservative suit - Grey, Black, Charcoal, dk. brown, have it hemmed to the right length-then iron it or have it professionally cleaned before each interview so it looks fresh; wear a white or other conservative colored collared shirt, practical shoes, fresh haircut and shave/no colored nailpolish or bright makeup.
Look clean, attractive, and low maintenance = serious.
Ie. Look like an actual doctor, not like on a date. ITs not the time to make a statement, because its risky. And - dont be cheap by selecting trendy clothes you can wear 'going out' another time. It will make you look young to the 40 yo+ interviewers.

And all you have to do to be a surgeon is:
1. make average grades
2. break 210 on the boards (average! no problem, right?)
3. Show up to surgeries during 3rd year (be available)
4. Suck it up when anyone lets their crap roll downhill on you. Youre on bottom, no matter what. Scrub nurses are above you, unless the resident defends you on your behalf. (Dont count on that, even if they like you.) Just realize that its not personal- it cant be because they dont even know you!
Never act tired or ask to go home/study/whatever.
5. Make your motto "HAPPY TO HELP!" no matter what the time or the question asked. (Be affable)
6. Dont be a suck up. It makes people sick.



Love,
Ergo.
BS Chemistry
minor- Biology

BTW- I wish I had studied Literature with a minor in Spanish. I didnt see one english speaking mother today in pediatrics, and for some reason I took tons of German. I like reading, and wish I had studied more of the classics in a formal setting.

BOTTOM LINE:
For med school, do any major you want, take the prereqs, then take a review course and use it to learn the highest yield material inside and out. Practice using that info to answer questions so you ace the test. They'll teach you the rest that youneed to know in med school. I guess if there were any extras that would have been useful it would be a physiology and anatomy course, just before med school starts so that its not such a foreign language course initially.