College Majors

[DOCTOR13]

Hey everyone I was wandering what yall thought about majoring in Construction Management? I would still take all the pre med courses and some extra ones. I was wandering if they would care about that major and I would take alot of engineering classes. So your input would be great and thanks.

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[chad5871]

Sounds interesting. If that's where your interests lie, then go for it! As long as you have all of the pre-requisites completed before medical school, they don't care if you major in Biology or Engineering or Underwater Basket-Weaving. In fact, if you pick a somewhat more obscure major, it will help set you apart from the sea of Biology/Biochemistry/Chemistry/BME majors. Whatever you decide, make sure you do well (try to keep GPA above 3.7) in your classes, especially science courses and all of the pre-reqs.

Good luck!

 

[Charles English]

major in something you want to. it officially doesn't matter. take the pre-med courses you need, maybe tack on a couple extra for good measure (upper level whatevers) and as for the rest, just make sure you keep the GPA up and it really won't make a significant difference whether you major in Chemistry or Construction. word on the street is, whatever advantage you may personally gain from majoring in a life science/physical science will be evened out after two weeks in med school. in the meantime, have a little fun.

 

[ihatescience]

Hey everyone I was wandering what yall thought about majoring in Construction Management? I would still take all the pre med courses and some extra ones. I was wandering if they would care about that major and I would take alot of engineering classes. So your input would be great and thanks.

That would be pretty interesting!

 

[nevercold]

real

major in something you want to. it officially doesn't matter. take the pre-med courses you need, maybe tack on a couple extra for good measure (upper level whatevers) and as for the rest, just make sure you keep the GPA up and it really won't make a significant difference whether you major in Chemistry or Construction. word on the street is, whatever advantage you may personally gain from majoring in a life science/physical science will be evened out after two weeks in med school. in the meantime, have a little fun.

Yeah, really think about what you want out of your college education! Choose a major you think you will enjoy. Look at the classes required to complete the major and see if they'll be pretty interesting and educational throughout. Some majors have fewer required classes and more optional things built in, which can be great for giving you the chance to study a whole bunch of different things.

Having a few of the upper level bios, like cell biology, microbiology, genetics, physiology, and then biochemistry will definitely help you in med school, but you'll get it in med school regardless, so don't beat yourself up over it if you want to use your time to learn about architecture or business and economics.
Yeah,

 

[Squiddie]

Hey everyone I was wandering what yall thought about majoring in Construction Management? I would still take all the pre med courses and some extra ones. I was wandering if they would care about that major and I would take alot of engineering classes. So your input would be great and thanks.

If you want to be a Construction major, do it! Something you're passionate about will make you more motivated to do well and get the grades you need.

 

[shiftingmirage]

I didn't even know one could major in construction management. Sounds cool. I would think it might cause the adcom to give your app a second look versus the 5000+ bio majors.

 

[RySerr21]

I didn't even know one could major in construction management. Sounds cool. I would think it might cause the adcom to give your app a second look versus the 5000+ bio majors.

i guessss. i dunno how much i buy the whole "you stand out if you major in something besides the sciences." I mean i'm sure they might be like "ooo interesting he majored in construction management" but it if the rest isnt there i dont think it will give an extra boost just b/c you have an interst in something non medical. now, if the rest of the package is there, then majoring in construction managment might lead to a good discussion during the interview, but beyond that i cant see it adding much to an application.

 

[HumidBeing]

The general advice isn't going to change drastically from week to week. It's the same this week as it was last when you asked about a General Studies degree. Get a Bachelor's in anything that interests you, just make sure that you cover the pre-req courses.

 

[bawer234]

Hey everyone I was wandering what yall thought about majoring in Construction Management? I would still take all the pre med courses and some extra ones. I was wandering if they would care about that major and I would take alot of engineering classes. So your input would be great and thanks.

OH MY GOD!!! You have to be kidding! I don't believe it. Not for one second!!! Another CM major???? I must be dreaming...is this a joke? I thought I was the only pre-med construction management major in existence. In the UNIVERSE! Maybe I started a trend or something; its definitely possible.

CM (Construction Management) was a great experience for me. I got to study an area outside of basic sciences and, to be honest, it presents a lot of advantages over biology, chemistry, phys, ect.

ADVANTAGES OF Construction Management:
1) You will have a "fall back" should you not get accepted into med school.
2) You, unlike 99% of your premed friends, will be able to experience something besides the pre-medical science courses.
3) If it turns out for whatever reason you don't like Medicine, you can stick with CM.
3) You will get an education encompassing Business, Construction, Management, Marketing, and Engineering.
4) You will learn to work in teams VERY VERY well.
5) You will have more opportunities for scholarships (we had more scholarships than students in my CM college. I averaged $3,000 per year.)
6) You will know how business and the "real world" work. You will also learn both ethical and unethical decision making (which is a GOOD thing b/c many pre-meds are not exposed to the later).
7) You will have a GREAT topic to talk about in all your interviews.
8) You will have the opportunity to work with both white and blue collar workers.
9) You will have the advantage of being different (Adcoms love this). There will come a time when you will be greatful that you expierenced as much as possible.
10) You get to work out in the field instead of being in the library.
11) You get on the job training.
12) CM internships (usually mandatory) pay BIG $$. I worked part time this last year and made $17/hour.
13) You get to make a lot of friends with interests besides medicine.

[U]DISADVANTAGES OF Construction Management:[/U]
1) Letters of Recomendation from your main professors are pretty much worthless and you may have a hard time getting them considering that they expect you to go into CM. Recommendations will have to come from your pre-med classes.
2) You will not have a lot of classes with other pre-meds.
3) Many CM students may wonder why you are in the CM college.
4) You wont use the construction knowledge working in a hospital.
5) You will have to take extra classes since your pre-req's for medicine will not fill in your CM credits.
6) Dont expect a lot of hot girls in your classes.

SUMMARY: As you can see the advantages FAR out weigh the disadvantages. I highly recommend going into CM or any other kind of business major as it will give you REAL tools that can be applied inside and outside of medicine. Do not worry about whether majoring in CM will prepare you for medical school. Its not the major that matters, its your efforts. I applied this term and I already have 2 acceptances. I actually consider myself to be at an advantage over traditional pre-meds in the application cycle because I did something completely different. Usually CM majors are hard core construction guys so I'm still shocked that there is another pre-med CM major out there...WOW!

 

[nu2004]

Your enthusiasm for CM is impressive

You, unlike 99% of your premed friends, will be able to experience something besides the pre-medical science courses.

Just wanted to point out that this is a pretty gross generalization. Most people in medical school had lots of great experiences outside of the pre-medical science courses.

 

[HumidBeing]

bawer234: 2) You will not have a lot of classes with other pre-meds.

I know quite a few people who would argue that item should have been placed under the ADVANTAGES header.

 

[bawer234]

Your enthusiasm for CM is impressive

Just wanted to point out that this is a pretty gross generalization. Most people in medical school had lots of great experiences outside of the pre-medical science courses.

True, my B. But how many of them got to MAJOR in their interests outside of medicine?

 

[bawer234]

I know quite a few people who would argue that item should have been placed under the ADVANTAGES header.

Hahaha VERY VERY VERY true...you can avoid a lot of type A personalities by majoring outside of traditional pre-med majors.

A lot of my enthusiam for CM comes from the fact that I've actually had to defend my choice from a lot of people. Most assumed my path was a mistake and I ended up having to justify/explain to many friends and family members what I was doing.

 

[FuturePharm21]

majoring in Bio, I like all the following minors, but which would attract adcom's attention and make me a better overall student: psych, biotech, chem, biomedical ethics??

any suggestions?

 

[RySerr21]

True, my B. But how many of them got to MAJOR in their interests outside of medicine?

who cares? thats their choice. obviously their interest in whatever science major they chose was greater than their interest in whatever non-science major they were thinking about choosing. unless of course they chose the science major simply b/c they thought it would look better for med school....in that case i have no sympathy for their stupidity.

secondly, you dont have to be a major to take courses in a subject. If i loved Music but also loved Biology, I could major in biology and also take as many music courses as I want but just not declare that as a major (for whatever reason). i think you put too much importance in the term "major." it really doesnt mean much at all.

 

[akszp4]

I think the take home message given through the million "which major" threads is that you should major and minor in what you like. Not only would you be happy at the end of the day but you would also have a greater chance of having a good gpa. Win-win situation.

 

[JRock310]

one other thing my advisor told me that i think is really good advice...

i actually started as a Communication major. i LOVED my classes, but i hate the actual field, i just love learning about it, did a couple internships freshman year bc it's required at my college each winter intercession, and i really disliked them! anyway...when i decided i wanted to pursue med school, i struggled w/ staying in Communication and taking pre-reqs or switching to Biotechnology and just having a minor in Communication. my advisor told me that you definitely should major in what you enjoy, but you have to take your strength in the sciences into consideration. if im a Biotech major and let's say I got a B in chem...but ive taken many advanced upper level science courses at the same time, including all my biotech courses, then that will help the fact that I didn't get an A in chem. if i was a communication major, my science courses would be VERRRY heavily weighed, seeing as not only are they pre-reqs, but they are the ONLY science classes im taking. in biotech, im taking a slew of other science/math courses including calc, micro, advanced biotech lab classes, anatomy & physiology, genes & genomes, cell and molecular bio, etc. in comm i would have JUST taken the bare minimum.

very long story short...i decided to switch to Biotech bc i knew that i could do well in other science classes, but was still a little shaky on chem (never took it in high school) and wanted med schools to see that i could handle other very complicated courses.

so definitely keep that in mind, too, but that major sounds so unique and interesting!

 

[bawer234]

who cares?

Adcoms.

thats their choice. obviously their interest in whatever science major they chose was greater than their interest in whatever non-science major they were thinking about choosing. unless of course they chose the science major simply b/c they thought it would look better for med school....in that case i have no sympathy for their stupidity.

Based on your post you seem to be very upset at the idea that majoring outside of pre-medical sciences can give you an edge in the application process. I stress can. If you use your major to your advantage during the application process, like I did, it really helps differentiate you as a candidate over traditional candidates. I believe this, in addition to my scores and grades, contributed to my success during the application cycle.

secondly, you dont have to be a major to take courses in a subject. If i loved Music but also loved Biology, I could major in biology and also take as many music courses as I want but just not declare that as a major (for whatever reason). i think you put too much importance in the term "major." it really doesnt mean much at all.

Your correct about the major not meaning much...however it can be used as an effective tool in the application process by differentiating your unique academic background and expeirences from the other 2000+ biology majors. I am sure that every bio major and their cousin takes classes they find interesting in addition to their core classes. Nothing special/unique about that. However, some may argue that a major outside the pre-med sciences is special/unique when emphasized the right way on your application.

 

[bawer234]

majoring in Bio, I like all the following minors, but which would attract adcom's attention and make me a better overall student: psych, biotech, chem, biomedical ethics??

any suggestions?

Better overall student??? None...all...it depends on you. If I were going to suggest one that stands out from all the rest I would say biomedical ethics. Anything controversial can be used to draw attention to you and ethics are about as controversial as it gets.

 

[scarletgirl777]

majoring in Bio, I like all the following minors, but which would attract adcom's attention and make me a better overall student: psych, biotech, chem, biomedical ethics??

any suggestions?

some med schools require or reccommend A psych course, but I don't think it matters too much.

 

[RySerr21]

Adcoms

i dont see how you can argue that adcoms care about what you could have majored in....it doesnt make any sense. they dont know what you were thinking about majoring in they only know what you ended up choosing to major in

Based on your post you seem to be very upset at the idea that majoring outside of pre-medical sciences can give you an edge in the application process. I stress can.

the quote you took from my post and the above response don't make any sense together.... i think you misread what i wrote. read it again. what i said was i dont have any sympathy for people that choose a science major instead of an non-science major b/c they think that the science major willl give them an extra edge. IMO, people that do that are pretty dumb because 1) they aren't majoring in something they are passionate about and 2) you wont get an extra edge for being a science major

Your correct about the major not meaning much...however it can be used as an effective tool in the application process by differentiating your unique academic background and expeirences from the other 2000+ biology majors. I am sure that every bio major and their cousin takes classes they find interesting in addition to their core classes. Nothing special/unique about that. However, some may argue that a major outside the pre-med sciences is special/unique when emphasized the right way on your application.

sure, i agree it can be used as effective tool in the application process...but that doesnt say much. anything can be used as an effective tool in the application process if adcoms are able to see that you are passionate about it. in the end, the type of major you choose won't really matter, what matters is are you passionate about the material and will the adcoms be able to see that. at the most (like i mentioned earlier) it will make for good conversation during the interview which can be toootally helpful and could even give you the boost you need to be accepted. i have nothing wrong with majoring non-science or something else outside the typical (boring) biology, chemistry, physics major. hell, my major doesnt fall into the traditional science category either.

 

[bawer234]

i dont see how you can argue that adcoms care about what you could have majored in....it doesnt make any sense. they dont know what you were thinking about majoring in they only know what you ended up choosing to major in



the quote you took from my post and the above response don't make any sense together.... i think you misread what i wrote. read it again. what i said was i dont have any sympathy for people that choose a science major instead of an non-science major b/c they think that the science major willl give them an extra edge. IMO, people that do that are pretty dumb because 1) they aren't majoring in something they are passionate about and 2) you wont get an extra edge for being a science major



sure, i agree it can be used as effective tool in the application process...but that doesnt say much. anything can be used as an effective tool in the application process if adcoms are able to see that you are passionate about it. in the end, the type of major you choose won't really matter, what matters is are you passionate about the material and will the adcoms be able to see that. at the most (like i mentioned earlier) it will make for good conversation during the interview which can be toootally helpful and could even give you the boost you need to be accepted. i have nothing wrong with majoring non-science or something else outside the typical (boring) biology, chemistry, physics major. hell, my major doesnt fall into the traditional science category either.

I can't explain it any better. I guess we just fundamentally disagree. My response to the OP was given as advice based on my own experiences. Im sure others have different oppinions as well.

 

[RySerr21]

I can't explain it any better. I guess we just fundamentally disagree. My response to the OP was given as advice based on my own experiences. Im sure others have different oppinions as well.

thats totally cool with me. i think we agree more than we disagree...there is just some misunderstanding/miscommunication somewhere along the way. either way, its not a big deal and i'm glad it worked out for you in the end.

 

[nu2004]

True, my B. But how many of them got to MAJOR in their interests outside of medicine?

I think according to the MSAR, more than half were not bio majors, if that's what you mean.

But yes, CM sounds pretty cool

obviously their interest in whatever science major they chose was greater than their interest in whatever non-science major they were thinking about choosing. unless of course they chose the science major simply b/c they thought it would look better for med school....in that case i have no sympathy for their stupidity.

The latter part of your statement is alarmingly true. Many kids who want to do medicine come to college without having given much or any thought to what really interests them, but so-and-so's cousin went to med school and she was a bio major, so bio it is.

 

[FuturePharm21]

so adcoms don't care about majors, but want to see a variety of diff. classes exploring diverse areas?

and it's ok if I'm gonna be "just another typical bio major" since I love bio and it fits perfectly with premed curriculum

do adcoms have minimum cut-offs for GPA and MCAT for granting interviews or secondary apps? if so, what are the typical cut-offs in general for most schools *meaning average schools, not super prestigious like John Hopkins or Mayo or something"

 

[Cegar]

so adcoms don't care about majors, but want to see a variety of diff. classes exploring diverse areas?

and it's ok if I'm gonna be "just another typical bio major" since I love bio and it fits perfectly with premed curriculum

do adcoms have minimum cut-offs for GPA and MCAT for granting interviews or secondary apps? if so, what are the typical cut-offs in general for most schools *meaning average schools, not super prestigious like John Hopkins or Mayo or something"

You should probably do your own research on this.

 

[nu2004]

do adcoms have minimum cut-offs for GPA and MCAT for granting interviews or secondary apps? if so, what are the typical cut-offs in general for most schools *meaning average schools, not super prestigious like John Hopkins or Mayo or something"

most schools do have cut-offs. there are a few that don't.

so-called "average" schools usually have interview cut-offs around 3.6 and 33 MCAT.

 

[RySerr21]

so adcoms don't care about majors, but want to see a variety of diff. classes exploring diverse areas?

and it's ok if I'm gonna be "just another typical bio major" since I love bio and it fits perfectly with premed curriculum

do adcoms have minimum cut-offs for GPA and MCAT for granting interviews or secondary apps? if so, what are the typical cut-offs in general for most schools *meaning average schools, not super prestigious like John Hopkins or Mayo or something"

if you have a passion for biology....major in biology.

if you are at the bare minimum for consideration.... i dont think it would be wise to even apply.

i doubt most skills will list a cut off and if they do it will be alarmingly low. why would UCSF (or school X)deny people the opportunity give them 100 dollars??? $$$

 

[Insulinshock]

majoring in Bio, I like all the following minors, but which would attract adcom's attention and make me a better overall student: psych, biotech, chem, biomedical ethics??

any suggestions?

Well there's your first problem buddy, it shouldn't be about that. I think you need to take a step back, slow down, and enjoy life. Aren't you still in high school anyways? WAY too early to even begin thinking about that.

 

[FuturePharm21]

This is fun and enjoyable for me and I am a very curious fellow. Plus I like learning about the intense competition and helpful advice. Also, I firmly believe effective planning, smart strategies, and proper preparation lead to success! haha I'm a motivational speaker

 

[Quix]

If it interests you, go for it. So long as your core requirements are met and you maintain a competitive QPA, the adcoms won't care. Don't pick a major by popular vote.

In terms of making you a better student, no major does that - that's internal to the student in question, not external. Different majors teach different skills, they don't teach motivation.