Degree in Biochemistry & Biotechnology vs. Biology

[LaCasta]

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My school offers a degree in biochem & biotech, and I was wondering if this degree would be more appealing to medical schools as opposed to a regular biology degree. One of my friends said the admissions comitees tend to bunch up the applicant degrees into "science" vs. "non-science" degrees, so they may not find this degree anymore special than a biology degree.

I think it may make me stick out more, however there is also a greater chance that I will get lower grades in some of the courses that are required for it, like quantitative analysis, physical chemistry, and mollecular biology. I would probbably get better grades in the classes required for just a biology degree.

Any input would be appreciated

Thanks

 

[mave]

I just graduated with a degree in biochemistry, and if I had to do it all over again, I probably still would. It sets you up with a skill set, so that if you don't get into a med school, you're at least qualified enough to get a job.

That said, if your goal is just to get into medical school, then don't do it. It's a subject that you really have to love to want to do, since it's (IMHO, and at my school) much more difficult than a straight biology degree - you have to take analytical chemistry, PChem, and more math.

 

[KaraKiz]

if you can handle the biochem curriculum, i say stick with it. you take harder classes, but you come out with job skills, in case you decide not to do med school. i think for the most part biochem and bio are all lumped together, but a 3.7 in biochem on your application says more than a 3.7 in biology (IMHO), just because everyone knows biochem majors take p-chem, analytical, calculus, calc based physics.. etc.

 

[Law2Doc]

My school offers a degree in biochem & biotech, and I was wondering if this degree would be more appealing to medical schools as opposed to a regular biology degree. One of my friends said the admissions comitees tend to bunch up the applicant degrees into "science" vs. "non-science" degrees, so they may not find this degree anymore special than a biology degree.

I think it may make me stick out more, however there is also a greater chance that I will get lower grades in some of the courses that are required for it, like quantitative analysis, physical chemistry, and mollecular biology. I would probbably get better grades in the classes required for just a biology degree.

Any input would be appreciated

Thanks

Agree with your friend. Med schools don't really care what you major in as long as you pick up all the prereqs along the way. Good grades generally will be more meaningful than major. Take whatever you are most interested in and can do well in.

 

[littlealex]

I come from a very difficult major, so I really wish that medical schools care. However, from what I can gather, the truth is that they don't care what your major is.

If I can do it all over again, I would probably take the easier majors. And yes it is true, Biology is probably one of the easiest majors someone can get as an undergrad... If you study hard, you'll get a decent GPA (3.6+). This is not true for many of the more challenging majors.

 

[kidthor]

Yeah I have learned the hard way (I am still feeling the pain of low grades from two years of ridiculously hard engineering math) that med schools - and basically all professional/grad schools - don't really care that your major was harder than another... what they really care about are numbers (e.g. your gpa & mcat). So just pick whichever of those majors you're most interested in and work hard enough to get high grades!

 

[LaCasta]

Thanks everyone for your input,

Biochem really does appeal to me, but my main goal for now is medical school and not a career in biochem. I figure the better numbers with a biology degree will help with medical school, and if it does not work out for some reason, then I could always go back and get the biochem & biotech degree in one year probbably.

 

[realitybias]

Neither.

Biomedical Engineering.

 

[TheDrugMan]

I come from a very difficult major, so I really wish that medical schools care. However, from what I can gather, the truth is that they don't care what your major is.

If I can do it all over again, I would probably take the easier majors. And yes it is true, Biology is probably one of the easiest majors someone can get as an undergrad... If you study hard, you'll get a decent GPA (3.6+). This is not true for many of the more challenging majors.

I assume you are referring to science majors when you say that biology is easiest. Undergraduate in Biology is alot harder then a degree in business or history in my opinion 🙂

 

[Meatwad]

What's the opinions on "create your own majors," as far as your major mattering or not? I know common wisdom says any major will get you in, but is this Multidisciplinary major looked at as trying to get out of taking certain courses generally required for traditional majors. For example, you decide to create a major melding biology and chemistry. So you pick and choose what Bio courses you feel you will excel in, and in the meantime, avoid those that have a reputation at your school for being hard. Ditto for the chemistry courses. Do you think the made-up-major will be looked at as a bad thing or no differently than a biology or history or english major would be?

 

[rcd]

Op, choose a major based on what you like. In the end, the extra boost one major may give over another won't outweigh the costs of taking courses you don't enjoy.

Staying in these terms of making yourself the best applicant, majoring in something you don't enjoy also puts your GPA at risk.

Additionally, choosing a major based on anything but your interests locks yourself in to med school, which is a bad thing to do before acquiring clinical experience, etc...

 

[deleted103644]

You can't really understand biology without biochemistry. People who enter biological fields (even medicine) without a sound backing in biochemistry will find themselves increasingly left behind in the future.

 

[rcd]

Op, choose a major based on what you like. In the end, the extra boost one major may give over another won't outweigh the costs of taking courses you don't enjoy.

Staying in these terms of making yourself the best applicant, majoring in something you don't enjoy also puts your GPA at risk.

Additionally, choosing a major based on anything but your interests locks yourself in to med school, which is a bad thing to do before acquiring clinical experience, etc...