Difficulty of Major

[MomDoctor4]

Hey all! I am new here 🙂 Starting a B.S. in neuroscience next month and just wondering if the level of difficulty for this degree gives me a good shot at getting into a D.O. program. I did not choose this degree based on being competitive. I actually love neuroscience.

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[swollcat]

That major isn't particularly hard. It's a dime a dozen in the pre-med realm and will give you absolutely no advantage over someone with a comparable GPA in General Biology. If you want a major that would be considered difficult under the "life science" umbrella, you have to at the very least ascertain Bioengineering, Bioinformatics, or Biotechnology in your conversation which by the way are far more employable in case medical school doesn't work out.

Any major will give you a good shot at getting into medical school so long as you do well in the pre-reqs and have a high GPA. Some schools such as Rocky Vista also look at your performance in upper division biology classes so don't let what you "love" be that double-edged sword that keeps you out.

 

[DoctorSynthesis]

Hey all! I am new here 🙂 Starting a B.S. in neuroscience next month and just wondering if the level of difficulty for this degree gives me a good shot at getting into a D.O. program. I did not choose this degree based on being competitive. I actually love neuroscience.

Difficulty of major will not help you. GPA is more important. It might help if you once you are in medical school though. Also good performance in upper level biology classes will also help you.

 

[MomDoctor4]

Thanks for your input. I am concentrating in cellular and molecular neuroscience.

 

[DetectiveAlonzo]

Do any major you want.

IMO... the easiest, best way to go about it (if I could do it over) would be to do a Psychology major (Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science) doesn't matter.

Not even kidding.

Sprinkle in your pre-reqs, and take biochem.

Annihilate the new MCAT.

Get your shadowing and clinical experience on the side (which will be totally doable during your easy psychology courses and upper divs. They are literally all the same).

Cash in in 3-4 years while all your other hard-science major pals are retaking pre-reqs or wasting $$$ on post-bacc programs or even worse... heading overseas.

Nobody cares what major or what school you did your stuff at.

A STRONG GPA AND MCAT... ECs... LORs... and APPLYING EARLY will get you where you want to be.

 

[MomDoctor4]

The biology majors I talked to either did not know about the program or thought it was more difficult than the bio degree. I had a few advisors tell me that since so many people pick bio majors that this would be a good choice. I honestly just think I will enjoy the core classes more. You are right about those degrees being more employable, but I don't think I would be nearly as interested in completing them. I am dead set on getting into a D.O program. I am old now and this is my goal lol will just have to see what happens.

That major isn't even hard. It's a dime a dozen in the pre-med realm and will give you absolutely no advantage over someone with a comparable GPA in General Biology. If you want a major that would be considered difficult under the "life science" umbrella, you have to at the very least ascertain Bioengineering, Bioinformatics, or Biotechnology in your conversation which by the way are far more employable in case medical school doesn't work out.

Any major will give you a good shot at getting into medical school so long as you do well in the pre-reqs and have a high GPA. Some schools such as Rocky Vista also look at your performance in upper division biology classes so don't let what you "love" be that double-edged sword that keeps you out.

 

[MomDoctor4]

This is actually a great idea! I love anything related to psychology, but I also love the chemical science behind it. I was hoping to get into a pediatric psychiatry career.

Do any major you want.

IMO... the easiest, best way to go about it (if I could do it over) would be to do a Psychology major (Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science) doesn't matter.

Not even kidding.

Sprinkle in your pre-reqs, and take biochem.

Annihilate the new MCAT.

Get your shadowing and clinical experience on the side (which will be totally doable during your easy psychology courses and upper divs. They are literally are all the same).

Cash in in 3-4 years while all your other hard-science major pals are retaking pre-reqs or wasting $$$ on post-bacc programs or even worse... heading overseas.

Nobody cares what major or what school you did your stuff at.

A STRONG GPA AND MCAT... ECs... LORs... and APPLYING EARLY will get you where you want to be.

 

[DetectiveAlonzo]

This is actually a great idea! I love anything related to psychology, but I also love the chemical science behind it. I was hoping to get into a pediatric psychiatry career.

I am telling you...DO what interests you.

HOWEVER... for DO purposes... most of the classes may or may not be classified under your science GPA... but that is ok becuase you will have more than enough time to kill your pre-reqs. If you go this route.. you MUST ace as many of your pre-reqs as you can because may of the classes for psych will fall under the behavioral science category (which will not count for sciGPA in the DO app).

BUT for MD applications. psychology IS a science and counts under the science GPA.

Jesus I wish I did Psych. lolz

 

[MomDoctor4]

Haha. I have a million kids and this is probably a better choice. I am great at science, but this path I chose, while I love it, is a little intimidating to say the least. I will be looking into it. Regardless, I am starting out with the same classes.

 

[MomDoctor4]

Just figured out I can take most of the same concentration classes that I wanted. Really going to think about this now. I don't want to ruin my GPA if I don't have to.

 

[DetectiveAlonzo]

In the end, you will have summer sessions/semesters to catch up on any classes need to get by OR you can zoom past the competition and kill your degree in less than 4 years. The psych stuff will seem easy, so those should be given As. The pre-reqs for med school are what you will need to fully focus on. Good luck!

 

[MomDoctor4]

No zooming :-/ just finishing up my AA for transferring.

 

[DetectiveAlonzo]

Transfer somewhere you are comfortable and I hope you kept your GPA up at the CC you are transferring from!

 

[MomDoctor4]

I did. They are calling it a state college now lol don't know about that...anyhow, is it going to look bad with science classes from here?

 

[DetectiveAlonzo]

Not at all. Keep ur GPA up and annihilate the MCAT. Get clinical experience and apply early in 2-3 years when u choose to apply.

 

[Goro]

We don't care about your major or minor, only that you do well.

Hey all! I am new here 🙂 Starting a B.S. in neuroscience next month and just wondering if the level of difficulty for this degree gives me a good shot at getting into a D.O. program. I did not choose this degree based on being competitive. I actually love neuroscience.

 

[MomDoctor4]

Thank you!!

 

[Seth Joo]

Hey all! I am new here 🙂 Starting a B.S. in neuroscience next month and just wondering if the level of difficulty for this degree gives me a good shot at getting into a D.O. program. I did not choose this degree based on being competitive. I actually love neuroscience.

Schools do not care about your major. I knew a guy in college who majored in Physics, wound up with a 2.5 GPA, another in Anthropology, got a 3.9, went to Johns Hopkins Medical School. Anthropology is a watered down History major, probably one of the easiest undergraduate majors in college.

 

[MomDoctor4]

Do you know about combining two schools GPA's? Is it just that my final GPA for the new school will be averaged with the first school?

 

[Lawpy]

BUT for MD applications. psychology IS a science and counts under the science GPA.

Not according to the AMCAS Course Classification Guide

Do you know about combining two schools GPA's? Is it just that my final GPA for the new school will be averaged with the first school?

It's a weighted average. Basically, all the transcripts you send to AMCAS/AACOMAS will include all the courses you have taken and the grades you have earned. From there, they calculate the GPA by taking the weighted average.

 

[DetectiveAlonzo]

Not according to the AMCAS Course Classification Guide



It's a weighted average. Basically, all the transcripts you send to AMCAS/AACOMAS will include all the courses you have taken and the grades you have earned. From there, they calculate the GPA by taking the weighted average.

Oh wow wtf???!! AMCAS changed their classifications as well??? Woowwww. Thanks for the update man! Did not know that.

In that case, OP I suggest you go with what interests you. Maybe Public Health? That shouldn't be too hard. Plus it counts as other science for AACOMAS.