Do majors matter?

[confuse]

hey guys,
I wonder if your GPA in your respective majors matter when applying to med school? With a double major: the GPA for my engineering major is 3.8 so far and bio major GPA is 3.3 from a top 10 private school that has the best engineering program in the nation. Do they give more weight to the 3.8 in engineering or do they just care about the science GPA while everything else whether engineering or language studies or whatever fall under "overall GPA".
Thanks.

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[Diogenes]

There are really only 3 numbers that are looked at:
BCMP (bio, chem, math, physics)
All other
Overall

BCMP is literally that -- it matters not than an engineering class is or isn't mostly math or physics -- if it isn't taught by the math or physics department, then forget it.

 

[SunnyS81]

As an engineer, here is what I think I have experienced.......

They care only about your overall and science gpa's. As my advisor said, "do you really think adcom's know what is covered in any of your engineering classes?" B's in classes they know about (i.e. bio and chem classes) is definitely detrimental, but they couldn't begin to appreciate an A in stochastics.

When screening initially before interviews, they don't have time to look at individual classes. Also, I didn't see a "Major GPA" section on the AMCAS, so they won't distinguish your major gpa's.

I only found being an engineer advantageous at interviews, and particularly as an industrial engineer, since I am will to bet that less than 10 IE's apply to med schools every year. People always seemed to be facinated by that and offered a conversation opener. I'm batting .750 at interviews so far with these experiences.

Just my $.02

 

[confuse]

I wish I had known this info earlier. I would have taken some lower lever math. Argh... I'm screwed. I have a question: I have taken a Biotechnology class in the engineering dept. which is way harder than the Intro. to Biotech in the Bio dept., can I list that on as my BCMP? How about Probability Analysis class and a Statistic class in the Eng. dept (that's purely math)?
I get it now. So it's mostly about the numbers during the primaries. Once I get pass the heartless machines and get the interviews, I should have a better chance. hm... so that means taking more science classes and maybe taking physics again even though I already passed out of it to pull up my BCMP. Damn the system. Thanks all.

 

[LUBDUBB]

My two cents as an engineering major (computer science - okay an applied science major -- before you all you EE ME and CE majors jump at me)

I feel your situation, my gpa in computer science was a 4.0 and my gpa for my bio major was around a 3.3. When i went to see my Premed advisor, I was very concerned about my freshman C's. First thing she said was, "even though your overall grades are average for medschool, graduating cum laude from the engineering school where the average gpa is a 2.6 is impressive. And I have no doubt that it will be looked upon favorably"

I haven't applied yet to med school, so I don't have first hand experience from the adcoms. Just sharing what my advisor said to me


Good Luck in your application

 

[UCLA2000]

They take your major into account. The harder the major, the lower the gpa cutoff.