do you have to defend a non-science major?

[batista_123]

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hello
if you werent a biology or chemistry major, in your Personal statement, do you need to defend your major? or you shouldnt talk about it at all? I wasnt a science major, its not that i hate biology, the truth is i just thought i could maintain a better GPA in a less competitive major.
should i "prove" that my major is as good as the sciences? should i make up a reason why i wasnt a bio major, or maybe i shouldn't mention anything about it at all?

 

[jla314]

no one cares what you majored in as long as you did well in the premed pre-reqs

 

[Myuu]

no one cares what you majored in as long as you did well in the premed pre-reqs

They might still ask you about it, though. You don't have to "prove" anything. Try to draw parallels or demonstrate critical thinking/leadership skills.👍

 

[whatuthinkin]

1. Bad reason to choose a major.
2. They will ask you about your non-science major. I.e. WHY?
3. You need a good reason for picking your non-science major.

As long as you are passionate about it they dont really have a problem, i dont think. Sometimes you can bridge the gap between science and a non-science major. I did, I studied foreign language. Filling in the gap helps with that defense. What is your major?

hello
if you werent a biology or chemistry major, in your Personal statement, do you need to defend your major? or you shouldnt talk about it at all? I wasnt a science major, its not that i hate biology, the truth is i just thought i could maintain a better GPA in a less competitive major.
should i "prove" that my major is as good as the sciences? should i make up a reason why i wasnt a bio major, or maybe i shouldn't mention anything about it at all?

 

[jla314]

the personal statement is probably not the best vehicle for this though. just wait until they ask you 🙂

EDIT: also, i've been asked how i chose my major at interviews, and i am a chemistry major! i think its just a conversation starter. i don't think they are looking for a hardcore defense of why you chose your major.

 

[Captain Fantastic]

Science, non-science: no one cares. I did an engineering degree. Someone else in my medical school class was a film major. The pre-req classes and the MCAT are there for a reason. There is no pre-req major.

They might ask how you picked your major as a way to get to know you and understand your motivations a little better. Best bet is to be passionate about the major you choose, whatever that major happens to be. If you're also passionate about medicine, that will come through, too. You've shadowed. You've volunteered. You've done research. You've smelled patients. You'll be fine.

Do what you want to do and don't worry about it.

 

[batista_123]

Sometimes you can bridge the gap between science and a non-science major. I did, I studied foreign language. Filling in the gap helps with that defense. What is your major?

I was a stats major.filling the gap: the FDA does all these statistical tests to find out if a drug is effective, or a surgeon looks at statistics to find the probability that his patient will be cured after surgery..statisticians look at clues in the data to find reasons for phenomena, doctors look at clues in a patient to find the cause of their symptoms?
something like these? can you come up with more interesting ones?
do i say these in the interview? (if i get any)

 

[jla314]

dont sound too rehearsed and too specific. i'd just say statistics requires analytical thinking, just like being a good doctor requires analytical thinking, and leave it at that.

 

[schrizto]

defend, no. explain your interest in it, maybe.

 

[aggie08]

I had several interviews over the course of 2 years applying and nobody ever asked me about my major.

Edit: It was Psychology.

 

[Rogue Synapse]

You need a good reason for picking your non-science major.

You need a good reason for picking any major. Everybody goes through the same rigorous prereqs, so having a science major doesn't do too much more to prove your ability to handle the material. If anything, I would say that having a non-science major puts you at an advantage compared to the biology/biochem majors, which are a dime a dozen as far as med school apps go. As far as actual med students go, I would say that roughly half my class or less are the traditional premed science majors. A different major shows your breadth of experience and character, and potentially gives you something interesting to talk about during an interview. You should NOT, however, need to "defend" it at all. I'm almost offended by that notion.

 

[Rogue Synapse]

Also, whatever you do, don't say that you picked your major because it was easier to get a good GPA. If asked about your major, talk about the positive reasons you chose it, the things that drew you to it.

 

[whatuthinkin]

That's what I mean by a good reason... anything but 'because it's easier to get a good GPA'. meh, goes without saying I suppose. You never know...

Also, whatever you do, don't say that you picked your major because it was easier to get a good GPA. If asked about your major, talk about the positive reasons you chose it, the things that drew you to it.

 

[whatuthinkin]

jla has a great point. However, I do like the gap fillers you mentioned!!! They are cool. I'd have one ready, that's just me though. Say one if your major comes up, just as a side note. Stats isn't too crazy of a major. I was an Italian major and thus am always having to explain it in interviews.

And YES, one time I did have to defend it. It was a horrible experience. The interviewer was such a tool.

I was a stats major.filling the gap: the FDA does all these statistical tests to find out if a drug is effective, or a surgeon looks at statistics to find the probability that his patient will be cured after surgery..statisticians look at clues in the data to find reasons for phenomena, doctors look at clues in a patient to find the cause of their symptoms?
something like these? can you come up with more interesting ones?
do i say these in the interview? (if i get any)

 

[Chemdude]

WTF?! Biology is a science? 😕

This is the second time I heard this today...

 

[CCLCMer]

I was a stats major.filling the gap: the FDA does all these statistical tests to find out if a drug is effective, or a surgeon looks at statistics to find the probability that his patient will be cured after surgery..statisticians look at clues in the data to find reasons for phenomena, doctors look at clues in a patient to find the cause of their symptoms?
something like these? can you come up with more interesting ones?
do i say these in the interview? (if i get any)

That's a pretty cool major, actually. If you're interested in clinical research, that background will be a huge help. I'm doing a clinical trials MS while I'm in med school, and it requires some stats classes. You might not even need to take all the classes if you were interested in doing an MS like this.

I don't even know what to say about you thinking it would be easier to get a good GPA in stats though.

 

[Khaos05]

I did nursing (graduate May 2010) - truth is that I loved it at first and have slowly grown to resent it. To get into med school I will have to go 3 years after I graduate to get my prereqs which will give me a degree in biology as well. May that will help? haha

 

[slowbutsteady]

There's some bad advice on this thread. Not only do you not have to "explain" it, but it is often considered a strength to have majored in a non-science.

I was a history major and worked quite a bit in politics during my college summers. Several of my interviewers asked me about it and they seemed to love that I was good in science (prereq grades), but was a well-rounded person with other strengths and interests.

If you look at the percentages, history and English majors do BETTER in the app process than geeky science majors.

 

[Khaos05]

So how am I supposed to explain a nursing degree that I don't want to use?

EDIT: Well let me clarify, I will use it for 3 years prior to applying to med school, but it's not what I want to do long-term. I enjoy medicine and medical stuff in general, but I can't see myself taking orders all day and having little autonomy. Nursing has a glass ceiling effect for me - I can see whats going on above that threshold, but once I get there it's always "call the doctor". I want to be the one who has the knowledge to order/interpret tests and make treatment decisions.

 

[whatuthinkin]

Say that.

So how am I supposed to explain a nursing degree that I don't want to use?

EDIT: Well let me clarify, I will use it for 3 years prior to applying to med school, but it's not what I want to do long-term. I enjoy medicine and medical stuff in general, but I can't see myself taking orders all day and having little autonomy. Nursing has a glass ceiling effect for me - I can see whats going on above that threshold, but once I get there it's always "call the doctor". I want to be the one who has the knowledge to order/interpret tests and make treatment decisions.

 

[Khaos05]

Say that.

Would adcoms take that well if I basically say that I don't want to be a nurse because it makes me feel like an unintelligent slave who calls the doctor when it's over our level of "need-to-know" knowledge?

 

[BBender716]

Only have had one interviewer really grill me on being an economics major. And it was a two on one interview where the other (nicer) interviewer had to step in and say "don't worry, you're making it clear and I understand where you're coming from, I'm sorry my colleague is unable to understand." lol

Everywhere else, interviewers, mostly the faculty interviewers, are like "econ? coooool tell me about it!" So in rare cases, you may be grilled so have a good reason, but in a lot of cases, it allows for a cool discussion and an opportunity to stick in their minds if you have a great response.

 

[Khaos05]

Only have had one interviewer really grill me on being an economics major. And it was a two on one interview where the other (nicer) interviewer had to step in and say "don't worry, you're making it clear and I understand where you're coming from, I'm sorry my colleague is unable to understand." lol

Everywhere else, interviewers, mostly the faculty interviewers, are like "econ? coooool tell me about it!" So in rare cases, you may be grilled so have a good reason, but in a lot of cases, it allows for a cool discussion and an opportunity to stick in their minds if you have a great response.

Yeah, I'm hoping that I will stick out. I know that there are some nurses that go to med school, but not too many. Maybe even not that many with two degrees (nursing and biology).

Given that, would the "glass ceiling" be an appropriate response? I don't want to stick my foot in my mouth by saying that "I hate nursing [blah]" and have the adcoms say "my wife is a nurse".

 

[ensuii]

Pretty much a nonfactor...as an econ major I had 7 interviews and was asked about it once. As always, YMMV. Definetly won't hold you back tho.

 

[aggie08]

Would adcoms take that well if I basically say that I don't want to be a nurse because it makes me feel like an unintelligent slave who calls the doctor when it's over our level of "need-to-know" knowledge?

You can put it better than that.
State your respect for nurses, for sure. Explain what led you to the decision and why you didn't choose med school in the first place.

However, if its truly because you aren't comfy with taking orders you're going to hate everything about clinics in 1st and 2nd year, rotations (aka life) in 3rd and 4th year.....residency....fellowship.....not being the "seasoned"one.

 

[Khaos05]

You can put it better than that.
State your respect for nurses, for sure. Explain what led you to the decision and why you didn't choose med school in the first place.

However, if its truly because you aren't comfy with taking orders you're going to hate everything about clinics in 1st and 2nd year, rotations (aka life) in 3rd and 4th year.....residency....fellowship.....not being the "seasoned"one.

Well, I chose nursing on a whim because I realized that I enjoyed medical stuff. Immediately I went to nursing (med school was out of my league or so i thought). The more I got into nursing the more I realized that it wasn't what I thought it was going to be.

It's not so much that I don't like taking orders. I would just rather be the one deciding what to do.

 

[aggie08]

Well, I chose nursing on a whim because I realized that I enjoyed medical stuff. Immediately I went to nursing (med school was out of my league or so i thought). The more I got into nursing the more I realized that it wasn't what I thought it was going to be.

It's not so much that I don't like taking orders. I would just rather be the one deciding what to do.

If you come up with an eloquent way to say this, I think that is a fine reason to choose medicine over nursing. However, be prepared to defend your decision and be able to express your views on nursing in a manner respectful to both doctors and nurses.

 

[drareg]

i think the answer to this is ... it depends on the interviewer. My interviewer was grilling me on my major (psych), she asked why I did it and although she didnt flat out say it - I felt that she thought I wasn't prepared for medical school because I was a psych major. To put this into context, I received an A in every one of my pre-med courses at UC Berkeley and got a 12 in the bio and physical science sections of the MCAT.

I felt my answer was good. I said that psych is a very young field and because of this there are a lot more questions about how the brain works than we have answers for. this prompted some very stimulating conversations during my classes. I also felt like this was one last chance to explore something that I personally was interested in before med school. im glad that I did it and for the record I dont feel underprepared at all for med school. But I guess you do sort of have to defend your major. Although my interviwer was an M.D pHD with about 9 pages of publications in her resume lol

 

[aggie08]

i think the answer to this is ... it depends on the interviewer. My interviewer was grilling me on my major (psych), she asked why I did it and although she didnt flat out say it - I felt that she thought I wasn't prepared for medical school because I was a psych major. To put this into context, I received an A in every one of my pre-med courses at UC Berkeley and got a 12 in the bio and physical science sections of the MCAT.

I felt my answer was good. I said that psych is a very young field and because of this there are a lot more questions about how the brain works than we have answers for. this prompted some very stimulating conversations during my classes. I also felt like this was one last chance to explore something that I personally was interested in before med school. im glad that I did it and for the record I dont feel underprepared at all for med school. But I guess you do sort of have to defend your major. Although my interviwer was an M.D pHD with about 9 pages of publications in her resume lol

👍👍👍👍

Exactly what I loved about Psyc and you will be no less prepared for med school then any of your classmates. Some of the people doing best in our class were not science majors (some of the were, yes - not all).

 

[drareg]

👍👍👍👍

Exactly what I loved about Psyc and you will be no less prepared for med school then any of your classmates. Some of the people doing best in our class were not science majors (some of the were, yes - not all).

thanks alot! ya, i mean they knew i was a psych major when they offered me an interview so I was frustrated with how she was grilling me about it but what can you do? im glad i was able to articulate my thoughts well though. thanks for the 4 thumbs up lol

 

[Khaos05]

If you come up with an eloquent way to say this, I think that is a fine reason to choose medicine over nursing. However, be prepared to defend your decision and be able to express your views on nursing in a manner respectful to both doctors and nurses.

Well, it's always good to have someone on the outside looking in.

I actually just had my wife explain to me why I want to go to med school over nursing. Funny eh? And it actually sounds really good and really does make sense.

It's not that I don't like nursing because if I didn't like nursing, I wouldn't even be in the medical field. It's just that I want to go further, I want to see more, I want to do more to help the patients.

Sounds similar to my "glass ceiling" thought earlier, but more eloquent😀

 

[thomyorke]

You should not have to defend your decision in any way, but I would be prepared to explain why you chose your major in an interview.

I will give the following piece of advice, however, regarding science majors and the MCAT, although I know some will disagree:

I studied biochemistry at a top tier university and found many of the BS/PS topics tested on the recent MCAT to be a bit above the concepts taught in the entry level courses. I truly felt that had I not had so much exposure to some of this stuff my head would have been spinning on test day. For this reason, even if you don't major in bio I will reiterate what others have said on SDN before: try to take anatomy/physiology, cell biology and biochemistry before taking the MCAT. I also recommend Calc 1 and 2 as they helped me to develop problem solving/ analytical thinking skills critical to the exam.

 

[Khaos05]

I've taken A&P, Calc 1, sociology, gen psych, pathophys, microbiology, computer science 1/2 which are all recommended.

I just have to take the main prereqs: chem 1/2, o-chem 1/2, bio 1/2, phys 1/2, cell bio, genetics.

And maybe take a few more to get my degree in bio: immunology, histology, etc.