Do you have to minor in something?

[unsavedhero]

I know you're all going to say something along the lines of "doesnt matter what you major/minor in pursue what you wanna do", but I just wanted to know if NOT minoring in something will make me look lazy or not as hardworking as someone who does. Do most premeds minor in something? Currently I am a freshman majoring in biology and college will be hard work so I just dont want to over load myself to the point of failure by adding even MORE classes and stuff I have to complete. So tell me honestly, is a minor necessary to matriculate into medical school? if so then what minor. thank you

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[SN12357]

I know you're all going to say something along the lines of "doesnt matter what you major/minor in pursue what you wanna do", but I just wanted to know if NOT minoring in something will make me look lazy or not as hardworking as someone who does. Do most premeds minor in something? Currently I am a freshman majoring in biology and college will be hard work so I just dont want to over load myself to the point of failure by adding even MORE classes and stuff I have to complete. So tell me honestly, is a minor necessary to matriculate into medical school? if so then what minor. thank you

Well you probably don't want to just take a minimal schedule for your four years of college. But aside from that, whatever. Minor in something if you want to.

Minoring often doesn't add to an overall workload because you still have to take a certain number of credits to graduate (more than you need for just your degree)--people who minor are just concentrating those credits into a second field instead of spreading them around different depts.

 

[TheFuture_22]

I know you're all going to say something along the lines of "doesnt matter what you major/minor in pursue what you wanna do", but I just wanted to know if NOT minoring in something will make me look lazy or not as hardworking as someone who does. Do most premeds minor in something? Currently I am a freshman majoring in biology and college will be hard work so I just dont want to over load myself to the point of failure by adding even MORE classes and stuff I have to complete. So tell me honestly, is a minor necessary to matriculate into medical school? if so then what minor. thank you

I don't think a minor would help or hurt you. I wouldn't minor in anything unless you are genuinely interested in it.

 

[IncognitoGuy]

No. Not necessary. It's enough work to maintain a good GPA, and you won't be looked down on for only having one major. The applicant with a 3.8 in one major is going to be looked at more favorably than an applicant with a 3.6 in two majors or major/minor. It's all a numbers game.

However, a minor or even second major can help if you like the subject and can balance the classes with everything. For instance, I double majored in a science and foreign language - the foreign language classes barely took up any time, were a nice break from sciences and gave a good boost to my non-science GPA and cumulative GPA overall.

 

[Flashfan]

My school requires a minor. Check your handbook.

Also, you may end up with enough credits in Chemistry to have that as a minor. I am a Psych major and will cover the minor requirements for double minors in Biology and Chemistry basically from doing the prereqs.

 

[Irish Football]

My school requires a minor. Check your handbook.

Also, you may end up with enough credits in Chemistry to have that as a minor. I am a Psych major and will cover the minor requirements for double minors in Biology and Chemistry basically from doing the prereqs.

Getting into med school won't be any tougher for you if you don't minor in anything.

 

[kmp0410]

A lot of times you will qualify for a minor without trying.

I qualified for a chemistry and bio minor, and was an exercise science major.

Didn't realize you had to apply for a minor until after I graduated, oh well.

 

[Spinach Dip]

Also, you may end up with enough credits in Chemistry to have that as a minor.

True. After finishing my prereqs, I was only one class away from a minor in chemistry.... So I took it and added a second minor to my transcript.

Now, will it be the deciding factor that gets me into med school? I doubt it.

But I took it because I wanted to. I knew at the time that if I didn't take it, I would be lamenting my choice for years to come. ("Oh, I could have had a double minor, but I was too lazy to take a single class...")



Finish your minor if you want to. Not because it will get you into medical school.

 

[whatever5]

At my school, there were a lot of classes cross-listed as psych/bio, and if you figured it out right you could get a neuro minor out of it without taking any extra classes, so I double majored in psych and bio and minored in neuro. It was super easy. Just look for something that double dips well.

 

[Spinach Dip]

It was super easy. Just look for something that double dips well.

At my school, there were no double-dips allowed. EVER.

A lot depends on your schools' rules.

 

[Doctor Strange]

At my school, there were no double-dips allowed. EVER.

A lot depends on your schools' rules.

Same. I got screwed out of my minor because of double dipping policies.

For the OP, the simple answer is no.

 

[deleted530324]

Here's my cynical opinion:

A Bachelor's Degree is nothing. It's a check mark on an application for a job or higher education. It won't get you that job, and it won't get you into graduate school.

A bachelor's degree means that you are capable of *nothing*. The only thing that means anything to anyone is experience. Experience gets you a job. The same gets you into graduate and professional school.

So, if your major means nothing to anyone but you, what do you think a minor means?

Take that time you would spend minoring and do something. Learn skills that are applicable in the real world or to medical school. Do research. Have experiences.

Classes are blocks of time your school schedules for you, 299 other students, and one professor to be in the same place at the same time for no other reason than to make a show of getting you a higher education while taking your money. The learning, you do on your own. You get from your book. You take from the internet.

If that's what you like, then sure, a minor is a great excuse for more of the above.

My diploma doesn't even say what my major is. It just says B.S. And it's more fitting than I think the initials were intended for.

 

[Mt Kilimanjaro]

No.

 

[Chillbo Baggins]

As far as I know, a minor was required for all of the non-teaching science degrees at my school. Not sure about degrees in any other discipline, though.

 

[LiveLoveLearn]

However, a minor or even second major can help if you like the subject and can balance the classes with everything. For instance, I double majored in a science and foreign language - the foreign language classes barely took up any time, were a nice break from sciences and gave a good boost to my non-science GPA and cumulative GPA overall.

No - it isn't necessary at all. You won't be looked down upon of you don't do it. ^This is a great idea, though, especially if you can take enough classes/spend enough time to become semi-fluent. Med schools do look highly upon bilinguals, so if you have the time in your schedule and interest in learning another language, I think that this would be a good way to go.

 

[Mel Belle]

I was talking to a seasoned bioengineer last week and while it's obvious that minors aren't usually required (and are definitely not required for medical school application) he suggested that I minor in something I like that is not closely intertwined with science, such as philosophy or theatre. Biology majors pre-med are a dime a dozen. You want to make yourself unique and marketable somehow. That's how you get a job. Otherwise you're just another biology major pre-med. *yawn*

I should add that what makes you unique doesn't have to and likely shouldn't be exclusive to a minor. If you can get experience in something unique that will stand out.

 

[gyngyn]

You want to make yourself unique and marketable somehow. That's how you get a job. Otherwise you're just another biology major pre-med. *yawn*

I should add that what makes you unique doesn't have to and likely shouldn't be exclusive to a minor. If you can get experience in something unique that will stand out.

We really do not have a preference.

 

[Mel Belle]

We really do not have a preference.

In that case, what makes applicants stand out to you, then?

 

[gyngyn]

In that case, what makes applicants stand out to you, then?

· Integrity and Ethics

· Reliability and Dependability

· Service Orientation

· Social and Interpersonal Skills

· Capacity for Improvement

· Resilience and Adaptability

· Cultural Competence

· Oral Communication

· Teamwork

 

[familyaerospace]

You don't have to do anything. If you want to minor, minor. If you don't... don't.

I have yet to find anything but discrimination from my minors. Luckily I minored in things because I was interested in the subjects and was close enough to a minor that I said screw it, might as well fill out the paperwork.

 

[mysdnhandle]

I know you're all going to say something along the lines of "doesnt matter what you major/minor in pursue what you wanna do", but I just wanted to know if NOT minoring in something will make me look lazy or not as hardworking as someone who does. Do most premeds minor in something? Currently I am a freshman majoring in biology and college will be hard work so I just dont want to over load myself to the point of failure by adding even MORE classes and stuff I have to complete. So tell me honestly, is a minor necessary to matriculate into medical school? if so then what minor. thank you

Take the minimum amount of classes and do well in them. Minors are useless. Unless you really like the subject, and it won't affect your performance in your major, don't do it. Your GPA is of utmost importance.

Enjoy your free time in college. Join a club sport, make lifelong friends, and get good grades. You'll regret taking courses you don't have to. College has a lot of things you will not find after.

Edit: I do know of someone who double majored in disparate subjects and destroyed them. I don't know how they did it. So it's possible to do well obviously but you have to decide if you're the kind of person who will.

 

[familyaerospace]

Edit: I do know of someone who double majored in disparate subjects and destroyed them. I don't know how they did it. So it's possible to do well obviously but you have to decide if you're the kind of person who will.

I double majored and double minored in subjects that were quite different from each other then earned a MS in a different subject, it really was not as hard as you think. You just have to like a challenge.

 

[Time Table]

Right now I'm a biochem/econ double major with a health science minor. For now, I've found the stuff that I've learned very interesting. I guests it depends on what you want to do

 

[allantois]

I was talking to a seasoned bioengineer last week and while it's obvious that minors aren't usually required (and are definitely not required for medical school application) he suggested that I minor in something I like that is not closely intertwined with science, such as philosophy or theatre. Biology majors pre-med are a dime a dozen. You want to make yourself unique and marketable somehow. That's how you get a job. Otherwise you're just another biology major pre-med. *yawn*

I should add that what makes you unique doesn't have to and likely shouldn't be exclusive to a minor. If you can get experience in something unique that will stand out.

I'm not sure what a bioengineer has to do with pre-med or even biology career. Engineers themselves are hired not for their liberal arts education in philosophy.

Also people with a degree in things like theatre are dime a dozen (could probably find one at your local best buy). Just getting a degree in anything cannot make you unique, unlike doing something extraordinary like research at NIH (random example).

 

[familyaerospace]

I'm not sure what a bioengineer has to do with pre-med or even biology career. Engineers themselves are hired not for their liberal arts education in philosophy.

Also people with a degree in things like theatre are dime a dozen (could probably find one at your local best buy). Just getting a degree in anything cannot make you unique, unlike doing something extraordinary like research at NIH (random example).

If you are applying to medical school a theater major would make you a very unusual applicant (I am a theater minor). Theater majors very rarely take the pre-med curriculum due to lack of interest or due to lack of time. A theater major eats time like no other major... including biology.

 

[allantois]

If you are applying to medical school a theater major would make you a very unusual applicant (I am a theater minor). Theater majors very rarely take the pre-med curriculum due to lack of interest or due to lack of time. A theater major eats time like no other major... including biology.

Well you are a very unique applicant even without all your extra degrees 🙂 I can imagine what fine arts major curriculums are (I got to do honors band at a university for 3 days when I was in hs and all we and music majors did was rehearse from early morning till late at night). I appreciate their hard work and it is true that it is so rare for a theater major to be a pre-med but I think that it's just not right to major in theatre as a pre-med for the sole purpose of standing out.

 

[kyamh]

My minor came up at about 4-5 interviews in a positive way. I minored in Russian Literature and I think it was a nice break to talk about something other than science/my research/medicine for a bit. That said, I minored in literature because I really enjoyed getting out of the science center and interacting with a new group of peers...with just a course or two I could have just as easily minored in computer science, or psychology, or political science... Have fun!

 

[familyaerospace]

Well you are a very unique applicant even without all your extra degrees 🙂 I can imagine what fine arts major curriculums are (I got to do honors band at a university for 3 days when I was in hs and all we and music majors did was rehearse from early morning till late at night). I appreciate their hard work and it is true that it is so rare for a theater major to be a pre-med but I think that it's just not right to major in theatre as a pre-med for the sole purpose of standing out.

If they enjoy theater, let them do a major or minor in it. Provided they have their pre-reqs and can do well on the MCAT, it's not a major issue (major issue, see what I did there? I know bad joke.)

My theater minor required as many credits as any of my majors, a major in it would have required literally twice as many credit hours as any other major in the entire school. You live and breath it.

Biology majors were so common in my school it was crazy. No one was considered crazy enough to do theater.

 

[PreciousHamburgers]

I minored in sleep, with a concentration in naps.

 

[masaraksh]

The consensus is that no one gives a stool, so minor in Real World