Does your undergrad degree REALLY not matter?

[medicalchimp]

I've seen so so many saying your undergrad degree doesn't matter ... like, at all. Is this honestly true? Even through my research I have seen that biology majors are actually the least accepted majors into Med School, whereas Humanities majors are the #1 accepted major. I am currently a humanities major, but was going to change my major to biology because I want to go to med school. However, I am already a junior and doing so would take so much more time whereas I could just finish my degree in Humanities and take the pre-med courses necessary.

I have even seen people say its a "breath of fresh air" for none science majors to apply? Is this really true - or simply not true? Most people seem to say it's all about the MCAT and GPA but can you really say a GPA of 3.7 in Humanities outweighs a GPA of 3.7 in Biology when Biology is harder than Humanities?

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[u_raptor]

There could be some other variables to take into account. Humanity majors may do better in CARS and thus have higher MCAT scores, increasing chances (and should have about even other subsections since they still have to take prereqs). As long as you take the prereqs, your major won't have a big impact. Having a good GPA will though.

Although I will say, being a humanity major will be "different" than a bio major like you mention, and could be a talking point in interviews.

 

[Paralegalities]

I have no proof for this, but my theory is that the reason biology majors are the least accepted is because that's what the most half-hearted "I kinda maybe might want to be a doctor, and my parents told me to" type of people majored in. Since many of them were less prepared and less serious about it from the beginning, it massively drags down their stats as a group.

Humanities is the opposite. There are so few humanities type degrees that take the science prerequisites, that the only ones who do are the ones who were serious enough about it from the beginning to jam all the prerequisite classes into a totally unrelated degree. They also have more time to devote to the prerequisites instead of drowning in random other science classes like biology majors do.

Ultimately I don't think your major matters at all unless it's something super impressive like nuclear engineering or whatever.

 

[medicalchimp]

There could be some other variables to take into account. Humanity majors may do better in CARS and thus have higher MCAT scores, increasing chances (and should have about even other subsections since they still have to take prereqs). As long as you take the prereqs, your major won't have a big impact. Having a good GPA will though.

Although I will say, being a humanity major will be "different" than a bio major like you mention, and could be a talking point in interviews.

Different in a good or bad way? Do you think the talking point in interviews about majoring in humanities would be positive or negative?

 

[u_raptor]

Different in a good or bad way? Do you think the talking point in interviews about majoring in humanities would be positive or negative?

It is all going to be about how you frame it in your response!

I am a history minor, and I would say 30% of my interviews asked me about it. Most of those Qs were "why did you choose a history minor?" and were pretty interested in it. More of a curiosity tell me more type of view of my humanities background.

 

[medicalchimp]

I have no proof for this, but my theory is that the reason biology majors are the least accepted is because that's what the most half-hearted "I kinda maybe might want to be a doctor, and my parents told me to" type of people majored in. Since many of them were less prepared and less serious about it from the beginning, it massively drags down their stats as a group.

Humanities is the opposite. There are so few humanities type degrees that take the science prerequisites, that the only ones who do are the ones who were serious enough about it from the beginning to jam all the prerequisite classes into a totally unrelated degree. They also have more time to devote to the prerequisites instead of drowning in random other science classes like biology majors do.

Ultimately I don't think your major matters at all unless it's something super impressive like nuclear engineering or whatever.

Very interesting point. It does seem like most people who want to go to med school instantly go straight to biology to major in, because that's what their parents told them to do. So you're saying they don't care so it hurts their GPA - and they likely don't study as much for the MCAT creating bad stats? I could see this. So it's not necessarily the major that they're looking at, but how you do in science classes and with your GPA and MCAT. So, in that theory, a biology major with the same exact GPA, same exact MCAT, and same exact EC's would be more favorable than a humanities major given the notion that they have taken more science classes? Or would adcom's prefer a "well-rounded" applicant as I have seen stated elsewhere.

 

[medicalchimp]

It is all going to be about how you frame it in your response!

I am a history minor, and I would say 30% of my interviews asked me about it. Most of those Qs were "why did you choose a history minor?" and were pretty interested in it. More of a curiosity tell me more type of view of my humanities background.

Awesome. What was your major? And what was your GPA if you don't mind me asking.. I'm just trying to get a better idea for everything.

 

[u_raptor]

Very interesting point. It does seem like most people who want to go to med school instantly go straight to biology to major in, because that's what their parents told them to do. So you're saying they don't care so it hurts their GPA - and they likely don't study as much for the MCAT creating bad stats? I could see this. So it's not necessarily the major that they're looking at, but how you do in science classes and with your GPA and MCAT. So, in that theory, a biology major with the same exact GPA, same exact MCAT, and same exact EC's would be more favorable than a humanities major given the notion that they have taken more science classes? Or would adcom's prefer a "well-rounded" applicant as I have seen stated elsewhere.

Awesome. What was your major? And what was your GPA if you don't mind me asking.. I'm just trying to get a better idea for everything.

Might not necessarily be lower GPA but worse interview performance because they may not have strong responses to "why medicine". Like I mentioned before, there are a lot of variables to take into account (story, interview performance, MCAT, etc). Same GPA same MCAT same exact ECs...might be up to the adcoms. Some schools try to have a good diversity of student body, and may pick the humanities major because they already have a lot of bio majors, another may choose the bio major because they took rigorous science classes and got through it. I would argue it will be subjective at that point, but I would love if an actual adcom might speak on that!

I was a bio major, 3.97 GPA. Should be in my sig haha

 

[aSagacious]

For your viewing pleasure:
AAMC 2019 FACTS. applicants and matriculants data
MCAT and GPAs by primary undergraduate major

Semi-arbitrarily picking two major categories:
Biology -> 12,484 matriculants out of 30,693 applicants = 40.7% acceptance rate
Humanities -> 780 matriculants out of 1,678 applicants = 46.5% acceptance rate

I'd wager that this difference is due to chance.

I should also add that I have absolutely no idea what the college majors of any of my co-trainees or colleagues were. Nor do I care.

 

[medicalchimp]

For your viewing pleasure:
AAMC 2019 FACTS. applicants and matriculants data
MCAT and GPAs by primary undergraduate major

Semi-arbitrarily picking two major categories:
Biology -> 12,484 matriculants out of 30,693 applicants = 40.7% acceptance rate
Humanities -> 780 matriculants out of 1,678 applicants = 46.5% acceptance rate

I'd wager that this difference is due to chance.

I should also add that I have absolutely no idea what the college majors of any of my co-trainees or colleagues were. Nor do I care.

This was AWESOME! Thanks so much - I think this REALLY clarified everything perfectly.

 

[Frogger27]

No one gives a damn about your major.. pick the easiest one and get the highest GPA, that’s all that matters. Take the appropriate time to study for the MCAT, you don’t need upper level science classes for it

 

[LizzyM]

For your viewing pleasure:
AAMC 2019 FACTS. applicants and matriculants data
MCAT and GPAs by primary undergraduate major

Semi-arbitrarily picking two major categories:
Biology -> 12,484 matriculants out of 30,693 applicants = 40.7% acceptance rate
Humanities -> 780 matriculants out of 1,678 applicants = 46.5% acceptance rate

I'd wager that this difference is due to chance.

I should also add that I have absolutely no idea what the college majors of any of my co-trainees or colleagues were. Nor do I care.

You are correct!
The chi-square statistic is 1.1848. The p-value is .276385. Not significant at p < .05.


The chi-square statistic with Yates correction is 1.1339. The p-value is .286941. Not significant at p < .05.

 

[medicalchimp]

You are correct!
The chi-square statistic is 1.1848. The p-value is .276385. Not significant at p < .05.


The chi-square statistic with Yates correction is 1.1339. The p-value is .286941. Not significant at p < .05.

Thank you Lizzy!

 

[Talldoctor96]

It absolutely CAN matter. If you go to a really really good undergrad and perform well it absolutely adds merit to your application. I have had almost every interviewer say they were impressed by my undergrad/ unique major. However, beyond the top like 20/25 universities it begins to matter less and less. So yes it CAN matter, but only if you perform well at a top tier institution.

 

[Goro]

I've seen so so many saying your undergrad degree doesn't matter ... like, at all. Is this honestly true? Even through my research I have seen that biology majors are actually the least accepted majors into Med School, whereas Humanities majors are the #1 accepted major. I am currently a humanities major, but was going to change my major to biology because I want to go to med school. However, I am already a junior and doing so would take so much more time whereas I could just finish my degree in Humanities and take the pre-med courses necessary.

I have even seen people say its a "breath of fresh air" for none science majors to apply? Is this really true - or simply not true? Most people seem to say it's all about the MCAT and GPA but can you really say a GPA of 3.7 in Humanities outweighs a GPA of 3.7 in Biology when Biology is harder than Humanities?

Your degree and major don't matter, only that you do well.

One still has to take the pre reqs and MCAT, after all

 

[Talldoctor96]

Your degree and major don't matter, only that you do well.

One still has to take the pre reqs and MCAT, after all

However would you agree that it can be to your advantage if you go to an elite undergrad AND do well?

 

[medschoolthrowaway2020]

Slightly off topic, but in case you hadn't already thought about this @medicalchimp there are lots of very cool medical humanities programs (I know of ones at Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, and Kaiser but I am certain there are these programs pretty much across the board) and your interest in the humanities could be a great way to use your major to set yourself apart at these schools and give you a good answer to why this school question.

 

[Talldoctor96]

Why do people persist with this myth. yes I said myth about majors. why do I say that?
1) Data: GPA/MCAT of Applicants and Acceptees by Major
2) Academic Evaluation (GPA): when an adcom evaluates an applicant, they have no way of knowing if a GPA is due to any difficulty of the major, the courses, the professors, or the school. A low GPA could be for all these reasons but could just as well be from bad study or test skills, poor time management, or dozens of other things. An adcom can only evaluate the number as representing the student's academic ability without regard to any other assumed factors
3) Academic Evaluation (skillset): Medical school intense amount of material that needs to be synthesized, integrated, and applied. So study skills, time management, and exam taking are the skills that adcoms look for. It is almost wholly irrelevant what the content of the major is. The main purpose of undergraduate work is to show you have these skills
4) Judgement/Introspection: Being a physician requires that you understand yourself and have the judgement to apply yourself. Picking a major that you cant do well in, already questions that judgement
5) Excuses: I am adding this as most applicants who make the utter mistake of trying to explain their perceived lower than optimal GPA almost invariably sound like they are making excuses
6) Writing: this is my personal peeve. most premeds, especially science majors cannot write a coherent, concise, and compelling PS or secondary id their entire future depended on it. And writing under time pressure as in secondaries, most barely can get it down. Social Science, Humanities, English majors, can express themselves well and in a timely manner

In a hypothetical scoring system of say 100 points total in an academic eval, you may get 1 or 2 bonus points for perceived difficulty of major and 1 or 2 for selectivity of institution. But premeds woefully misperceive how much weight is given to major; it is virtually none

Sure -- but in an interview setting I have had an interviewer multiple times say they were impressed by the rigor of my major and the high academic standing of my institution. Hard to imagine that did not contribute to a positive impression during the interview.

For example: in my best interview at Loyola where I am matriculating, I spent 20 minutes talking about my undergrad, its rigor, the rigor and unique nature of my major, and how it directly has prepared me to be successful in the med school curriculum. I will call BS if you tell me that did not have a strong influence in sending a positive impression to my interviewer. And one may argue the interview is the most critical part to getting an acceptance.

 

[Talldoctor96]

At an interview, discussing your anything that was unique, challenging, requiring discipline, time managment, etc, be it your undergrad major, competitive sports, long-musician, research, volunteer, trip to china, mountaineering expedition, or just having a full schedule with school, work, and EC, is all the same. It wasnt your major that got your there, it was what you accomplished, what it said about you, how it demonstrated skills for being a medical student and physician, and, most importantly, how you expressed it, that mattered the most.

Agreed.

 

[openstage]

Keep in mind that there are some undergrad advantages to being a biology / premed major. These include stronger connections and networking in the science fields, the ability to get into a cool medical research project or internship, attending a conference and publishing / present a poster, connections to clinical volunteering, and potentially better advice about the MCAT, primary & secondary app, interviews etc...Also LOR’s from people in science might carry a slight edge.

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

In a hypothetical scoring system of say 100 points total in an academic eval, you may get 1 or 2 bonus points for perceived difficulty of major and 1 or 2 for selectivity of institution. But premeds woefully misperceive how much weight is given to major; it is virtually none

This! While a 4.0 triple-major from Caltech in astrophysics, nuclear engineering, and chemistry beats a 4.0 from No-Name State in Underwater Basketweaving, it doesn't mean that Caltech guy is golden with a 3.5 GPA. It's worth 0.1 points, maybe 0.2 if you are extremely lucky.

 

[medicalchimp]

Slightly off topic, but in case you hadn't already thought about this @medicalchimp there are lots of very cool medical humanities programs (I know of ones at Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, and Kaiser but I am certain there are these programs pretty much across the board) and your interest in the humanities could be a great way to use your major to set yourself apart at these schools and give you a good answer to why this school question.

very interesting! What would be entailed in a humanities medical program?

 

[medschoolthrowaway2020]

very interesting! What would be entailed in a humanities medical program?

I have to be honest I don't know toooo much about it, its not really my strong suit. I'm just going on what I've learned from the grapevine and interview trail. It appears that most programs have room for you to explore your passion for humanities within the context of medicine and get lowkey nutty with it if you want. I've heard stories at different schools about helping do design and art for new clinical building to clinical research about music and healing.

I first heard about it through Columbia so here's the link to their website: Division of Narrative Medicine

 

[Goro]

Most people seem to say it's all about the MCAT and GPA but can you really say a GPA of 3.7 in Humanities outweighs a GPA of 3.7 in Biology when Biology is harder than Humanities?

If you think Biology is harder, then you try writing an essay every two weeks on the following:

Causes of the French Revolution
Picasso's Blue Period
Influence of the Hudson School on modern American Art
Reflections on the Edward Hopper retrospective at the Met
Write about something you know about (not a knowledge base)
Compare the short stories X and Y by Hemingway and Fitzgerald about WWI and WWII soldiers

However would you agree that it can be to your advantage if you do well?

Fixed that for you. And look up "Gentlemen's C". If get a 4.0 at Kutztown State, that still says something to me.

 

[Talldoctor96]

If you think Biology is harder, then you try writing an essay every two weeks on the following:

Causes of the French Revolution
Picasso's Blue Period
Influence of the Hudson School on modern American Art
Reflections on the Edward Hopper retrospective at the Met
Write about something you know about (not a knowledge base)
Compare the short stories X and Y by Hemingway and Fitzgerald about WWI and WWII soldiers



Fixed that for you. And look up "Gentlemen's C". If get a 4.0 at Kutztown State, that still says something to me.

Touché

 

[music2med]

Music major here, just wanted to say that I was only 1 summer quarter away from double majoring in Bio and the greatest struggles I had to overcome were NOT the bio classes. There are a lot of difficult things about the arts- you have to have a whole other level of critical thinking, not to mention time management with all the reading/writing/dealing with professors who may not understand that you have a life and career plans outside of their department. (performing arts is the hardest of all- MCAT was not nearly as bad as trying to perform in front of professors who expect you to crack under pressure).

 

[proudofmykids]

My two cents: as a Spanish major who had to write a 25 page minimum research capstone in a language that is not my native tongue while also prepping for the MCAT and finishing my premed prerequisites, I think the idea that these humanities courses make it easier to get a high GPA is absolutely absurd. I’m not arguing it is harder than any other major, it’s apples and oranges, but I do think people spend a lot of time demeaning those who do things outside of the ‘cookie cutter’ box that many are comfortable in as premeds

Moral of the story: as long as you get the prereqs in, study what interests you and you’ll do well because you’ll put in the effort. It’s really simple imo

But you then have engineering majors that require 20% more credits to graduate with BS. Imagine adding an extra class for six of your eight semesters. Harder or not?

 

[aSagacious]