DON'T be a Bio major?

[thirdunity]

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I've heard some talk floating around lately, that it actually looks better to med schools if you're not the stereotypical applicant -- the thing is, I *love* biology, can't get enough of it, and if I don't become a doctor, then I would want to be a biologist. Which is why I'm a bio major. I was a bio major before deciding to do premed, and at my school of choice (UC Davis, where I'm transferring in another year), the major encompasses my med prereqs.

What do y'all think?

 

[UCLAstudent]

If you enjoy biology, major in it! It seriously won't make any difference when it comes to applying to medical school.

 

[DrBowtie]

If you enjoy biology, major in it! It seriously won't make any difference when it comes to applying to medical school.

Agreed

 

[Overeducated]

If you love biology... stick with it. You can always minor in something else (non-science related) if you feel the need to stand out.

 

[willthatsall]

I've heard some talk floating around lately, that it actually looks better to med schools if you're not the stereotypical applicant -- the thing is, I *love* biology, can't get enough of it, and if I don't become a doctor, then I would want to be a biologist. Which is why I'm a bio major. I was a bio major before deciding to do premed, and at my school of choice (UC Davis, where I'm transferring in another year), the major encompasses my med prereqs.

What do y'all think?

I think you should major in something you don't like as much because it will give you a 2.4% better chance of getting into med school.

 

[myodana]

MAJOR IN WHATEVER YOU LIKE.
how many times do we have to tell you? 🙂

 

[chaeymaey]

Bio major is the kiss of death only if you don't love it. If you're just a bio major b/c everyone else is doing it or you think it will give you an advantage in med school or on the MCAT, they adcoms will see right through you. But if it's truly something you love more than any other major in your university, go for it and more power to you!

From an English major/Psych minor

 

[automaton]

standing out is what it's all about. majoring in what you love is a nice ideal. like marrying for love, voting for the most qualified candidate, world peace... just have to decide who you're gonna be, the one that is happy win or lose by sticking to your ideals, or the one that sets goals and does what it takes to accomplish them.

now i'm not saying you can't stand out with biology. if you have a passion then you will probably do research and get published. but don't be THAT guy in may, who wonders why his love of biology didn't necessarily translate into a medical school acceptance. one thing is certain, if you have a passion for biology, you need to make that obvious to the admissions committee. otherwise it won't matter how much you love it. remember, the admissions committee are usually full of busy people. they're not mind readers or psychoanalysts that can figure you out. you need to sell yourself as much as you can.

 

[chaeymaey]

Yeah, if you're a science major you better do research b/c that's what a scientist is. I'm an English major so I'm writing theses and doing advanced literary criticisms and independent study to demonstrate that I am using the skills I have learned in the department, not just doing the bare minimum for the major.

 

[Freakingout]

This is an easy call then. Look at the majors accepted into medical school. Most schools have over 50% Biology majors. Like I said, this is an easy call.

 

[Kazema]

Bio major is the kiss of death only if you don't love it. If you're just a bio major b/c everyone else is doing it or you think it will give you an advantage in med school or on the MCAT, they adcoms will see right through you. But if it's truly something you love more than any other major in your university, go for it and more power to you!

From an English major/Psych minor

Yeah, when you hear people advising against majoring in bio it's if the person they're advising is doing it solely for the purpose of looking good to med schools. Otherwise, just do what you love and it will show through to your interviewers or whatever.

 

[erin682]

the major is not whats really important for admissions. whats important is your performance in your chosen major, a passion for that major and activities that are 'above and beyond' that major to show that you are more than just a student.

If bio is your passion then major in it and be the best bio major you can be. Thats what I did and now I"m in med school. lots of luck!

 

[g3pro]

More likely than not, students with high GPAs and high MCAT scores will get into medical school. HOWEVER, if you want to stand out, you should consider getting below a 2.0 GPA and less than 18 MCAT score. Not many applicants do that, so you might stand out. 👍


There's a reason why there are so many biology majors in medical school: biology is hand-in-hand with medicine. Molecular biology, cell biology, microbiology, genetics, biochemistry, physiology, anatomy, and histology are all major subjects in medical school! Excelling in these subjects in undergrad shows ADCOMs that you are perfectly ready to enter a medical career from a science standpoint. Why wouldn't you want that to be shown? And research in biology is well-suited for research in medicine.

If the OP isn't a troll (whom I suspect is...), then I'd say go for the bio major! As long as it isn't environmental biology...

 

[myodana]

standing out is what it's all about. majoring in what you love is a nice ideal. like marrying for love, voting for the most qualified candidate, world peace... just have to decide who you're gonna be, the one that is happy win or lose by sticking to your ideals, or the one that sets goals and does what it takes to accomplish them.

it's not a nice ideal. it's the entire point of undergrad. i'm sure you know people who have started out with one idea of what they wanted to be or do with their life and then made a switch... i thought at one point that i wanted to be a french major. undergrad is about figuring things out - what your passions are, what you like, what you're good at. it's not about padding your application to sell yourself to a grad program. who knows if 2 or 3 years after declaring your major you'll still even WANT to go to medical school. it doesn't matter what major you choose - if you are a qualified candidate, you've done well, and you can back up your experiences when you are asked about them in interviews, you can probably get in to medical school. this is coming from a double major in biology and dance (performance concentration) with a minor in chemistry.

 

[curiouslygeorge]

This is really a pet peeve... "...it looks better to med schools if..."

I highly doubt most schools give a rip what you majored in. I mean, think about it... if you satisfy the prereqs, you have practially completed a biology major anyway and have proven you can survive in medical-oriented classes. It doesn't make any difference what the actual major was.

I suspect what "looks good" is this:
1. strong GPA
2. strong MCAT score
3. strong letters of reference
4. appropriate experience/research

I can't even fathom that what one majored in would be any kind of determining factor.

Sure if you look at statistics, you may find that a smaller percentage of biology majors are admitted but that is only because MOST premeds are biology majors. There are tons more bio students applying than other majors. Those rejected were not rejected because of the major, but because their stats and experiences did not measure up.

If you love biology, MAJOR IN IT!!!!

 

[willthatsall]

standing out is what it's all about. majoring in what you love is a nice ideal. like marrying for love, voting for the most qualified candidate, world peace... just have to decide who you're gonna be, the one that is happy win or lose by sticking to your ideals, or the one that sets goals and does what it takes to accomplish them.

now i'm not saying you can't stand out with biology. if you have a passion then you will probably do research and get published. but don't be THAT guy in may, who wonders why his love of biology didn't necessarily translate into a medical school acceptance. one thing is certain, if you have a passion for biology, you need to make that obvious to the admissions committee. otherwise it won't matter how much you love it. remember, the admissions committee are usually full of busy people. they're not mind readers or psychoanalysts that can figure you out. you need to sell yourself as much as you can.

I disagree. I don't think you need to show a true passion for your major. You need to have a high GPA and show a passion for medicine, that's it. Why does a med school care if you love your ugrad major?

 

[Iwy Em Hotep]

There's a reason why there are so many biology majors in medical school: biology is hand-in-hand with medicine.

Dunno...it's always seemed to me that most pre-meds are biology majors is because that's the path of least resistance - completing a biology major almost always satisfies the requirements for most medical schools.

 

[myodana]

I disagree. I don't think you need to show a true passion for your major. You need to have a high GPA and show a passion for medicine, that's it. Why does a med school care if you love your ugrad major?

you should major in something for which you have a passion because it will make your undergrad experience a lot less bland and tedious, not because med schools care. who are you trying to live your life for anyway? (not YOU personally, willthatsall... but a general "you.")

 

[automaton]

ummmm if i didn't want to go to medical school i wouldn't have studied my ass off in undergrad. look, no matter what you think "undergrad is for", the fact is that there are things you can be doing that improve your application, and things that don't. going to frat parties every thursday might make your undergrad experience a lot less bland but it won't help your application. there are choices to be made, and i don't see why you would draw the line at study vs party and not at biology vs. english. ultimately i did what i had interest in, but there is a give and take. for example i knew that doing my major would help me, but i also knew that not taking spanish would hurt my application for california. it's the choice i made. i'm not saying go for what med schools want at all costs - i'm saying you have to be aware that you're making the decision to do something for yourself or for your application, and that always doing stuff for yourself (i.e. do what you love, etc etc) isn't necessarily the right decision all the time.

 

[g3pro]

Dunno...it's always seemed to me that most pre-meds are biology majors is because that's the path of least resistance - completing a biology major almost always satisfies the requirements for most medical schools.

You're right. It is indeed the path of least resistance, but not just because of pre-reqs. Taking the courses I listed in the bio major in undergrad will help you immensely when going to medical school and taking the same classes. It makes it easier on both fronts.

 

[kaleidoscope83]

I'm all about non-science majors for premeds. It makes you more well-rounded/interesting. Since we're on this topic, let me give some random advice for any non-science major out there:

As a non-science major myself (Humanities - broad Liberal Arts major), I was asked at every single one of my interviews why on earth I majored in Humanities. I got the sense that I had to defend my choice of major, whereas with my other science friends, they were never questioned on their major choice. I am very passionate about my major and my responses showed my interest, but I got the feeling that was not enough. Although I took beyond the required premedical courses, I was told at one interview that I was at a disadvantage because I did not have as much background as all the other science major applicants.

Anyway, so if you want a non-science major:
1. Double major in science if you can so interviewers/adcom won't think you can't handle science.
2. Major in something that genuinely interests you and find a way to tie it into medicine/people.
3. Take as many hours beyond the required premedical courses as you can (For example, I took 12 hours more of biology than required as electives).
4. Count up your hours before you go to interviews so that you can tell the interviewer how many hours of science you've taken if they question you.
5. Do well in the science classes you take and on the science portion of the MCAT. I didn't do well in my lower-division science classes (mostly B's), but figured out my studying style the 2nd year of college and have gottena ll A's in upper-division. My argument during interviews: I've taken less science than my science-majored friends, but I can still make the high scores. Doesn't that count for anything?
6. Get a recommendation letter from a science professor in a class you did well in.
7. Be proud! But if you decide you'd rather major in science, do it. Do what makes you happy and it'll shine through.

 

[lrutc]

I would strongly encourage you to major in biology if you really are interested in it. Being interested in your primary course of study will translate into better grades and a more enjoyable undergrad experience. Having a non-traditional major will only make you stick out in a good way if you have excellent MCAT scores, letters of recommendation, and good ECs. There is a reason that biology is the number one major for entering medical students: it is the BEST major in which to prepare you for the first two years, and it will probably improve your score on biological sciences. Major in biology and have good extracurriculars and MCAT scores in order to stick out to the admissions committees. I did, and I got in.

 

[willthatsall]

you should major in something for which you have a passion because it will make your undergrad experience a lot less bland and tedious, not because med schools care. who are you trying to live your life for anyway? (not YOU personally, willthatsall... but a general "you.")

Absolutely, I agree with that all the way. I was just pointing out that med schools don't care one way or the other. They aren't going to ask, "So, are you feeling passionate about your major?" But they do care about GPA, and that passion might have an effect. Which is all the more reason to do what you want and not worry about if a med school is going to like you more or less from it.

 

[myodana]

Absolutely, I agree with that all the way. I was just pointing out that med schools don't care one way or the other. They aren't going to ask, "So, are you feeling passionate about your major?" But they do care about GPA, and that passion might have an effect. Which is all the more reason to do what you want and not worry about if a med school is going to like you more or less from it.

🙂 totally agreed. one thing though... they WILL ask you "why did you choose your major?" in your interview. every one of my interviewers asked me that. so, if you say "uh... because i needed to do my bio prereqs anyway," or have to make up some ridiculous story, it sounds a lot less convincing than saying "i majored in classics because i've always been fascinated by ancient greece and i love archaeology" or something...

 

[UCDavisdude]

I've heard some talk floating around lately, that it actually looks better to med schools if you're not the stereotypical applicant -- the thing is, I *love* biology, can't get enough of it, and if I don't become a doctor, then I would want to be a biologist. Which is why I'm a bio major. I was a bio major before deciding to do premed, and at my school of choice (UC Davis, where I'm transferring in another year), the major encompasses my med prereqs.

What do y'all think?

omg, dont come here. its sucks at davis. thats why im transferring out next year. Just my opinion.

 

[AcousticDoc]

omg, dont come here. its sucks at davis. thats why im transferring out next year. Just my opinion.

Seems to be a good place to study and get good grades...since the town's so boring 😀

 

[Babooshka]

I'm all about non-science majors for premeds. It makes you more well-rounded/interesting. Since we're on this topic, let me give some random advice for any non-science major out there:

As a non-science major myself (Humanities - broad Liberal Arts major), I was asked at every single one of my interviews why on earth I majored in Humanities. I got the sense that I had to defend my choice of major, whereas with my other science friends, they were never questioned on their major choice. I am very passionate about my major and my responses showed my interest, but I got the feeling that was not enough. Although I took beyond the required premedical courses, I was told at one interview that I was at a disadvantage because I did not have as much background as all the other science major applicants.

Anyway, so if you want a non-science major:
1. Double major in science if you can so interviewers/adcom won't think you can't handle science.
2. Major in something that genuinely interests you and find a way to tie it into medicine/people.
3. Take as many hours beyond the required premedical courses as you can (For example, I took 12 hours more of biology than required as electives).
4. Count up your hours before you go to interviews so that you can tell the interviewer how many hours of science you've taken if they question you.
5. Do well in the science classes you take and on the science portion of the MCAT. I didn't do well in my lower-division science classes (mostly B's), but figured out my studying style the 2nd year of college and have gottena ll A's in upper-division. My argument during interviews: I've taken less science than my science-majored friends, but I can still make the high scores. Doesn't that count for anything?
6. Get a recommendation letter from a science professor in a class you did well in.
7. Be proud! But if you decide you'd rather major in science, do it. Do what makes you happy and it'll shine through.

Great post, Kaleidoscope. I got a question though, I'm a philosophy major and want to keep my science classes to a minimum. I'm going to take the pre-req science classes only. How, then, could I pull off a promising recommendation letter out of that?

 

[kaleidoscope83]

Great post, Kaleidoscope. I got a question though, I'm a philosophy major and want to keep my science classes to a minimum. I'm going to take the pre-req science classes only. How, then, could I pull off a promising recommendation letter out of that?

It's ok to keep your science classes to a minimum, just try to do well in them. I didn't do very well with my earlier premed requirements and did much better later on so taking beyond the minimum helped me out. Keep in mind that the schools will question whether or not you can handle the medical school courseload so study really hard for the mcat science sections.

As for rec letters, you just have to build up a relationship with your prof. Go to their office hours with questions. If you don't have any questions, go to talk and ask them about their work/research. Let them know your future plans (that you want to go to medical school) so they'll know that you might ask them for a rec letter later on. I wouldn't advise asking for a rec letter from them right off the bat through. Get to know them for a semester/year, let them get to know you, and if you think it's going well, ask them if they would feel comfortable writing you a strong/favorable recommendation letter later on. You probably won't be applying for medical school for another 1 or 2 years so give them a heads up that you won't be needing a letter for a while. Once you finish taking their class, don't quit visiting them. Invite them to professor teas that your organizations may have and continue visiting them during office hours. It may sound like a lot, but it's really not. Just go a couple of times a semester so that they'll remember you.

So to sum it all up: get to know your professors!! And always, ALWAYS ask them if they feel comfortable writing you a strong/favorable recommendation letter. It's hard, but it's better than finding out that you didn't get into medical school because one of your reference letters was negative. I know someone who had amazing mcat scores/gpa, but they didn't get in anywhere because one of their professors had written that he was "too cocky."