Double Major: A Do or Don't?

[Cody1]

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I've looked through many of the similar threads about Double Majors, and most of the advice is only do what you love for the highest possible GPA before Med school.

My ultimate career goal is to become a Psychiatrist. When I close my eyes and think about any job I could have, it's a Psychiatrist. I know for sure that I love science, and I plan to major in Biology. That I know for sure, but what about Psychology?

I highly enjoy Psychology and it interests me greatly. Would it be wise to major in both? I have passion for both majors. And I feel like if I minor Psychology then I'm cheating myself out of half the knowledge.

I think that Psychology would benefit me for my career goal, and compliment Biology in a way other medical students wouldn't have. Please, tell me if I'm wrong...but that's my opinion.

Is a double major worth it? To me it sounds like it is, but you guys have a lot more experience in the world and I would love to hear your input.

Thank you for reading, your responses are helping me change the way I think about things and help reroute some life planning after you guys spark some good points!

 

[Tolbert]

I wouldn't do it. Any knowledge you feel you are cheating yourself out of, will most likely be covered (and in waaayyy more depth) in med school and beyond should you continue with it.

Major in one thing, get a high GPA, and have more free time to do ec's. Just my opinion of course though.

 

[Cody1]

I wouldn't major in it. Any knowledge you feel you are cheating yourself out of, will most likely be covered (and in waaayyy more depth) in med school and beyond should you continue with it.

Major in one thing, get a high GPA, and have more free time to do ec's. Just my opinion of course though.

Thank you for your input! But I've also just realized that my first choice college has a Biology-Psychology dual major option. So much yay.

 

[Tolbert]

oh okay that's cool! Good luck, sounds cool.

 

[JPodel]

Please refer to my signature for more assistance.

 

[Cody1]

Please refer to my signature for more assistance.

Well done, lol. Love it.

 

[RuralPhysician8]

Find a school with a neuroscience major. Good mix of both subjects from what I hear.

 

[CHCOOH]

I was thinking of doing the same double-major, as I love psychology and biology!

But my school offers a neurobiology major, so I figured I'd just do that. I *might* minor in psych though.

 

[FantasyVesperia]

Ooo~ Hey Cody, neurobiology and neuroscience seems to fight your needs lol.

 

[loltopsy]

I triple majored in probably the hardest majors available at my college. It was a terrible idea and caused my entrance into med school to be delayed.

Major in one thing, whatever you find most interesting (doesn't matter if it's science or not). At most, do a minor, but it will not help you to get into med school either way. GPA is the only thing that matters.

Find a school with a neuroscience major. Good mix of both subjects from what I hear.

No. Do what you find most interesting. If you treat college as prep for med school, you are going to have a horrible time. It will not help with med school classes. Also, preclinical med school grades do not matter.

 

[RuralPhysician8]

The OP has an interest in both biology and psychology. Neuroscience entails parts of both majors, I did not imply a need to "prep for med school".

 

[Tolbert]

really? i'm actually surprised because I always thought neuroscience would focus on biology and the nervous system.. of course touching on psychology but not in depth.. Never really thought of it though. now to google..

 

[loltopsy]

The OP has an interest in both biology and psychology. Neuroscience entails parts of both majors, I did not imply a need to "prep for med school".

Neuroscience doesn't encompass psychology. That's completely separate. Common neuroscience classes are: neurophysiology, neuroanatomy, synaptic transmission, neurobiology of aging, neural networks of vision, developmental neuroscience, memory and learning... etc.

If I remember correctly, there was one elective class that covered psychiatric disorders in the neuroscience department. One class and it is not psychology. That's the closest thing there is.

 

[Tolbert]

Neuroscience doesn't encompass psychology. That's completely separate. Common neuroscience classes are: neurophysiology, neuroanatomy, synaptic transmission, neurobiology of aging, neural networks of vision, developmental neuroscience, memory and learning... etc.

If I remember correctly, there was one elective class that covered psychiatric disorders in the neuroscience department. One class and it is not psychology. That's the closest thing there is.

yeah this is more along the lines of what i always thought.

Just found this on PR -
"Neuroscience, according to Kenyon College, is "the study of brain-behavior relationships in order to understand the roles they play in regulating both animal and human behavior." A relatively new field of study, Neuroscience combines the fields of biology, psychology, chemistry, engineering, and others to come to a more specific understanding of how brain structures influence behavior. As a Neuroscience major, you'll learn about the evolution of the brain, cellular neuroscience, and genetics. You'll learn about consciousness and what affects it. You'll learn about the nervous system, and what factors might enhance or destroy it. You'll study various types of both normal and abnormal behavior. And then you'll put them together and see how the brain and nervous system are themselves factors in why we act the way we do."

so some psych, but I doubt that's a big part.

 

[californicati0n]

If you have a passion for both subjects, I say go for it. I know a lot of people are saying that you should just go for whatever gets you the highest GPA, but if you're going to be a future doctor, you shouldn't shy away from the challenge. If you find that double majoring is really just not worth it, you could try majoring in one and then minoring in the other.
Another good option would be to look into schools that have cognitive science majors. It's more on the psychology side, but it seems really interesting!

 

[DesertPT]

I wouldn't do it. A lot of work for not that much reward. Unless the knowledge in and of itself is that big of a reward for you. Although what other people have said that you will learn way more in med school than you ever do in undergrad is very true. Undergrad degrees in bio and psych really are just stepping stones to med school or other grad school programs, they don't do you a lot of good in the real world sadly.

 

[mcdog]

As a Molecular Biology and Psychology double major myself, I would recommend it ONLY if you are truly interested in learning both subjects. It is easier to get a good GPA by focusing on just one subject. You can still get a good GPA while double majoring, but you have to be willing to put in the time and sacrifice some of your social life to achieve success in double majoring.

 

[RuralPhysician8]

yeah this is more along the lines of what i always thought.

Just found this on PR -
"Neuroscience, according to Kenyon College, is “the study of brain-behavior relationships in order to understand the roles they play in regulating both animal and human behavior.” A relatively new field of study, Neuroscience combines the fields of biology, psychology, chemistry, engineering, and others to come to a more specific understanding of how brain structures influence behavior. As a Neuroscience major, you’ll learn about the evolution of the brain, cellular neuroscience, and genetics. You’ll learn about consciousness and what affects it. You’ll learn about the nervous system, and what factors might enhance or destroy it. You’ll study various types of both normal and abnormal behavior. And then you’ll put them together and see how the brain and nervous system are themselves factors in why we act the way we do."

so some psych, but I doubt that's a big part.

I will apologize for making such a broad statement. The curriculums for undergrad are going to vary likely, because my state school's neuroscience major includes all pre med requirements, upper psychology classes, and finishes with neuroscience levels 1-4. Having read textbooks from both majors and integrated subjects (I.e. neuropsychology) I can tell you the two are hand in hand in my opinion.

 

[docwei88]

This is great tidbits since I was thinking of the exact same thing-dual majoring psych and bio. I will definitely keep this in mind. However, is it really true that a simple major in bio is merely a stepping stone? But I def agree on one note-majoring in what you enjoy.

 

[RuralPhysician8]

Many schools now offer biology majors with "concentrations". My intended major is Biology with a concentration in microbiology; however, it really depends on the institution. Obviously though, most BS degrees, no matter how specialized they are, are designed to instill the fundamentals so one can go deeper in graduate education.