English, Anthropology or Philosophy?

[james1988]

which major generates the most successful medical school applicants?

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[brianmartin]

In reality, probably doesn't matter.

 

[Wylde]

Whichever one you enjoy more and can get better grades in.

 

[luitime2585]

I'd say its going further away from English.

As a philosophy major, my biases are obviously there.

But I think if you majored in Anthropology, along with the pre-meds, a couple of philospohy courses, and a small honors/ or thesis project connecting your major to medicine, you would be a great applicant. Although it sounds like a lot I actually think it wouldn't be that hard.

 

[nonesuchgirl]

major In Something You Like. It Does Not Matter.

 

[james1988]

major In Something You Like. It Does Not Matter.

take it easy. im highly interested in all three areas, hence my asking. i've heard certain majors are accepted more into medical school then applicants from any other major but im not sure if this is true.

 

[nu2004]

take it easy. im highly interested in all three areas, hence my asking. i've heard certain majors are accepted more into medical school then applicants from any other major but im not sure if this is true.

we see this question a lot, and it's frustrating to have to repeat oneself. there is no magic major for med school, and if one of the three you listed is more successful statistically, it's due to unseen factors and has nothing to do with which is preferred by admissions committees. your grades within your major, your science grades, your MCAT score, the things you do philanthropically and to demonstrate your interest in medicine, your letters of recommendation... these are what matter. not what comes after the letters "BA, _________"

 

[james1988]

we see this question a lot, and it's frustrating to have to repeat oneself. there is no magic major for med school, and if one of the three you listed is more successful statistically, it's due to unseen factors and has nothing to do with which is preferred by admissions committees. your grades within your major, your science grades, your MCAT score, the things you do philanthropically and to demonstrate your interest in medicine, your letters of recommendation... these are what matter. not what comes after the letters "BA, _________"

i think i would do equally well in either major. i never implied, nor do i think, that there is a magic major for medical school. there must be, however, a fact about the matter as to which major generates the more successful applicant on average; to deny this would be to deny rudimentary rules of statistics. moreover, your assertion that any such perceived success of one particular major is due to "unseen factors" is nebulous- what do you mean by this?

 

[nu2004]

moreover, your assertion that any such perceived success of one particular major is due to "unseen factors" is nebulous- what do you mean by this?

i mean that you seem really, really eager to erroneously assert causation with respect to some sort of statistical difference.

 

[nonesuchgirl]

i think i would do equally well in either major. i never implied, nor do i think, that there is a magic major for medical school. there must be, however, a fact about the matter as to which major generates the more successful applicant on average; to deny this would be to deny rudimentary rules of statistics. moreover, your assertion that any such perceived success of one particular major is due to "unseen factors" is nebulous- what do you mean by this?

they don't
your major doesn't matter
your logic is ftl

 

[james1988]

i mean that you seem really, really eager to erroneously assert causation with respect to some sort of statistical difference.

with regard to these three majors, i don't see why the simplest conclusion would not be to presume causation; what correlative factors could amount to any such discrepancy?

 

[nu2004]

with regard to these three majors, i don't see why the simplest conclusion would not be to presume causation; what correlative factors could amount to any such discrepancy?

the problem is that you aren't applying the scientific method. the scientific method here would be to perform a randomized, controlled study across many individuals over many years. this would entail assigning majors and tracking progress of both assigned and unassigned students.

simply because "students of major X" are more successful (if this is even true, which is a) virtually impossible to know and b) highly dubious in the first place), that doesn't mean that YOU will be a more successful applicant because you choose major X. in fact, there's more evidence to support the idea that you will be a more successful applicant if you choose the major that best suits you, not one that you read on a student-populated forum is going to give you a better chance.

 

[hra87]

the problem is that you aren't applying the scientific method.

My philosophy major tells me the scientific method is unnecessarilly restrictive.

PWN3D!

 

[nu2004]

My philosophy major tells me the scientific method is unnecessarilly restrictive.

PWN3D!

i lolled

 

[tiedyeddog]

Major in frat-star-dom. It will be the most glorious 7 years of your life. After that.... Eh...

 

[135892]

which major generates the most successful medical school applicants?

...who cares?

Honestly though, all are complete bs majors anyway...

 

[Isoprop]

even if you found out that major x has a higher acceptance rate than major y into med school, that information is useless to you. having a major in x does not give you any sort of edge: med schools appreciate diversity in the educational backgrounds of their student body but they are more interested in other things like GPA, MCAT, and extracirricular activities.

let me put it this way. if you have identical applicants with respect to GPA, MCAT, LORs, ECs, etc., none would have an advantage by picking english over anthro or anything else. but if you pick a field you enjoy, you are more likely to do well and get a higher GPA.

 

[Wylde]

i think i would do equally well in either major. i never implied, nor do i think, that there is a magic major for medical school. there must be, however, a fact about the matter as to which major generates the more successful applicant on average; to deny this would be to deny rudimentary rules of statistics. moreover, your assertion that any such perceived success of one particular major is due to "unseen factors" is nebulous- what do you mean by this?

examples (these are all completely FICTIONAL):

1) All the geniuses and altruistic people are drawn to philosophy, so philosophy majors tend to have a much higher GPA, MCAT, and ECs. Thus, philosophy majors are "more successful applicants" when applying to medical school.

2) People who are good writers are intrinsically drawn towards english majors. Thus, people who are english majors usually score higher on the VR and write good PS, not because of an english major but because they are naturally more interested/better in writing. Resulting in "more successful applicants" when applying to medical school.

3) People who love to study are all interested in anthropology (IDK why... they just (fictionally) are). Since all of the people that love to study are anthro majors, they have better GPAs/MCATs and a more "successful applicant" follows.

4) People who are amazing at physics and orgo like to take philosophy courses. Since orgo and physics usually hurt peoples GPAs, philosophy majors do not have lowered science GPAs from physics and orgo. Thus, they are more successful than anthro/english majors.

etc.

This is a "rudimentary rules of statistics", you must analyze the statistics and look beyond the numbers and into the people behind them.

EDIT: This is exactly why you see math/physics majors scoring well on certain parts of the MCAT (I believe they score better on the BS than bio majors). These 2 majors are extremely self-selecting: med school is very GPA competitive , so the pre-med students who choose to major in math/physics (historically gpa-detrimental majors) are usually more intelligent because they feel they can maintain a competitive gpa in a difficult major. This naturally "higher intelligence" of math/physics majors results in a higher MCAT score and a good GPA in other courses as well.

Correlation =/= Causation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[LizzyM]

As far as adcom members thinking about any one of those 3 majors, they are pretty much interchangable in our minds so one group is not likely to be more successful due to the major than those who major in one of the other two fields.

 

[bioteach]

They are all essentially the same to adcomms. Non-science. Major in the one you find more interesting and (hopefully) will do best in.

 

[doomknight]

if you don't mind English, i'd pick that one. You'll be able to rock the MCAT, and it's probably an easier major so you have more time to focus on science pre-reqs and take them slowly rather than bio/phys/chem/calculus in the same year.

Also, if med school doesn't pan out, Stewart Med School is hiring for English majors to properly write descriptions for their school webpage

 

[Lawliet2008]

which major generates the most successful medical school applicants?

No matter which one you choose, make sure you take classes in Eng and Philosophy. I just finished a physiology degree and that one philosphy and two english classes that I took are the ones in which I learned the most, by far.

 

[doomknight]

really? you learned less in a physiology course than in an english course? I wouldn't argue about the philosophy course because it'd be a philosophical argument that i'd lose.

 

[Lawliet2008]

really? you learned less in a physiology course than in an english course? I wouldn't argue about the philosophy course because it'd be a philosophical argument that i'd lose.

Yup. All you really learn in bio courses is rehashing the same concepts you've been memorizing since highschool. Eng and philosophy however teach you how to think about new thoughts and how to approach them intelligently. You learn how to think.

 

[dienekes88]

It's correlation not causation.

I would like to see a statistic on the proportion of accepted non-science majors who are non-trads.

Major in the field you think is coolest (maybe that means the one with the hottest girls... maybe it means the most intellectually stimulating field).

 

[scarletgirl777]

with regard to these three majors, i don't see why the simplest conclusion would not be to presume causation; what correlative factors could amount to any such discrepancy?

A simple search would probably have eliminated the need for this thread. If you insist on assuming causation (and I think others have done a fine job in showing why this is wrong), then i suggest you troll aamc.org for data. Anecdotally, there are a lot of anthro majors who go to med school, but that's only because there are so few premeds who try to major in philosophy or english to begin with.

 

[scarletgirl777]

Yup. All you really learn in bio courses is rehashing the same concepts you've been memorizing since highschool. Eng and philosophy however teach you how to think about new thoughts and how to approach them intelligently. You learn how to think.

I don't know where you are, but that's certainly not how MY bio classes go. They go way beyond AP Bio.

 

[LandSpeed]

how about majoring in something that's potentially employable after you graduate? I hate to rain on your parade, but you're going to be homeless if you don't get into medical school.

 

[LizzyM]

how about majoring in something that's potentially employable after you graduate? I hate to rain on your parade, but you're going to be homeless if you don't get into medical school.

Very narrow minded of you to think that humanities majors are less employable than biology and physics majors.

Troll much?

 

[SAS]

i would consider majoring in anthropology because you could potentially combine it with medicine.