Exercise Science Major and DO schools

[pato7]

I may be worrying too much, but is exercise science a "good enough" major when pursuing medical school? What I mean is will choosing it over Biology or Chemistry or other hard sciences hurt my chances of getting in, or if I do get in, will I be at a disadvantage? The major at my school (Auburn) has a few of the pre-reqs (Chemistry I and II, Biology I, Physics I, Calculus) and there's about 20 designated elective/minor hours where I can fill in the rest of the pre-reqs (Organic Chem I and II, Biochem, Genetics, etc.). I'm also willing to take summer classes if necessary.

I only ask because I have to declare a major at the end of my sophomore year. I chose to remain undecided the first two years because I didn't want to be the guy changing majors twice every semester. I'm 100% sure that exercise science is right for me because a) it's something i enjoy being a former athlete so I'm more than likely to be interested and thus work harder b) i've always believed things like nutrition and fitness play an important part in health (and I'm guessing a lot of DO's do as well, or i could be wrong).

I'd like some insight from anyone who has/is/will be going to med school having majored in it. Did it help/hurt/neutralize the experience? Thanks.

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[DrMattOglesby]

in short--pick any major your heart desires
your major seems to have little effect on an adcom's decision about how geared up you are for medicine.
in fact, my step-dad was a music major turned teacher before he went back and did pre-reqs for med school. His experience was that the adcoms liked that he had a well rounded education. Because trust me, we are all going to get all the science we could ever want (and more) in med school.

by the way, i've always been interested in exercise science and even considered pursuing a second degree just for the purpose of learning more. I think it might help you appreciate the manipulative aspect employed by DOs. I know I will be considering sports medicine as a sub-specialty in the future, and it sounds like you might be interested in that as well, so go for the exercise science major

 

[deleted172531]

Pick a major you have an interest or passion in. No need to be a science major unless you want to. I was a film major...

 

[spicedmanna]

Your undergraduate major is largely irrelevant to the admissions process. Choose it by your interest. What is going to matter a whole lot, however, is how you do in your class and in your premedical requirements, in particular.

 

[Spooner13]

I think an exercise science major is just fine. In fact, that was my major for a year. There are a lot of classes in that major that will help you in med school (in my opinion), such as exercise phys, anatomy, etc. Plus if you're going to take the upper level bio classes (biochem, genetics, etc.) as electives, you will be just fine.

Also, if you're interested in sports medicine, you should definitely check out VCOM. They have some incredible opportunities for sports medicine.

 

[pato7]

Thanks for all the replies. I think having a solid gameplan makes things so much easier now. I'm from Georgia and I've had my eye on PCOM-GA. Does anyone here go there and is it considered a top class DO school?

 

[TexasTriathlete]

I majored in Kinesiology, which is the same thing as exercise science, and I currently go to GA-PCOM. The anatomy instruction provided by my undergrad coursework has definitely been helpful.

Major in whatever you want. You will do better in the classes if you like them.

 

[RySerr21]

yay kines majors!

 

[aliDO]

I majored in Wildlife Science. Not related to medicine at all. All my bio classes were herpatology, ornithology, mammalogy, ect. So far my interviewers have really liked it.

 

[WDeagle]

Hey cool an Auburn pre-DO. My advice: major in something you would want to do with your life if you decide not to go to medical school. Make sure you take plenty of upper level bio courses. I was a bio major at a pretty tough school and i still wish i had taken more upper upper level bio classes.

 

[hoopstar2323]

It is true that a major you are interested in will help you receive better grades, which will help you get in. Also having a major that isn't as common can in my opinion only help you because it leads to interesting and different experiences you could put on an application, something we all search for as a way to stand out. As long as you get your pre-reqs and do well in them, one major is as good as another.

 

[pretender]

Your major does not matter. But I was an Exercise Physiology major at UF and I have learned a lot of good stuff that I will use in med. school (Anatomy, Human Physiology, Neuromuscular, EKG reading). But, just do whatever interests you.

 

[RUc10]

Exercise Science, based on what undergrad school you go to, can be just as beneficial as having a bio or chem major. The major itself does not matter in the application process but as far as exposing you to classes that may give you a better foundation it's definitely one of the top choices you can make. The only downside I see to it is that since it's relatively new many people still don't know what it is. I'm an Exercise Physiology major and when I tell many people that they still ask me if that means I want to be a gym teacher. Most people from our major go on to graduate school and I think 60% of the majors at my school actually go on to be Physical Therapists.

I go to Rutgers and the Functional Human Anatomy Lab is one of the only labs at an undergrad university to use human cadavers. The lecture is taught by a ND that graduated from Johns Hopkins so much of the material is a lot more in depth than a traditional anatomy class would be. Our kinesiology class is taught by a Physical Therapist and our Exercise Physiology class is taught by a guy who has done a lot of well known research in the field and has worked with professional athletes and sports teams.

And among the other classes that are required for the major are: bio, chem, physics, calc I, systems physiology, exercise testing and prescription, ekg testing, neuromechanical kinesiology, biomechanics, and advanced exercise physiology. They also recommend taking genetics so the only class you'd have to take not required by your major that you need as a pre-med is orgo.

If you're able to talk about why your major was not just something you took because it was interesting but also why it was tough and something you learned a lot from then I think you can make anybody who does not truly understand it have a greater respect for the major.

 

[pato7]

I really appreciate all of the advice. I wasn't doing too well my first year because I didn't have a clear plan as to what I could or should do. Now I don't have to worry about whether or not I'm wasting time and money taking certain classes.

 

[Fp02c]

Any degree is good enough provided that your grades reflect you can handle the workload that will be required of you. With that said, there are some degrees that get more leeway than others. An exercise science major with a 3.7 GPA is just as good as a 3.7 with most other degrees. However, and this has been told to me by adcoms both md and do, a 3.1 exercise science degree is looked down upon much more than a 3.1 engineering or hardscience degree. Moral of the story is, pick what you want and do well.

 

[Taus]

I was a nutrition major and took a lot of kines courses as well.

I would highly recommend going this route if it is what you find interesting. As long as you also have all the necessary pre-req's fulfilled...I believe majors such as these help provide a broader, more "real-world" perspective on the basic science that we all learn.

I also think it can help you stick out from the crowd regarding admissions... bio/chem/etc majors are a dime a dozen IMO.

You never know...you may even one day continue to apply that knowledge if you choose certain fields...ie PM&R, Ortho, Family/Sports Med

 

[BORNagainSTDENT]

when they say 8 hour credits in biology, do them mean two bio clases?

 

[pato7]

What all did you learn in the Nutrition major? I just saw that my school also has one (I've been pretty oblivious as to what majors were available) and I might consider it.

 

[pato7]

when they say 8 hour credits in biology, do they mean two bio clases?

I believe so cause each Bio class is 3 lecture hours and 1 lab.

 

[RUc10]

What all did you learn in the Nutrition major? I just saw that my school also has one (I've been pretty oblivious as to what majors were available) and I might consider it.

Physical and chemical characteristics of food and there's normally a course on how it effects your body. I was going to minor in Nutrition... I took an intro to Nutrition class and it was the most boring thing I've ever experienced. Now I'm a biochem minor

 

[Thriller]

I am exercise science major and have been accepted to med school. One of my interviewers actually asked me why I majored in it instead of the more common biology. I just told him that I have always had a lot of interest in fitness and exercise and he was fine with that. The only downside to the major is that it is really only useful as a stepping-stone to a graduate/professional degree. It doesn't stand well on its own should you not get into or end up deciding not to go to med school. I've very much enjoyed it though.

 

[tideleonheart]

I got accepted as a Computer Science major. Pick what you'll have the most fun with. OR whatever would be the fastest track to graduating.

 

[MossPoh]

I was Information Science Technology and German Lit. I know dance majors, psych majors, Violin majors, graphic design, electrical engineers, business, and just about every other field you can imagine that has gone into medicine...Pick whatever the hell you want and do the prereqs.

 

[Chocolate Bear]

I believe so cause each Bio class is 3 lecture hours and 1 lab.

Yeah, also many schools do Bio I = 3hrs, Bio II = 3hrs, Bio Lab = 2 hrs.

 

[pato7]

The only downside to the major is that it is really only useful as a stepping-stone to a graduate/professional degree. It doesn't stand well on its own should you not get into or end up deciding not to go to med school.

Yeah that's one of the things I'm a little worried about. I'm confident in my ability to work hard and get in, but if I don't I don't know. I guess meeting the pre-reqs could allow me to look at dental or pharmacy school. And of course there's always personal trainer at Gold's Gym

 

[MossPoh]

Not like dental or pharmacy schools are "easy" to get into either. Anyway, the job market for most science fields isn't that great. It usually paves the way for graduate school or something else. Most of my friends with bio type degrees have a tough time finding a job until they consider other areas. One actually works as an accountant now. They took him in and trained him with all the stuff. Nice salary, challenging work, and reasonable hours.