GPA in a Chemistry Major

[Mike34]

I am wondering if anyone on here has experience in being a chemistry major as well as being pre-med. Since it's all about GPA for medical schools, I'm trying to balance having a good GPA as well as challenging myself and pursuing my interests. A chemistry major at my school is harder. You have to take more advanced calculus, more advanced physics, more advanced organic chemistry than is required for pre-med, and you also have to take inorganic chemistry and physical chemistry, which are both difficult. So, although I'm more interested in doing a chemistry major, I don't want my GPA to go down a lot. So, I was thinking of maybe instead doing a biochemistry major which is easier at my school. Maybe at other schools it's not, but at mine it is.

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[mistafab]

If you feel you would be interested in the biochem major, and it is easier, then I would go for it.

Why? Because you are not trying to become a chemist. However, if you are interested in chemistry, you may not be satisfied with just biochem classes so YMMV.

Best of luck.

 

[deleted853480]

I am a chem major at a Canadian university. I found my major helped the chemistry/physics section of the mcat.

 

[AnxietyNation]

At my school, if you were a biochem major you had to still take upper level math and Chem. So if you're really interested in an upper level Chem class - youd probably have the pre reqs to take it.

 

[HomeSkool]

If you feel you would be interested in the biochem major, and it is easier, then I would go for it.

Why? Because you are not trying to become a chemist. However, if you are interested in chemistry, you may not be satisfied with just biochem classes so YMMV.

Best of luck.

I agree. Your choice of major should hinge upon three things:

1. It should be something you enjoy.
2. It should be something in which you can maintain a high GPA.
3. It should be something that's employable at the bachelor's level.

My reasoning for #1 and #2 should be obvious. For #3, it's just a matter of planning for contingencies. When I started my undergrad coursework, I had no idea that I'd end up taking a gap year while my wife finished her degree. I started working on my degree thinking it was just going to be my stepping stone to med school, and I ended up using it to put food on my table for a year. As well, the majority of first-time applicants don't get accepted. Hopefully that won't be the case for you, but if it is you'll have to pay your bills somehow.

 

[onyxbell]

I started working on my degree thinking it was just going to be my stepping stone to med school, and I ended up using it to put food on my table for a year.

I second this. I failed my first cycle with 0 II and my major, which happens to be chemistry, directly led to my gap year job. I have my thesis research PI to thank for that though.

 

[Pagan FutureDoc]

I was a physics/chem dual major. It wasn't too bad but then I've always been drawn to and good at the harder sciences. For me it was easier to keep a good GPA with mostly science classes. If I'd been a business or finance major I doubt I could have done as well.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

I majored in math, which is a decently hard major. Ultimately, because I liked it so much I was able to maintain a high gpa, so there were numbers 1 and 2. For me, employablity didn’t matter, but you can do stuff with a math degree if necessary.

Anyway, all I’m saying is that’s good advice, and if it’s something you really enjoy and are good at, you’ll still maintain a decent gpa.

 

[aldol16]

"Hard" is relative. Any class will be hard for somebody who has no interest in it. It's hard to motivate yourself to study organic chemistry when you're not interested in it and know that you won't have to use most of the principles you learn in the future. But if you're interested in the topic, something that is "hard" becomes magically easier.

 

[Blanky]

Are you more interested in becoming a physician or being a chem major? Ill leave it at that.

 

[givemecoffee]

I am a senior currently working towards a bio/chem dual-degree. I have had difficult classes among both majors: genetics, physical chemistry, calculus, physics etc, and have enjoyed some of those classes more than any others. I would say that choosing one science over the other just because one is normally seen as easier than another is not enough of a reason. If you are not super interested in the "hard" chemistry classes, go with the biochem major as you'll be able to take more bio classes. Pick what you are most interested in, maybe its both like me, maybe its just one. Best of luck!

Also: My advice is DON'T just pick something that you think will get you into medical school, because the 4 years of undergrad will be miserable if you pick something you don't at least kind of enjoy.

 

[chemphysicsinstructor]

I am wondering if anyone on here has experience in being a chemistry major as well as being pre-med. Since it's all about GPA for medical schools, I'm trying to balance having a good GPA as well as challenging myself and pursuing my interests. A chemistry major at my school is harder. You have to take more advanced calculus, more advanced physics, more advanced organic chemistry than is required for pre-med, and you also have to take inorganic chemistry and physical chemistry, which are both difficult. So, although I'm more interested in doing a chemistry major, I don't want my GPA to go down a lot. So, I was thinking of maybe instead doing a biochemistry major which is easier at my school. Maybe at other schools it's not, but at mine it is.

Always consider having a backup plan as your goals and situation may change. Yes, as a chemistry major you will take harder courses, so plan ahead and seek out tutoring and pre-study the material. You will need to put in more effort and that is to be expected.

Also, take the path that interests you more since when you are more interested in something, you tend to study it better, do better in it, and learn more.