How much does your degree (major) matter?

[agent]

I have been struggling with what kind of degree to get.

I was originally going to get a BA in psych, but was afraid that if i didnt get into med school, what would i do?

So now im thinking of getting a BA in elem ed so I can teach jr high science/math in case i totally f*up.

My fear is that while I currently have a 3.58 gpa and will probably finish with higher, a BA in elem education will be looked down on.

Anyone else getting a teaching degree? Or if not, what do you think?

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[none]

Wonderful to see a poster not conerned with what major is best for getting into med school! Regardless of what you get your degree in, you will be able to find a teaching positionly easily. Don't be worried about that. They just care that you get a teaching credential after the bachelor's.

 

[jot]

hey - teaching does rock. however, i'm not sure if adcoms know about elem. ed currics - but if so, they know they are markedly easier (no offense - correct me if i'm wrong) than other tracks. but as long as you do well, i'm sure it won't have too much bearing. can you do both? i managed to cram in a couple degrees without overloading too much in 4 years ... it may not cost any extra depending on your school. goodluck thouhg.
-jot

 

[agent]

Originally posted by none
Wonderful to see a poster not conerned with what major is best for getting into med school! Regardless of what you get your degree in, you will be able to find a teaching positionly easily. Don't be worried about that. They just care that you get a teaching credential after the bachelor's.

sarcasm.. *plz*

anyway, thats what i was asking. i'll still fulfill all of the pre-reqs, but yeah i dont want to be frowned upon.

i get good marks now (finishing up my gen ed reqs) but well whatever..

So what would be a good degree to get? How about a BS in Business Administration?

 

[calbears84]

what you are BSing...i mean...get a BS in doesn't matter....what matters is your pre-req gpa.

 

[Adcadet]

Yeah, as Calbear said. Get a degree in whatever you want. Or a minor. If you want to get a degree you can use for a year or two between college and med school, great (although I have many friends who had majors in various things who could teach without a specific teaching degree). I personally loved my psych minor, and wished I had done a psych major/bio minor (rather than the other way around). Take classes that interest you and may help you in the future that you may not otherwise get. Lord knows you'll get enough basic bio in your pre-reqs and in med school.

 

[agent]

well yeah im most interested in psych, i think teaching is respectable and all, but im afraid my BA in elem ed will be not respected.

part of the compromise with my wife is that i get a degree i can actually use if i completely bomb the mcats (which i dont plan to do)

 

[none]

ugh. I knew the whole what major is best for medical school would rear its hideous head eventually.

 

[agent]

its a reasonable question and i thank those not broken by a cycle of cynicism for responding

 

[Sweet Tea]

I think that "does your major matter?" is a fine question. I do take issue with the "what major is best?" question.

I would hope that we all know enough here to not pick our major on what we think will be best for med school, because there is no "best major for med school". Do well in your pre-reqs, and do well in whatever you decide will be the best major for you. Enjoy college and study what you like!

 

[Adcadet]

Originally posted by agent
well yeah im most interested in psych, i think teaching is respectable and all, but im afraid my BA in elem ed will be not respected.

part of the compromise with my wife is that i get a degree i can actually use if i completely bomb the mcats (which i dont plan to do)

I guess you need to figure out your "plan B" if you bomb the MCATs or, more likely, apply while finishing up your degree but don't get in. If your plan B requires a particular degree, then get it. If you can use whatever degree you get (and, say, a teaching certificate or appropriate coursework), then do what you like. I think a psych background is great for medicine, and definitely good for teaching.

As long as you can show that you did well in the pre-med courses (inorganic chem, organic chem, some bio, etc etc), the adcoms prolly won't care what your actual degree is in. In fact, a degree pretty removed from pre-med reqs may be an advantage since it shows a bredth of knowledge and interests. But, you have a point - adcoms may respect a 3.7 major GPA in chemistry or economics more than a 3.7 in elementary ed.

 

[agent]

thats what i figured thanks.. you guys have helped a lot

 

[kito]

i could be wrong but i really wouldn't get caught up in trying to figure out how your degree looks to another. i think that the only important thing is how it looks to you, and if you can get solid grades doing it. if you find the material engaging, then you will do better, and that will go a longer way towards success with the adcomms than would an inferior performance in another area. i personally figured out that medical school was for me this past february, midway through my junior year. i am a physics major and a math major, and so i was pretty unlike my fellow premeds, and to a certain extent i think that is a good thing, because i can emphasize my individuality, while being able to talk inteligently about something that isn't often discussed in medical circles. i think a unique education like physics or ed would do that, and that effect should not be discounted.

 

[agent]

good advice..

i come from a computer/internet tech/programming background.. im starting my junior year of college soon and ive been stressed to "pick a major"

my wife feels like i should get a teaching degree since her dad was a teacher.. uggh.

what i really want to do is just get a psych degree and prep for the mcats.

 

[chopsuey]

do what you want!!! honestly, go for the psych major! admittedly, i'm a little biased since i'm a psych major/neuroscience concentrator....but regardless, go where your heart is!

you have all of med school to have your curriculum at least strongly guided by other people....enjoy this now.

if you're looking for a fall back plan--
1) are you really going to abandon med school if you dont get in this time?

2) can you get a teaching certification? i have a lot of friends doing that.

last thing: listen to ankitovich


good luck!

 

[lola]

not to put down anyone who does teaching b/c i think it's a great profession, but actually getting a degree in education will probably be looked down upon by some. some people think it's as an easy major -- not that you can't get into med school with it, but some adcoms may question the difficulty of the program. if you want something to fall back on, major in a subject you want to teach and get a teaching credential after you graduate.

 

[agent]

Originally posted by lola
if you want something to fall back on, major in a subject you want to teach and get a teaching credential after you graduate.

i wasnt aware of that.. this teaching program is new to me.

thanks for the info.. sounds like good advice

 

[peabody]

A lot of colleges, even those without formal education departments, will offer programs in education that will allow you to get a teaching certificate while working on your undergrad degree. It typically involves 3-4 courses and a semester student teaching. So it's definitely possible to major in whatever other area you like, and also complete a program (often a minor) in education. In fact, I have been advised by a number of people that having a major in the area you actually wish to teach and certification independent of an actual degree in education is the best way to go. Also remember that you generally wouldn't need to be certified if you were interested in teaching at a private school.