How Much Effect Does it Have?

[HPDV6000]

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Hey,

I was wondering how much effect in admissions does it have when you apply without a pre-med declared on your degree? Because my current degree is just a BS in Biology, the Health Science Recommendation Committee doesn't allow to write me a letter...

I'm in my Junior year and I've decided late into my college years to choose between a DO or Optometry.

It says Pre-Optometry in my information box, but I'm not declared.

Is this going to effect me a lot?

 

[LifeTake2]

Hey,

I was wondering how much effect in admissions does it have when you apply without a pre-med declared on your degree? Because my current degree is just a BS in Biology, the Health Science Recommendation Committee doesn't allow to write me a letter...

I'm in my Junior year and I've decided late into my college years to choose between a DO or Optometry.

It says Pre-Optometry in my information box, but I'm not declared.

Is this going to effect me a lot?

No

The schools don't even see your actual transcript (unless you matriculate); they see the processed copy from AAMC. Furthermore, given that I have a BS in Computer Science from 15 years ago obviously mine doesn't say pre-med and I have 4 interviews in October.

 

[IDFsoldierboy]

Hey,

I was wondering how much effect in admissions does it have when you apply without a pre-med declared on your degree? Because my current degree is just a BS in Biology, the Health Science Recommendation Committee doesn't allow to write me a letter...

I'm in my Junior year and I've decided late into my college years to choose between a DO or Optometry.

It says Pre-Optometry in my information box, but I'm not declared.

Is this going to effect me a lot?

Nevermind

 

[HPDV6000]

No

The schools don't even see your actual transcript (unless you matriculate); they see the processed copy from AAMC. Furthermore, given that I have a BS in Computer Science from 15 years ago obviously mine doesn't say pre-med and I have 4 interviews in October.

Okay, that's reassuring, that it is possible. So you are going in without a Health Recommendation Committee letter?

 

[ceadmilefailte]

I am a just a Bio major with a Biochem minor. We have the premed degree but I didn't bother with it. I also had no committee letter and haven't run into any problems. I think the one school that said they would like a committee letter would accept letters from two science professors instead. If you want to cover all scenarios make sure you get two science letters, a non-science letter, possibly one more from a research mentor if you did research, and your DO letter.

Okay, that's reassuring, that it is possible. So you are going in without a Health Recommendation Committee letter?

 

[GlimmerGlass]

I can't imagine any school caring or even looking into whether you are declared pre-med. I don't even think you can officially declare yourself "pre-med" at many schools. I do not have a committee letter because one is not offered at my undergrad school and it has not hurt me b/c I think med schools realize committee letters are just not available to everyone.

 

[corpsman33]

No

The schools don't even see your actual transcript (unless you matriculate); they see the processed copy from AAMC. Furthermore, given that I have a BS in Computer Science from 15 years ago obviously mine doesn't say pre-med and I have 4 interviews in October.

...from AACOMAS. This is the Osteopathic thread, right? Am I the only person that saw that?

 

[FutureDoc01]

I was a bio major, never said anything about premed and was accepted it! I find it odd that your pre-professional committee won't write a letter for you. At Pitt they would write letters for any major as long as you took the med school prereq's and they thought you would get accepted somewhere.

 

[IamaBanana]

Absolutely no effect whatsoever. They care about what classes you take but what your degree is in has zero bearing.

Follow up: if they won't write you a letter because you don't have the pre-med sticker on your car just get your letters individually and note the situation somewhere in your application. Most schools, especially DO schools, will think your school is crazy for not writing you a compound letter and continue to view your application objectively.

 

[munchymanRX]

Hey,

I was wondering how much effect in admissions does it have when you apply without a pre-med declared on your degree? Because my current degree is just a BS in Biology, the Health Science Recommendation Committee doesn't allow to write me a letter...

I'm in my Junior year and I've decided late into my college years to choose between a DO or Optometry.

It says Pre-Optometry in my information box, but I'm not declared.

Is this going to effect me a lot?

Most schools don't even have a pre-med degree. I went to a large public undergrad, and we didn't even have a pre-health committee. It won't matter at all. Just make sure you get 2 science and 1 non science letter at least. We have people here with english, business administration, and even one guy who was a practicing lawyer before coming here.

 

[Wolverines83]

Absolutely no effect whatsoever. They care about what classes you take but what your degree is in has zero bearing.

Follow up: if they won't write you a letter because you don't have the pre-med sticker on your car just get your letters individually and note the situation somewhere in your application. Most schools, especially DO schools, will think your school is crazy for not writing you a compound letter and continue to view your application objectively.

This. I graduated 2005 w/ a BS in psychology (aka a BS in "I'd rather party than study" or BS in BS) and no sciences but basic bio. Took the others at unofficial post bac. Got 5 interviews, 2 acceptances 3 waitlists. If they didn't care about mine, I can't imagine how they'd care about anyone elses!

He's also right about the letter. Look at the individual schools, they vary on letter requirements from 1 committee letter = 3 non committee letters or some say X amount of science X amount of non...etc etc etc. They really vary a ton.

I had letters (faulty, not committee) from two different schools because where I did my chem/etc wasn't where I did my undergrad and no committee would touch me.

I only used the "example of me" to describe a situation with probably the most random collection of major + letters from different schools in different states that I attended 6 years apart = actually got accepted. So don't sweat it too much.