If rejected, what to do with a Biology major

[wolfram241]

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I like Biology, that's why I'm majoring in it, but would never go to grad school to study it - I don't want to dedicate my life to it and I'm not gung-ho about research etc. If one doesn't get into med school, why are some options with a Bio major - I'm thinking something clinical, something that would get me exposure and that med schools would really like. I'm not even applying yet and I'm working on my Plan B 😡 Any ideas?

 

[adeelzq]

same question in my mind!! after intensive research i thought of doing an MBA degree after my Biology degree if i do not get into medical school.

😎

 

[FrkyBgStok]

here is my plan. i am getting a biology major with a chem minor. if i don't get in when i apply, i change to a chem major and try again the next year. if i can't get in again than i retake classes. basically trying until i get in. without getting a PhD in biology the only real thing you can do is teach high school or be a lab instructor (but even my lab instructors are working on PhD). With a PhD you can teach at a college level. unfortunately not much else!

 

[etudiante04]

Work for Kaplan or Princeton Review!! But it depends on your standardized test scores as well.

 

[wolfram241]

Jeez, I wonder why Bio majors are so popular if so few get into med school and there are no other good options.

 

[tubercle]

here is my plan. i am getting a biology major with a chem minor. if i don't get in when i apply, i change to a chem major and try again the next year. if i can't get in again than i retake classes. basically trying until i get in. without getting a PhD in biology the only real thing you can do is teach high school or be a lab instructor (but even my lab instructors are working on PhD). With a PhD you can teach at a college level. unfortunately not much else!

be serious. you can do a lot with a phd.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

how about a cool americorp gig involving ecology or health issues? the truth is you can't do much directly with a bachelors in anything aside from engineering, cs, education or business fields.

 

[bbas]

You could always go into public health,epidemiology,etc.

 

[RayhanS1282]

I will become an educated bum.

 

[tanksljp]

work at a cell-phone company or sell shoes...I don't understand the question. You seem to be asking what one who doesn't much like biology can do with a biology degree. A lot of people have a job that seems totally contrary to their degree, it sounds like that's what you'll do if you don't get in to med school.

 

[Dr.Doom]

Become a high school teacher. Or anything else - but a biology major, along with many other undergraduate degrees, are becoming increasingly more worthless.

 

[LizzyM]

Public health, particularly infectious disease epidemiology. Is lab-based but also field work which may include contact with people who are sick. (may require a master's degree in public health)

Physician assistant (my brother did this after a couple years in a couple of labs).

Quality control in a manufacturing plant (testing samples for bacterial contaminants).


Teach HS.

Do a couple of years in the Peace Corps while you decide what path to take next.

 

[jbrice1639]

drug rep.

 

[pagemmapants]

Go to culinary school.
Either that or you could end up like my high school bio teacher (who delighted in informing every AP bio class about his third nipple and on one memorable occasion went into detail about his bladder infection).

 

[FrkyBgStok]

be serious. you can do a lot with a phd.

unfortunately i am being serious. sure you can get lucky and land a decent job that is high 5 figures, but that is few and far between and 90% of PhDs in bio become teachers.

 

[MahlerROCKS]

join the peace corps

 

[tank you]

i guess you can become a lab technician or research assistant, that would look good on a med school application.

 

[Risa]

Another option: no back up plan.

If medicine is what you REALLY want to do, then it's crazy to waste any of your energy on setting up a fallback. Talk to advisors, talk to schools, don't give up, and do what you need to do to make it happen. And it will.

Good luck!

 

[UCSB2004]

I like Biology, that's why I'm majoring in it, but would never go to grad school to study it - I don't want to dedicate my life to it and I'm not gung-ho about research etc. If one doesn't get into med school, why are some options with a Bio major - I'm thinking something clinical, something that would get me exposure and that med schools would really like. I'm not even applying yet and I'm working on my Plan B 😡 Any ideas?

Get the certification to become a clinical lab scientist! You would be analyzing specimens in a hospital or clinic. They also make about $20+ an hour, at least in California. All you need is a BS in Bio and the certification.

🙂

 

[DropkickMurphy]

Personally one of my backup plans is to become a zoo keeper, preferrably manager of the aquarium birds section. Decent money (around 40-50K per year), and you can play with penguins whenever you like. 👍

 

[Starvin Marvin]

If you're THAT worried about what to do with your degree if you don't get in, change your major, or minor in something different. With all the emphasis on "diversity" nowadays, you'll probably end up with a better shot at medical school anyways.

 

[firebird69guy]

BIOTECH!! I currently work for Genentech in CA, and it is #4 company on the best 100 companies to work for...

I can help you get a job if you'd like... PM me.

It's very fulfilling, you make a ton of friends and the money is very decent.


Just a suggestion!!

 

[SailCrazy]

Another option: no back up plan.

If medicine is what you REALLY want to do, then it's crazy to waste any of your energy on setting up a fallback. Talk to advisors, talk to schools, don't give up, and do what you need to do to make it happen. And it will.

Good luck!

Bingo! That was going to be my answer too. 👍

 

[SailCrazy]

BIOTECH!! I currently work for Genentech in CA, and it is #4 company on the best 100 companies to work for...

....

It's very fulfilling, you make a ton of friends and the money is very decent.

...

Plus they bought everyone a Nano! 😀

 

[firebird69guy]

Plus they bought everyone a Nano! 😀

They sure did!! the 4GB one! (I assume you read my post on the ipod thread)

Hey, the CEO of Genentech (Art Levinson) sits on the board at Apple.. he probably got them really cheap!!

He also gave everyone in the company 4 days off (to take any time).

They treat you like royalty, it will be very hard to leave this company but.. I know that medicine is for me...

All I know is that I could be very happy working at Genentech the rest of my life.. free food all the time, great perks, great benefits, you name it!

👍 👍 👍 👍 👍

 

[studentstudent]

Get the certification to become a clinical lab scientist! You would be analyzing specimens in a hospital or clinic. They also make about $20+ an hour, at least in California. All you need is a BS in Bio and the certification.

🙂

personally, I like this option. You can always move up or laterally in a big system with unions, like a hospital.

 

[NCF145]

Originally quoted by estudiante04
Work for Kaplan or Princeton Review!! But it depends on your standardized test scores as well.

What kind of scores do u need to teach for Kaplan or Princeton Review?

 

[firebird69guy]

What kind of scores do u need to teach for Kaplan or Princeton Review?

I think 30+

But do you really want to do this after being rejected?? I'd hate to see all these students coming through that would be getting into medical school after I got rejected........

Or are we just talking about a temporary job while re-applying?

 

[NCF145]

Originally quoted by firebird69guy
But do you really want to do this after being rejected?? I'd hate to see all these students coming through that would be getting into medical school after I got rejected........

Or are we just talking about a temporary job while re-applying?

I haven't even applied for my first time yet. I just want a part time job that pays well, and something esle to put on my app.

 

[RayhanS1282]

But do you really want to do this after being rejected?? I'd hate to see all these students coming through that would be getting into medical school after I got rejected........

LOL, You can be really ****ed up and sabotage the students.

 

[firebird69guy]

HAHA.. yeah......

Teacher: So in verbal reasoning, in order to get a 10+ you will need to do the first 4 passages - spend the majority of your time on these passages. Then just "ABACADABA" the rest of the scantron. Works every time!!!!!!! Oh and use pen on the real test.. it is easier for the scantron reader to pick up


Student: Okay!! Great!! Thanks!!

 

[stookie]

You can go to an off school like SGU Ross Saba AUC or UWI. I would suggest UWI because their graduates supposedly do better on the USMLEs

 

[Pewl]

Dude, go into Medical Physics. If I weren't intent on finishing my masters first and going to med school right now I'd probably finish up my Phd in medical physics and make BANK and a medical physicist. The demand is incredible right now. You will find a job almost anywhere as a medical physicist, and if you work in radiation oncology you're make $150k+ a year

EDIT: in case you don't know what medical physicists do, they create the treatment plans in radiation oncology and are responsible for all calibration and QA of treatment machines. This is actually incredibly important and it's something physicians have no clue about. Last year there were some horrible incidents where the linac (linear accelerator) machines were miscalibrated and over 70 patients were treated with 150% of the prescribed dose. Needless to say there were some horrible side effects and many law suits. This is why the medical physicist's job is so important and why he gets paid so much =P

 

[Indryd]

I like Biology, that's why I'm majoring in it, but would never go to grad school to study it - I don't want to dedicate my life to it and I'm not gung-ho about research etc. If one doesn't get into med school, why are some options with a Bio major - I'm thinking something clinical, something that would get me exposure and that med schools would really like. I'm not even applying yet and I'm working on my Plan B 😡 Any ideas?

Two words: ween.

 

[wolfram241]

Dude, go into Medical Physics. If I weren't intent on finishing my masters first and going to med school right now I'd probably finish up my Phd in medical physics and make BANK and a medical physicist. The demand is incredible right now. You will find a job almost anywhere as a medical physicist, and if you work in radiation oncology you're make $150k+ a year

EDIT: in case you don't know what medical physicists do, they create the treatment plans in radiation oncology and are responsible for all calibration and QA of treatment machines. This is actually incredibly important and it's something physicians have no clue about. Last year there were some horrible incidents where the linac (linear accelerator) machines were miscalibrated and over 70 patients were treated with 150% of the prescribed dose. Needless to say there were some horrible side effects and many law suits. This is why the medical physicist's job is so important and why he gets paid so much =P

Wow, that sounds very interesting. I'm doing some research on it now, but if you could post some good links you know, that would be cool. Thanks!!

 

[Law2Doc]

Personally one of my backup plans is to become a zoo keeper, preferrably manager of the aquarium birds section. Decent money (around 40-50K per year), and you can play with penguins whenever you like. 👍

I like this idea. Also with Seigfried and Roy out of the picture, being a white tiger trainer is probably a wide open field and the pay is tens of times higher than at the zoo. I suppose you could be a crocodile hunter, but there are already quite a few others in that competitive field. Just watch animal planet for other career ideas with that major. You'll have your back up plan by the next commercial break.

 

[EctopicFetus]

If you really want to be a doctor go and do a post-bac at Gtown or RFUMS or any other place with close ties. Also whoever said MBA, good luck.. you need work experience to get one from a decent school. Getting one from some dumpy B school isnt even worth the paper it is written on.

 

[tubercle]

unfortunately i am being serious. sure you can get lucky and land a decent job that is high 5 figures, but that is few and far between and 90% of PhDs in bio become teachers.

where are you getting your stats? 90% of my classmates are not taking jobs as bio teachers.

 

[Law2Doc]

where are you getting your stats? 90% of my classmates are not taking jobs as bio teachers.

Then obviously you go to school with the other ten percent. 😀

 

[argonana]

If I had majored in bio, I'd go do something related to marine bio. I'd take some classes and become a SCUBA rescue diver!

Environmental studies/health sounds fascinating too...

 

[nightowl]

hahahahahaha,

No, seriously. Don't ask that question.

nightowl

 

[Em1]

unfortunately i am being serious. sure you can get lucky and land a decent job that is high 5 figures, but that is few and far between and 90% of PhDs in bio become teachers.

I find that figure VERY hard to believe. A lot of PhDs work in industry (biotech, pharma, etc) or do stuff like NIH research. And even for the ones that stay w/academia the majority of their job is research.