If you don't get into to medical school...

[Chuckwalla]

What the heck do you do with a biology degree?

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[theothernguyen]

What the heck do you do with a biology degree?

Grad school and research, or be a lab tech or work for some lab company. There are many things you can do with it, just look around. Plus, there are jobs that don't require specific degrees, but it helps to have that. Some pretty much train employees as if they had no background in whatever it is they are doing.

I would do research if I had to pick. I think it is fun to do critical thinking and analysis.

 

[Pontifex Maximus]

That's why you do something you're interested in, not the cookie cutter medical school major.

 

[astrife]

If you really are serious about medical school you will get in. If you don't get into the MD schools then you can either reapply or start looking at the Carribean or DO route. And god forbid that fails then there is always nurse, PA, etc... If you want to be a physician/healthcare practicioner you can be, it's just a matter of how much you want it.

Nothing wrong with being a cookie cutter pre-med if you are really serious about it.

 

[Chuckwalla]

That's why you do something you're interested in, not the cookie cutter medical school major.

Do you tell that to people who are interested in history or better yet philosophy? I hear there are lots of employers that want philosophers.

A lot of doctors lose the altruism that got them interested in medicine somewhere along the way. You have already lost it and you have just started med school.

 

[63768]

Do you tell that to people who are interested in history or better yet philosophy? I hear there are lots of employers that want philosophers.

all majors are useless. a BA/BS does very little for you nowadays. even a degree in an engineering field will go unused unless you pursue a masters/phd degree.

history and philosophy majors go deeper in their field unless something else like business or politics/public policy. same with people holding bio, chem, etc degrees.

 

[etf]

Grad school and research, or be a lab tech or work for some lab company. There are many things you can do with it, just look around. Plus, there are jobs that don't require specific degrees, but it helps to have that. Some pretty much train employees as if they had no background in whatever it is they are doing.

I would do research if I had to pick. I think it is fun to do critical thinking and analysis.

if you're a lab tech for some lab company, can you also do research, like little side projects?

 

[desout777]

.

 

[oxeye]

all majors are useless. a BA/BS does very little for you nowadays. even a degree in an engineering field will go unused unless you pursue a masters/phd degree.

history and philosophy majors go deeper in their field unless something else like business or politics/public policy. same with people holding bio, chem, etc degrees.

I got a great job right out of college with just a BA in statistics - completely related to my training!

Maybe I was just lucky, though.

 

[DoctorPardi]

There is so much else I feel like I could be doing. I think medicine is the best avenue, but if I didn't get in, there are a ton of other oppurtunities. College biology professor has to be one of the coolest jobs ever. If not that, I might try to get a masters in some applied chemistry field and do something with that.

Anyway, there is so much to learn in the world, and every individual has to kind of pick a thing to specialize because there is so much to know. So I am sure I could find something else to be interested in. Medicine just seems like it offers the best of everything I want though.

 

[Dr. Pepper]

You apply again or pick flowers. (and you're just barely qualified to do the latter)
-Dr. P.

 

[Haemulon]

all majors are useless. a BA/BS does very little for you nowadays. even a degree in an engineering field will go unused unless you pursue a masters/phd degree.

history and philosophy majors go deeper in their field unless something else like business or politics/public policy. same with people holding bio, chem, etc degrees.

I disagree about the BA/BS value. These days, it is really just expected that you will have a college degree if you want to get a good job and advance. Thats why it doesn't seem to be worth as much. But try moving up in the world without a degree at all ... it possible, but much more difficult for the white-collar jobs.

 

[zimmie256]

I disagree about the BA/BS value. These days, it is really just expected that you will have a college degree if you want to get a good job and advance. Thats why it doesn't seem to be worth as much. But try moving up in the world without a degree at all ... it possible, but much more difficult for the white-collar jobs.

I think the previous poster was saying that a BA/BS is necessary but not sufficient in a lot of cases. A bachelors will get you in the door (and sometimes that's enough), but frequently to advance, get a job with more autonomy, higher pay, etc, you will need a higher degree.

 

[RAD11]

What the heck do you do with a biology degree?

You can try to get into clinical research, but it's very difficult without prior experience.

 

[RDood]

There is so much else I feel like I could be doing. I think medicine is the best avenue, but if I didn't get in, there are a ton of other oppurtunities. College biology professor has to be one of the coolest jobs ever. If not that, I might try to get a masters in some applied chemistry field and do something with that.

Anyway, there is so much to learn in the world, and every individual has to kind of pick a thing to specialize because there is so much to know. So I am sure I could find something else to be interested in. Medicine just seems like it offers the best of everything I want though.

I'm with you. If med school doesn't happen this year I'll probably go get a PharmD, or some other PhD, or maybe just an MPH/MBA. Of course, I'd never tell adcoms this...

 

[Haemulon]

I think the previous poster was saying that a BA/BS is necessary but not sufficient in a lot of cases. A bachelors will get you in the door (and sometimes that's enough), but frequently to advance, get a job with more autonomy, higher pay, etc, you will need a higher degree.

Ah. That certainly could be true.

 

[8744]

What the heck do you do with a biology degree?

You can froth my moccachino after you mop the back room and cut up today's free samples of over-priced cookies.

 

[8744]

all majors are useless. a BA/BS does very little for you nowadays. even a degree in an engineering field will go unused unless you pursue a masters/phd degree.

history and philosophy majors go deeper in their field unless something else like business or politics/public policy. same with people holding bio, chem, etc degrees.

I agree that most majors are useless. They serve the purpose of luring suckers into college to keep the money-making warm bodies flowing through what is a highly corrupt system of higher education.

Engineering degrees, however, are one of the few four-year degrees which are immedietely useful. You most certainly do not need a masters or a phd to get a good job as an engineer, especially in the more traditional fields like civil and mechanical.

 

[Haemulon]

I just have the perspective that I went to undergraduate college to broaden my mind, experience different views, cultures, and perspectives, learn more about the subjects in which I had great interest, and enjoy the social environment. I did not really expect it to directly apply to a specific employement because many technical jobs now, especially in health care, focus more on certifications and specialized training rather than broader degree programs.

 

[Chuckwalla]

I've noticed that the pre-meds are giving real suggestions while the med students are rubbing it in from their high horse. What gives?

I am sure that when a lot of you read my post you figured I was something like a senior in college with a 2.5 GPA and a lousy MCAT (not that it matters when your GPA is that low). However this is quite far from the case and I simply wanted to know about backup plans because stuff happens. When I get into medical school I promise never to say crap like this to aspiring med students.

 

[RDood]

I agree that most majors are useless. They serve the purpose of luring suckers into college to keep the money-making warm bodies flowing through what is a highly corrupt system of higher education.

Engineering degrees, however, are one of the few four-year degrees which are immedietely useful. You most certainly do not need a masters or a phd to get a good job as an engineer, especially in the more traditional fields like civil and mechanical.

I'd somewhat agree with you, however, there are certainly plenty of jobs out there for, say, humanities majors, where all the matters is that you have a degree, but it doesn't really matter what it is. Myself, a Biochem major, I was working at Amgen (top biotech company) this summer and definitely saw some entry level positions for bio, chem, and biochem majors with fairly decent pay, etc. The jobs are out there, people just need to know where to look.

 

[RDood]

I've noticed that the pre-meds are giving real suggestions while the med students are rubbing it in from their high horse. What gives?

I am sure that when a lot of you read my post you figured I was something like a senior in college with a 2.5 GPA and a lousy MCAT (not that it matters when your GPA is that low). However this is quite far from the case and I simply wanted to know about backup plans because stuff happens. When I get into medical school I promise never to say crap like this to aspiring med students.

So true. Nothing is for sure in this process, so, like you, I also have a back-up plan, even though med school acceptance is quite likely.

 

[Haemulon]

So true. Nothing is for sure in this process, so, like you, I also have a back-up plan, even though med school acceptance is quite likely.

I'm a non-trad, but I agree that a back-up plan is essential. If for nothing else than helping to reduce the stress/pressure. To those just about to graduate from undergrad, I definitely would advise to not give up. If you don't get in, consider post-bac and/or graduate studies. It can really help out your applocation and make a subsequent try more successful.

 

[jstuds_66]

What the heck do you do with a biology degree?

Major: Exercise Science

If I absolutely can't get in, I'd become an athletic trainer.

 

[RDood]

I'm a non-trad, but I agree that a back-up plan is essential. If for nothing else than helping to reduce the stress/pressure. To those just about to graduate from undergrad, I definitely would advise to not give up. If you don't get in, consider post-bac and/or graduate studies. It can really help out your applocation and make a subsequent try more successful.

I know that post-bac programs can be great and useful, but I just can't see myself delaying med school for 2 years, as I just can't see waiting to start my life until I'm 35. How do you do it?

 

[Haemulon]

I know that post-bac programs can be great and useful, but I just can't see myself delaying med school for 2 years, as I just can't see waiting to start my life until I'm 35. How do you do it?

Well, I went to grad school out of pure interest in wanting to spend more time exploring the biological sciences. After that I got a job working in healthcare, got married, started having kids, and then really wanted to continue back to my original plans (which was med school). My experiences had reinforced to me my desire to practice as a physician, so I enrolled in yet another grad program in biomedical sciences and am doing that and working full time now while applying. I don't look at it as a waste at all because I have really learned so much and experienced so many cool things that otherwise I would have not. All of that time has helped to shape my perspective and interests, not too mention the job helped to bring home the money.

 

[Wanderer259]

all majors are useless. a BA/BS does very little for you nowadays. even a degree in an engineering field will go unused unless you pursue a masters/phd degree.

Hence my planning on getting a BS in Criminal Justice. At least I'll be able to do something with it.

 

[SRK85]

Become a marine biologist and live in the sea? Or work for a hostipal becoming a lab technican like me or work for pharmecuticals.

 

[CTSballer11]

Law School

 

[iheartrain]

all majors are useless. a BA/BS does very little for you nowadays. even a degree in an engineering field will go unused unless you pursue a masters/phd degree.

history and philosophy majors go deeper in their field unless something else like business or politics/public policy. same with people holding bio, chem, etc degrees.

true that. for many (like me), today's bachelors degree=yesterday's high school diploma