Integrative Biology and Physiology Major or MCDB?

[Eli_23m]

Hello I'm a currently a biology major at UCLA but I'm thinking about switching to either Integrative Biology and Physiology major or Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology.
From what I heard, IB is not too harsh on the GPA but MCDB might make it easier for me to get into a research lab since most labs do molecular work.
I know it doesn't make a difference what your major is, and it ultimately comes down to majoring in what you like.
But I would still like to weigh the pros and cons of each major and would appreciate any advice, opinion or shared experiences.
Thanks in advance

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[NotASerialKiller]

My advice would be to talk to people at your institution, the same program at another school can be very different.

 

[neekzg]

IBP is the Physiological Sciences major. The notion that it is "not too harsh on the GPA" could not be further from the truth.

I do think that being an MCDB/MIMG major typically provides more openings for research opportunities, but if you want to do research at UCLA, trust me you will be able to find a lab eventually. Best bet is to e-mail your professors from classes you take/enjoy and be active in looking for the openings. They are out there, but you will need to put in your own work to get into a lab.

Base your decision for a major off whether you like the content of the classes more. IBP is essentially intense physio and anatomy, widely considered to be one of the most competitive pre-med majors at UCLA. If you would rather study molecular bio type stuff (cells, genetics, microbio) then maybe look into MCDB/MIMG.

 

[Eli_23m]

Thank you for this info 🙂

 

[NotMyRealAccount2]

The PhySci major (IBP) is notorious for being competitive and difficult. The Physci major advisor is also kind of difficult to work with. Furthermore, the major is essentially an intro to the 1st year of medical school; think about that for a second. There are 2 schools of thought around taking an anatomy/physio major in college: 1) On one hand, your first year of med school will be much easier because you'll be much more familiar with the terminology/concepts. 2) However, this is the one time in your life when you have an opportunity to learn something non-medically related, and I seriously suggest taking advantage of it. It's nice to have background in another science-related field as well.

I'm not too sure about the MCDB major, but I've heard pretty decent things about it. Can't say much else.

As a previous poster said, if you want to find research, take advantage of SRP/email professors from your courses, etc and you'll eventually find a position. Don't choose your major around research.

As for the biology major, I'm actually a biology major right now and I can say the following: Most of the upper division classes are easy, but boring - unless you're interested in memorizing/learning about marine life, plants, animal species etc. The interesting classes are the ones about evolution, animal behavior, etc; these are considered a bit more difficult (but much more valuable in terms of improving your critical thinking skills, and also more fun).

At the end of the day, choose whatever major you're interested in + one you think will allow you to maintain a high GPA. Physci will be tough - you probably want to stay away from the major for the various reasons I mentioned earlier. Biology will definitely be easy; it's just a matter of whether you'll be interested in the material or not. However, MCDB/MIMG seem like majors where you can at least maintain a respectable GPA and still take interesting courses - so, that's my verdict.

 

[Eli_23m]

Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a thorough response. I really appreciate it