Major = MCAT Scores?

[ThatKidMike]

My question quickly - I will be applying to college next year. I am interested in both science and history. However I have to work much harder to excel at science then history. I was wondering,however, if I was a History major and only minored in pre-med requirements, would I not be prepared for the MCAT?

Would I be better served going to college for Biology to prepare me for MCAT?

Sorry if this a question that gets asked a lot,
Mike

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[oxeye]

My question quickly - I will be applying to college next year. I am interested in both science and history. However I have to work much harder to excel at science then history. I was wondering,however, if I was a History major and only minored in pre-med requirements, would I not be prepared for the MCAT?

Would I be better served going to college for Biology to prepare me for MCAT?

Sorry if this a question that gets asked a lot,
Mike

I majored in statistics and did fine on the MCAT.

Study what you like. All you need for the MCAT are the pre-req courses - not a lot of other stuff that you would study as a bio major (though perhaps this would help you in medical school).

 

[BXP]

Your choice of major will help. Physiology/cell biology/microbiology are big pieces of the test, which are not pre-req med school courses.

 

[Natatiap]

I was a psychology major. Major in what interests you but I took cell biology and I think it helped. The only class I wish I would've taken that would have prepared me more was genetics. I would recommend taking genetics and cell biology on top of the pre-reqs. If not the material can be covered in review books you may purchase for the mcat. Good luck

 

[HunterGatherer]

http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/2005/mcatgpabymaj1.htm

Does not appear to be a disadvantage to be a non-science major. Have fun.

Read the 30+ MCAT thread. lots of science major taking the MCAT after only completing premed prereqs and lots of non-science majors posting in there as well.

 

[ThatKidMike]

http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/2005/mcatgpabymaj1.htm

Does not appear to be a disadvantage to be a non-science major. Have fun.

Read the 30+ MCAT thread. lots of science major taking the MCAT after only completing premed prereqs and lots of non-science majors posting in there as well.

Thanks for the help everyone, I was really pricking myself with a 2-edge sword over which major to pick - I really like that Humanities majors seem to get killer MCATs.

 

[Schaden Freud]

Humanities majors have the highest MCAT subscores, even in the science sections.

My question quickly - I will be applying to college next year. I am interested in both science and history. However I have to work much harder to excel at science then history. I was wondering,however, if I was a History major and only minored in pre-med requirements, would I not be prepared for the MCAT?

Would I be better served going to college for Biology to prepare me for MCAT?

Sorry if this a question that gets asked a lot,
Mike

 

[Anastasis]

English and Psyc and I did just fine. Major in what you love and study your ass off for the MCAT.

 

[Anastasis]

English and Psyc and I did just fine. Major in what you love and study your ass off for the MCAT.

 

[Law2Doc]

Humanities majors have the highest MCAT subscores, even in the science sections.

Absolutely. But bear in mind that part of that is self selection. Most humanities majors only take the MCAT if their prereqs were not prohibitive. But there are likely lots of bio majors still hoping for a hail mary score to get them into med school.

 

[gridiron]

But there are likely lots of bio majors still hoping for a hail mary score to get them into med school.

Absolutely agree!!! But I just don't understand why people continuly ask what major they should select or which one will give them a step up for med school. Just do something that interests you. Remember, a lot of people take the pre-reqs, but still have success taking the exam 10 years later. The key to the MCAT is to study and practice as with any other standardized exam. Ad coms are not stupid--they look at the big picture. There is no one major that is the cream of the crop. Just do something that you like. Whether that transforms you--that will be seen in the interview. The interview tells a lot of the person---whether they are a bunch of bull or the real deal.

 

[deleted106503]

One of my friends (who is now a doctor) took the MCAT back in the early 90s. Didn't take any bio classes since he was an engineer. Got a 12 in the Bio section by just using those Kaplan review books, not even a class. After the MCAT, he finished the remainig pre-reqs.

I graduated with a degree in Econ and I only took pre-med classes. I've finished reviewing over my material (EK) and all of it's review. There may be a couple questions from molecular bio here and there, but it shouldn't destroy your MCAT score. Take a major you enjoy, take pre-med classes and any additional science you might like, and have fun. Don't throw away the experience of college for 1 exam that is just a small hurdle in your life.

 

[QofQuimica]

I've posted this before, and it's probably a coincidence, but it's a d*** interesting one. Lorelei and I both double majored in physical sciences and foreign language, and we both wound up scoring a 43 on the MCAT.

OP, statistically biology and "pre-med" majors score the LOWEST on the MCAT. So I definitely wouldn't advise you to be a bio major if you were only doing it because of the MCAT. Major in whatever you like, and take the four pre-reqs with their labs. Study hard for the MCAT and spend a large portion of your study time doing practice questions. I think that's the biggest key to doing well on the MCAT. to you.

 

[Law2Doc]

One of my friends (who is now a doctor) took the MCAT back in the early 90s. Didn't take any bio classes since he was an engineer. Got a 12 in the Bio section by just using those Kaplan review books, not even a class. After the MCAT, he finished the remainig pre-reqs.

Things were more flexible in some of the programs that existed back then. I've met a couple of scientists/engineers turned doctors who were never required to take a biology class by their med schools. And guess what -- they have yet to need it.

 

[Gabujabu]

I think part of the reason that the bio avg is so low is that many people by "default" chose to major in bio in order to apply to med school. This is just anecdotal evidence, but from my experience, many of the non-science majors who also took the MCAT really seemed to be "on-the-ball" with the whole process and knew what they were doing. The MCAT tests basic science, often superficially. Make sure you study for it and that should be fine.

 

[ThatKidMike]

alright thanks guys

43 on MCAT?

im hoping to major in history because throughout highschool I got 100 every year without almost ever studying, and i really like it

 

[deleted106503]

Things were more flexible in some of the programs that existed back then. I've met a couple of scientists/engineers turned doctors who were never required to take a biology class by their med schools. And guess what -- they have yet to need it.

I think I didn't write it clearly. He didn't take bio when he took the MCAT. He only used review books. After the MCAT, he finished the rest of the pre-med classes, which included bio.

 

[Law2Doc]

I think I didn't write it clearly. He didn't take bio when he took the MCAT. He only used review books. After the MCAT, he finished the rest of the pre-med classes, which included bio.

No I understood. I'm saying I even know people from that era who never took any bio, either before or after the MCAT.