Majors for a pre med???

[neur0goddess]

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I'm an incoming junior in high school at a Bay Area private school. Currently procrastinating studying for the SATs and ACTs so naturally I'm doing research about college lol. My dream would be to attend USC for u-grad, Johns Hopkins or Columbia for med school, and complete a surgical residency. Anyways, I'm interested in psychological/neuro stuff, so naturally I've been thinking about majoring in neuroscience/neurobiology. However, it is a known fact that non-science majors have a way better chance of getting into top med schools than sci majors bc they're unique. From your personal experience, do you think this holds to be true?

What are some interesting, invigorating non-sci majors that won't murder my GPA? If medicine doesn't work out, I'd go into law (I'm a savant when it comes to reading and writing but I suck at math) so majors like engineering or computer sci are a definite no.

 

[kyamh]

I suggest you go into your first semester of college with the goal of NOT taking "high school" classes like math, English, basic science, history, language (unless your school has a 2-3 year language requirement).

Take all the courses you may never had exposure to: astronomy, sociology, anthropology, Africana studies, women studies, economics, computer science (it's really not that bad 😉). You never know if you may be interested in studying something unless you try.

Your best bet is to find a major that you are really excited about. If you are really excited about what you are studying then you won't have to work as hard to get good grades, you will make awesome impressions on your professors, and you will truly bring something unique to a medical school. Trust me, if you try to choose a major for any reason other than loving the subject, you will have a worse college experience and a harder time excelling than if you put in the time to find something that excites you.

Edit: Also, as a graduated neuroscience major, I can tell you that very little of what I learned is likely to influence anything about my future medical education.

 

[Angel252]

I don't believe non-science majors have a higher chance of getting in to medical school. From my personal knowledge, I believe their percentage is much higher than science majors because there are less of them. (Ex. 100 Science-Major Applicants and 50 get in...10 Non-science Major Applicants and 7 get in.)

 

[ksmi117]

Moving to the hSDN forum.

 

[Zelda840]

Agree completely with kyamh. Do something you love. I started out as a Biology major because it incorporated the most prereqs for med school and I wanted to do undergrad as cheaply as possible, but I soon realized that while I loved A&P and molecular bio, things like ecology and microbiology of fungi just sounded terrible to me. I switched to Neuroscience and I'm very happy with my decision. I learned a lot and kept up my grades because it was information I was actually interested in.

 

[neur0goddess]

Agree completely with kyamh. Do something you love. I started out as a Biology major because it incorporated the most prereqs for med school and I wanted to do undergrad as cheaply as possible, but I soon realized that while I loved A&P and molecular bio, things like ecology and microbiology of fungi just sounded terrible to me. I switched to Neuroscience and I'm very happy with my decision. I learned a lot and kept up my grades because it was information I was actually interested in.

Is neuroscience typically a hard major at your school? I've heard it can vary but it's usually pretty tough. & would you say there's a larger focus on psychological/cognitive/behavioral aspects or on the biology of the nervous system?

 

[neur0goddess]

thank you everyone! 🙂

 

[deanthedream17]

you're in hs so first chill out. You are a very long way off and you don't even know where you'll be in 4/5 years. Next, if I were to do it again I would major in something different. I keenly remember the Dean of my state's med school saying how the ADCOMs absolutely fell in love with one girl's app because she was a classics major or something even more specific. The more you can be different the better.

 

[neur0goddess]

you're in hs so first chill out. You are a very long way off and you don't even know where you'll be in 4/5 years. Next, if I were to do it again I would major in something different. I keenly remember the Dean of my state's med school saying how the ADCOMs absolutely fell in love with one girl's app because she was a classics major or something even more specific. The more you can be different the better.

What did you major in and what would you major in if you could change it?

Haha I know I shouldn't be worrying about this stuff but the competition is so fierce these days and I want to be as prepared as possible..

 

[Zelda840]

Is neuroscience typically a hard major at your school? I've heard it can vary but it's usually pretty tough. & would you say there's a larger focus on psychological/cognitive/behavioral aspects or on the biology of the nervous system?

I didn't find it especially difficult, but again that could be because I'm very interested in the material. Lots of memorization, though. You get a pretty broad exposure to both the psych and bio components. At my school, you needed Intro to Neuro (more biology based), stats and research methods (so you can actually interpret results), an advanced lab (Could be animal behavior, advanced neuro, or behavioral neuro (these are mostly used as a third-tier writing intensive course. You do semester-long experiments and write a couple research papers), and then you can pick 4 more classes than can either be psych or bio, but you must choose at least one class from each. I took Molecular Bio and 3 psych ones (animal behavior, hormones & behavior, and abnormal psych) plus an extra psych one for fun. You could just as easily go heavier on the bio side with things like immunology, histology, etc.

 

[deanthedream17]

The competition has always been fierced. My dad is almost 70 and it was just as competitive back then and maybe even more since there were far less schools. With that said, I majored in biological sciences (actually started off biochem but I didn't like the faculty so I switched) and I wish I did something like public policy, history/polysci, or maybe even linguistics. Taking the science prereqs as a minor is a good way to go or if you squeeze it in as a double major.

 

[persumas]

Yeah... I'm not too sure that non-science majors really have an advantage when it comes to applying to medical school, but I think the stats show that being a non-science major won't hurt you in the application process.. so if you happen to find something you are genuinely interested in and perhaps comes easily to you.. you can study it and not worry about it "hurting" your chances at medical school.

I was a business information systems major during undergrad... so I guess I'll see how going the non-science route works out this year for me.

Good luck to you. And enjoy your last few years of high school 🙂

 

[Doctorman45342]

Keep researching! You may not even want to go into medicine by the time you're in college. Just from personal experience the more research into different fields you do the better your perspective and ability to make a good desicion on what you want to do during college/ the rest of your life. I Switched my major like 3 or 4 times after college started so just keep digging!

 

[akram_laiq]

hey! I'm a freshman entering college and I want to major in neuroscience and possibly minor in music, but when you're in college and you find neuroscience to be interesting then why not major in it. 😀 As long as you achieve high grades, get a high MCAT score and awesome LOR, then you should be fine, because there is really no "perfect" major to get into med school.

As for now, study for your SAT, finish strong senior year and get into a good school for undergrad.

 

[allantois]

My opinion is that high school is the ideal time to find what you are interested in. The future MCAT will require applicants to complete at least 46 credits of pre-requisite work, at least 37 of them could only count for the major in the sciences. You should absolutely major in something that you will enjoy most, but Biology is the most practical major. In my state, the legislature have recently put a cap on how many credits we are allowed to take as undergrads and if we cross a line which is currently at 132 credits, they will start charging us out-of-state tuition and we will loose all our financial aid at that point.
I actually would not be able to do a non-science major because of that rule and still complete all MCAT coursework. Even as a Biology major, you can take electives from any department. And why limit yourself to just one department?
If you can, take as many of the following AP classes: Chem (the most important one of all), Bio, Physics, Calc AB, Stats, Psychology, English, Foreign Language. These classes can really put you ahead of everyone else. You may also find a hospital to volunteer at while in high school. The hospitals near me all take students from high school, so take advantage of that if it's available.

 

[neur0goddess]

My opinion is that high school is the ideal time to find what you are interested in. The future MCAT will require applicants to complete at least 46 credits of pre-requisite work, at least 37 of them could only count for the major in the sciences. You should absolutely major in something that you will enjoy most, but Biology is the most practical major. In my state, the legislature have recently put a cap on how many credits we are allowed to take as undergrads and if we cross a line which is currently at 132 credits, they will start charging us out-of-state tuition and we will loose all our financial aid at that point.
I actually would not be able to do a non-science major because of that rule and still complete all MCAT coursework. Even as a Biology major, you can take electives from any department. And why limit yourself to just one department?
If you can, take as many of the following AP classes: Chem (the most important one of all), Bio, Physics, Calc AB, Stats, Psychology, English, Foreign Language. These classes can really put you ahead of everyone else. You may also find a hospital to volunteer at while in high school. The hospitals near me all take students from high school, so take advantage of that if it's available.

The closest hospital to me is about 45 mins including traffic- my parents wouldn't be able to drive me and I'm too busy/lazy to get my permit hahaha 🙂 Anyways, the only medical setting I found in my city is a home for people with Alzheimer's and Dementia. There's nurses and doctors but I can't do anything clinical..do you think colleges will like that I volunteer here or would they prefer community service to be done in a hospital? And thank you, your response was very informative 🙂

 

[persumas]

The closest hospital to me is about 45 mins including traffic- my parents wouldn't be able to drive me and I'm too busy/lazy to get my permit hahaha 🙂 Anyways, the only medical setting I found in my city is a home for people with Alzheimer's and Dementia. There's nurses and doctors but I can't do anything clinical..do you think colleges will like that I volunteer here or would they prefer community service to be done in a hospital? And thank you, your response was very informative 🙂

For undergraduate college application, I think the most important thing is just volunteering somewhere, sticking it out (if you enjoy it), and perhaps getting a letter of recommendation out of it.

The home for Alzheimer's and Dementia sounds like a great idea! You can even ask the doctors there occasionally if you can shadow them on their rounds and see if you can even talk to the residents there. I volunteered in an old folks home during high school and I really enjoyed it 🙂 I think any sort of volunteering that would expose you to the healthcare field is a really great way to start.

 

[allantois]

A home for people with dementia is perhaps even a better place to volunteer than a hospital. I don't think that colleges will care much about it, but medical schools would love an applicant who started volunteering even before college - that would show you as somebody who is truly interested in medicine.

 

[Doctorman45342]

A home for people with dementia is perhaps even a better place to volunteer than a hospital. I don't think that colleges will care much about it, but medical schools would love an applicant who started volunteering even before college - that would show you as somebody who is truly interested in medicine.

Although this sounds like a good idea, it really does not matter what you do before college. Saying that you volunteered in high school does not carry that much weight on a medical school application.

 

[Stagg737]

Something to keep in mind is that no matter what you major in you will still have to complete pre-requisites for medical school. Every med school will require you to take 1 year of the following: gen chem, bio (including cell bio, human phys, and genetics), physics, and organic chem (you'd be a fool not to take these since they are the main components of the MCAT). Most schools also require some additional pre-reqs like extra bio credits, a semester of calculus, X number of psych credits, biochem (1 semester often required), and sometimes english/writing or even sociology. A lot of people major in bio or chem out of convenience because the classes required for their major are also the pre-reqs at most med schools. It's completely fine to major in things like english or philosophy, just remember you'd still have to take all the science classes anyway.

Although this sounds like a good idea, it really does not matter what you do before college. Saying that you volunteered in high school does not carry that much weight on a medical school application.

This is true, medical schools will not even look at things you did in high school unless it is something you continue doing through college. For example, if you volunteer at a hospital and continue volunteering at that same hospital through college. In my case I worked a summer job in hs that I continued throughout college. Otherwise do what you need to get into the undergrad college you want and enjoy your time in hs while it lasts!

 

[gettheleadout]

However, it is a known fact that non-science majors have a way better chance of getting into top med schools than sci majors bc they're unique.

Known fact, eh?

 

[akram_laiq]

My opinion is that high school is the ideal time to find what you are interested in. The future MCAT will require applicants to complete at least 46 credits of pre-requisite work, at least 37 of them could only count for the major in the sciences. You should absolutely major in something that you will enjoy most, but Biology is the most practical major. In my state, the legislature have recently put a cap on how many credits we are allowed to take as undergrads and if we cross a line which is currently at 132 credits, they will start charging us out-of-state tuition and we will loose all our financial aid at that point.
I actually would not be able to do a non-science major because of that rule and still complete all MCAT coursework. Even as a Biology major, you can take electives from any department. And why limit yourself to just one department?
If you can, take as many of the following AP classes: Chem (the most important one of all), Bio, Physics, Calc AB, Stats, Psychology, English, Foreign Language. These classes can really put you ahead of everyone else. You may also find a hospital to volunteer at while in high school. The hospitals near me all take students from high school, so take advantage of that if it's available.

I agree, I took AP Bio, psych, english and french and all of those classes gave me an insight to how classes will be like in college. I found ap bio to be very helpful since bio in college is very difficult, so if you can get an early exposure, then you'll be like one step ahead! Taking ap chem will also benefit you as well. 😀

 

[Time Table]

Currently I'm a bio major, but I'm thinking about switching to biochem. And because I can fit it in, I'm gonna be double majoring biochem/economics because I have a passion for money more so than business. It really depends on what you want to do as long as you can finish your prereq courses for the MCAT and med schools like: gen bio/chem/physics, orgo, cell bio, genetics, psych/soc, english, calc, stat, you'll be fine.

Major in something you're really interested in doing and keep that passionate fire burning. I can tell you that I lost that "fire," that interest and motivation, to continue with my studies during my freshman year and I bombed tests left and right. I went home to sit down an analyze if medicine was the right thing for me while talking with my parents. After our talk, I felt revitalized and I pushed myself and my grades up. Don't go overboard with your newfound freedoms and you'll be fine.

On a side note, try to take AP Physics, it helped me quite a lot throughout my gen physics class.

 

[MedWonk]

Japanese literature. Worked for me.

 

[Doctorman45342]

Pre-professional biology. It has all of the pre-reqs in it and a lot of other bio classes that provide good background for med school classes. People say that being unique and having a different major will set you apart but if your grades aren't good it doesn't matter what you major in.

 

[bkz]

Major in what you are passionate about. Build in the pre-reqs around that. If you are passionate about biology, that's cool, but there are a hundred other majors out there too.

 

[Time Table]

Pre-professional biology. It has all of the pre-reqs in it and a lot of other bio classes that provide good background for med school classes. People say that being unique and having a different major will set you apart but if your grades aren't good it doesn't matter what you major in.

I'm not sure if this is the same as the "pre-med major" or if it's like regular biology. Even just regular biology would be better. For those who might not be able to continue onto med school due to grades/MCAT, they will be screwed. It might be more practical to major in something that interests you/leads to a job/career in the off chance that things don't work out.

 

[Doctorman45342]

I'm not sure if this is the same as the "pre-med major" or if it's like regular biology. Even just regular biology would be better. For those who might not be able to continue onto med school due to grades/MCAT, they will be screwed. It might be more practical to major in something that interests you/leads to a job/career in the off chance that things don't work out.

It's pretty much the same. I mean, what jobs are there for a biology major?

 

[peudamour]

I'm not sure if this is the same as the "pre-med major" or if it's like regular biology. Even just regular biology would be better. For those who might not be able to continue onto med school due to grades/MCAT, they will be screwed. It might be more practical to major in something that interests you/leads to a job/career in the off chance that things don't work out.

Not sure if anyone has said this already, but if you have an aptitude for languages, that could be a good way to go. I'm sure it couldn't hurt your application to speak a second language (especially Spanish).

At any rate, (1) pick something you like (2) be proactive with seeing your pre-med advisor and planning your class schedule (3) work hard and get A's. It doesn't really matter what you major in if you get A's.

 

[Time Table]

Not sure if anyone has said this already, but if you have an aptitude for languages, that could be a good way to go. I'm sure it couldn't hurt your application to speak a second language (especially Spanish). I'm a Spanish major and I love it. I have yet to apply, but I will stress my desire to serve Spanish speaking communities when I do.

At any rate, (1) pick something you like (2) be proactive with seeing your pre-med advisor and planning your class schedule (3) work hard and get A's. It doesn't really matter what you major in if you get A's.

Well then, you should probably volunteer in a Spanish community if you really wanted to portray that you wanted to help a Spanish community.

 

[peudamour]

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