Multidisciplinary Studies

[AsianPersuasion]

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Has anyone here ever majored in Multidisciplinary Studies? meaning you combine course work from two or three disciplines to make it your own.

How would Med school view this?

I was interested in Anthropology but I was thinking also maybe a Bio...

I wanted to combine both studies into something like Bioanthropology. I know there are biological anthropology, but my school doesn't offer that.
and I didn't want to major in bio and minor in anthro or the other way around and I don't want to double major.

Those with experience please feel free to chime in. Thanks

 

[AsianPersuasion]

anybody? 🙁 lol

 

[UFCOM2016]

Hey AP,

UF has a similar program through the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The major is referred to as an IDS major. You apply for the major through the interdisciplinary studies committee. In short, you can pick what classes you want to take, which then have to be approved by the committee.

So say I wanted to take a graduate level biochemistry course because I thought it was more interesting and relevant to my life goals than inorganic chemistry; that is the general idea. You can kind of design your own major, although the committee explicitly states this is not for those wishing to create an easy set of tracking courses for themselves, (the IDS major layout your create should be more intensive than a standard major.)

Overall, I would say it is not as safe as being a standard chemistry or biology major, because most AdComs may not be familiar with the program, and thus have a hard time comparing it to chemistry major where they have a pretty solid idea of what classes you took and what you did. If you do decide to do a multidisciplinary major, be ready to explain what it is and why you did it at an interview, and really sell your point. It should come off as a choice you made to enhance your undergraduate education by integrating one or more fields into a respectable degree.

 

[AsianPersuasion]

Hey AP,

UF has a similar program through the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The major is referred to as an IDS major. You apply for the major through the interdisciplinary studies committee. In short, you can pick what classes you want to take, which then have to be approved by the committee.

So say I wanted to take a graduate level biochemistry course because I thought it was more interesting and relevant to my life goals than inorganic chemistry; that is the general idea. You can kind of design your own major, although the committee explicitly states this is not for those wishing to create an easy set of tracking courses for themselves, (the IDS major layout your create should be more intensive than a standard major.)

Overall, I would say it is not as safe as being a standard chemistry or biology major, because most AdComs may not be familiar with the program, and thus have a hard time comparing it to chemistry major where they have a pretty solid idea of what classes you took and what you did. If you do decide to do a multidisciplinary major, be ready to explain what it is and why you did it at an interview, and really sell your point. It should come off as a choice you made to enhance your undergraduate education by integrating one or more fields into a respectable degree.

what if I take some upper lvl courses in both topics?

 

[UFCOM2016]

That would not be a bad thing, but it is not going to change their holistic first impression of unfamiliarity. I did an IDS major and it did not hurt me in the interview, which is where you can make the biggest impression about what it is to some potentially skeptical AdComs.

I am really splitting hairs here though, it won't hurt you as long as you can answer questions about it truthfully. Just make sure you take challenging courses and keep your GPA up. It has already been discussed that AdComs do not really make any distinction in level of difficulty, they just want to see a high sGPA.

If you want to go through this multidisciplinary route for the sake of your own interest, then certainly do it. I only worry about those kids that went for a "Translational Neuroscience" (and the like) IDS major because they thought it would look good, and subsequently trumped their GPA.

 

[AsianPersuasion]

That would not be a bad thing, but it is not going to change their holistic first impression of unfamiliarity. I did an IDS major and it did not hurt me in the interview, which is where you can make the biggest impression about what it is to some potentially skeptical AdComs.

I am really splitting hairs here though, it won't hurt you as long as you can answer questions about it truthfully. Just make sure you take challenging courses and keep your GPA up. It has already been discussed that AdComs do not really make any distinction in level of difficulty, they just want to see a high sGPA.

If you want to go through this multidisciplinary route for the sake of your own interest, then certainly do it. I only worry about those kids that went for a "Translational Neuroscience" (and the like) IDS major because they thought it would look good, and subsequently trumped their GPA.

Do you know anyone who did something similar to bioanthropology. In short I really like science and humanities. I don't wanna to major and minor, I wanna combined them.

I'm planning to speaking to my adviser about this and get their input.

from the list I've seen Sociobiology been done but not bioanthropology.

 

[UFCOM2016]

Personally I have never seen someone take two separate fields like that, although I am sure it has been done with varying levels of success. Talk to a few advisers, determine whether the course load is feasible, and lastly, ask yourself if the combination of classes you took really is coherent and makes sense.

If it feels jumbled and without purpose, "I like this class, and oh look at this one here...", than stick with a traditional route for your major. My IDS major was Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, so it was much easier to design than what you are proposing.

As a side note, make sure the advisor you are talking to knows what they are doing, many don't.