need help deciding with majors (anthro or hist?)

[mikeg1991]

This might have been posted before, but I am new to this forum and can't find the answers I am looking for.

I am deciding whether to major in Anthropology or History. I have a interest in both, but I want to know which major will give me a better chance of getting accepted to med schools. There is also this website I was referred to, but I dont quite understand it in terms of my question:http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/applicantmatriculant/table18-facts09mcatgpabymaj1-web.pdf

Some people tell me that I should stick with a humanities major which would be History, but others say that I should stick with Anthro because it is more applied in med schools somehow. I also heard that med schools admit a lot of humanity majors.. Is that the same case for Anthropology?

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[Schemp]

Your major doesn't matter. AT ALL. It doesn't so choose what seems most interesting to you.

That said, history would be my personal choice because every history instructor I've ever had (a grand total of three) has been amazing. I am pretty sure that the field just attracts really awesome people. I don't think anthropology is all that useful in regards to, well, anything. But again, this is just my very biased and very uninformed opinion. I think history is great.

 

[ipostman]

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[ipostman]

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[ipostman]

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[ElegantWeapon]

My choice would be Anthro-I loved my Anthropology courses throughout college, and I especially loved the fact that there was so much variation in the types of courses you could take. You could take Religion and Society at the same time as Human Evolution at the same time as Archaeology at the same time as Anthro in Medicine...It is a fascinating field

good luck-either one sounds fascinating-i like reading history on my own time so just my 2cents

 

[lstone13]

This might have been posted before, but I am new to this forum and can't find the answers I am looking for.

I am deciding whether to major in Anthropology or History. I have a interest in both, but I want to know which major will give me a better chance of getting accepted to med schools. There is also this website I was referred to, but I dont quite understand it in terms of my question:http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/applicantmatriculant/table18-facts09mcatgpabymaj1-web.pdf

Some people tell me that I should stick with a humanities major which would be History, but others say that I should stick with Anthro because it is more applied in med schools somehow. I also heard that med schools admit a lot of humanity majors.. Is that the same case for Anthropology?

In terms of the application process, neither of those majors will give you an "edge" over the other. They are both humanities majors, whose teachings can easily be applied to the medical school setting. I'd say major in whichever you find more interesting. And, if you find both equally as interesting, major in both or major in one and minor in the other.

 

[mikeg1991]

btw thank you for all you advice.

In terms of the application process, neither of those majors will give you an "edge" over the other. They are both humanities majors, whose teachings can easily be applied to the medical school setting. I'd say major in whichever you find more interesting. And, if you find both equally as interesting, major in both or major in one and minor in the other.

I really like both majors, but in order to get accepted into the school of my desires, I have to major in anthropology because the acceptance rate is 70% and to be competative I would need a 3.4 gpa while I would need a 3.7 gpa to be competative as a history major. Right now my gpa is 3.74 and I am afraid my gpa will get lower as I take more of my pre med courses. I like anthropology, but it is definitely a harder major than history and the major classes also would make my gpa go down anyways.. do universities accept people who are not competative in their major also?

 

[softmed]

I think the best thing to do is choose a major that will have the most jobs if you don't make it into medical school. Even though neither degrees are particularly good for that, I'd say go with anthro. It's a very diverse degree that basically integrates social science with biology so you should be able to get some kind of job with it.

 

[stevesavi]

Math.
whatever major has the most exposure to proofs is best.
Math has the most exposure to proofs.
math is best.
QED

 

[whimsical]

My choice would be Anthro-I loved my Anthropology courses throughout college, and I especially loved the fact that there was so much variation in the types of courses you could take. You could take Religion and Society at the same time as Human Evolution at the same time as Archaeology at the same time as Anthro in Medicine...It is a fascinating field

good luck-either one sounds fascinating-i like reading history on my own time so just my 2cents

+1 Anthropology is a great major, and I think they could complement each other well. Take a few classes and pick whichever one you like the best, since it honestly does not matter in the long run.

Your major doesn't matter. AT ALL. It doesn't so choose what seems most interesting to you.

That said, history would be my personal choice because every history instructor I've ever had (a grand total of three) has been amazing. I am pretty sure that the field just attracts really awesome people. I don't think anthropology is all that useful in regards to, well, anything. But again, this is just my very biased and very uninformed opinion. I think history is great.

I wouldn't argue that history is more useful than anthropology - I think that they can be complementary and interesting ways to look at the world. But then, your experience with anthropology must vary greatly from mine.

OP, really - the average GPA for accepted students of any given major has little relevance to you. Do the best you can in a major you enjoy (and can do well in), and of course the other requisite ECs, and things will work out.

Good luck!

 

[chman]

I am partial to Anthro for a few reasons. Anthro is a very vast field with many different areas. For example, bio Anthro, Medical Anthro (public health), population genetics, culture, archeology, the list goes on. I would argue that there are way more ways to apply it than history, but that is JMO (I am majoring in Anthro).

But as others have said, it really does not matter. Neither will give you preference in the eyes of med-schools, so go with the one you like.

 

[chman]

I don't think anthropology is all that useful in regards to, well, anything.

I must say, I know I am biased, but this is a rather ignorant thing to say about any field of study. If there was no use for it than I doubt there would be Anthropology departments in virtually every major college in the US.

 

[mikeg1991]

^ btw is anthropology a social or humanity major?

 

[slowbutsteady]

Major in whatever you want. Won't matter for med school.

And your analysis that you need a higher GPA if you major in one thing over another is a serious misreading of the data!!!

Think about taking a course in statistics.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

^ btw is anthropology a social or humanity major?

Its a social science, which is a science that studies the humanities(culture). Not all humanities are social sciences, but all social sciences are humanities.