Neuroscience vs. Biology Major...

[headedtomed]

I'm currently a sophomore in college who recently decided to go pre-med. I was planning on being a neuroscience major, but with the added pre-med requirements, I will probably not be able to maintain my current GPA. If I switch to a Biology major, the workload will be reduced, and I will most likely have a better GPA when applying to med schools. So my question is, would it be wise to switch to a Bio major?
Also, would a neuroscience major give me some kind of edge in the application process? There are SO many pre-med biology majors (and for good reason!), I thought neuro might set me apart from the crowd.
Thanks!

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[Law2Doc]

I'm currently a sophomore in college who recently decided to go pre-med. I was planning on being a neuroscience major, but with the added pre-med requirements, I will probably not be able to maintain my current GPA. If I switch to a Biology major, the workload will be reduced, and I will most likely have a better GPA when applying to med schools. So my question is, would it be wise to switch to a Bio major?
Also, would a neuroscience major give me some kind of edge in the application process? There are SO many pre-med biology majors (and for good reason!), I thought neuro might set me apart from the crowd.
Thanks!

Do what you enjoy. What you major in rarely matters as much as the GPA, but something non-science sometimes makes you a more interesting applicant in interviews. You will likely not get an edge as a neuroscience major -- you are in fact going to end up taking some of the same course material in med school, and might be deemed a bit one dimensional, and missing out on a lot of the more cultural disciplines your college had to offer. Having been a philosophy or english major etc who ultimately wants to be a neurologist actually makes a much better story than a neuroscience major who wants to be a neurologist.

 

[dantt]

Do what you enjoy. What you major in rarely matters as much as the GPA, but something non-science sometimes makes you a more interesting applicant in interviews. You will likely not get an edge as a neuroscience major -- you are in fact going to end up taking some of the same course material in med school, and might be deemed a bit one dimensional, and missing out on a lot of the more cultural disciplines your college had to offer. Having been a philosophy or english major etc who ultimately wants to be a neurologist actually makes a much better story than a neuroscience major who wants to be a neurologist.

That being said, don't go be a philosphy or english major just to make the better story. And if you don't like neuroscience, you might not want to be a neurologist?

 

[gridiron]

That being said, don't go be a philosphy or english major just to make the better story. And if you don't like neuroscience, you might not want to be a neurologist?

Don't just choose a major to make yourself more attractive to med schools. Do something that interests you. Numbers and GPA get you past cut-off's. The interview will tell a lot about who you are, your background, your passion for medicine and why you want medicine. Adcom's are good at filtering the genuine people from the fake people. Sometimes it is who you are and not the typical activities that people do for med school--that one semester of research and some volunteering, the type A applicant--that separates you from everyone else. Take pride in whatever you major, work hard and enjoy. Adcom's take into consideration the difficulty of the undergraduate major. Be yourself--you should want medicine.

 

[shantster]

If you like the Neuro classes better, then stick with it. I wish that I went to a larger school so that I could be a neuro major.

 

[etf]

lol do what i did and major in neurobiology!

 

[Hurricane95]

Major in whatever you'd like. Just make sure you get a good GPA in whatever you choose. There are a lot of biology majors for a reason - bio majors are much easier in general than other majors and you knock off two birds with one stone: premed requirements overlap with bio major requirements at most schools, so you don't have to take any extra classes. That being said, do biology if you really love it only, not because you think you should.

 

[headedtomed]

Thanks for the posts, they're very helpful. If only we had neurobiology!

 

[durfen]

I'm currently a sophomore in college who recently decided to go pre-med. I was planning on being a neuroscience major, but with the added pre-med requirements, I will probably not be able to maintain my current GPA. If I switch to a Biology major, the workload will be reduced, and I will most likely have a better GPA when applying to med schools. So my question is, would it be wise to switch to a Bio major?
Also, would a neuroscience major give me some kind of edge in the application process? There are SO many pre-med biology majors (and for good reason!), I thought neuro might set me apart from the crowd.
Thanks!

Do a major that gets you a job if med school doesn't work out *cough* computer science *end cough*

 

[mrpankration]

I majored in neuroscience and the only difference between that and the bio major was that we were required to take a neuroscience class whereas the bio majors could take it as an elective. Other than that there was really no difference in the major. I am also pretty sure that neurobiology and neuroscience are the same thing, some schools just use different names.

 

[Law2Doc]

That being said, don't go be a philosphy or english major just to make the better story.

I agree -- i was just suggesting that choosing majors that are more medically focused in hopes they will be better regarded is often a step in the wrong direction, given the push for more well read, well rounded and diverse applicants.

 

[alwayssoconfusedhelpme]

I'm currently a sophomore in college who recently decided to go pre-med. I was planning on being a neuroscience major, but with the added pre-med requirements, I will probably not be able to maintain my current GPA. If I switch to a Biology major, the workload will be reduced, and I will most likely have a better GPA when applying to med schools. So my question is, would it be wise to switch to a Bio major?
Also, would a neuroscience major give me some kind of edge in the application process? There are SO many pre-med biology majors (and for good reason!), I thought neuro might set me apart from the crowd.
Thanks!

I'm having a similar problem. I can't decide which would be better because I want to go into neurosurgery. What do you guys think?