Physics Majors who are premed/med students?

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lorenzomicron

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Hello!

As a physics major who is premed, I was wondering if there were anymore out there on these forums?

What about people who applied and have been admitted and such? Do you guys think the physics major gave you any advantage or disadvantange or not?

Also, if any of y'all are medical students, were there any specific like interview questions that targeted you as a physics major? And finally, are there MD/PhD programs for physicists?
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I'm a physics major too :thumbup: I definitely know there are MD/PhDs for physicists.

I can't speak for the application process though, I haven't gone through it yet.
 
Physics majors are common. No major will give you a certain advantage in terms of admission. Not sure about MD/PhD programs for physicists.
 
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I was a physics major in college. I get to laugh when physics concepts come up during lectures while everyone else groans. I guess that's an advantage.
 
Hoody said:
Physics majors are common. No major will give you a certain advantage in terms of admission. Not sure about MD/PhD programs for physicists.
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makes sense. i didnt mean an admissions advantage, but i would guess that being a physics major, adcoms would ask a few different questions perhaps? also, in terms of medical school, was it harder just to be a med student or easier because of some particular physics skill?
 
lorenzomicron said:
makes sense. i didnt mean an admissions advantage, but i would guess that being a physics major, adcoms would ask a few different questions perhaps? also, in terms of medical school, was it harder just to be a med student or easier because of some particular physics skill?
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I got asked straight up what plancks constant was in an interview.
I guess it was just supposed to make me squirm but I just rattled off the value and he just ended the interview. Accepted w/scholarship.
 
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Hoody said:
Physics majors are common. No major will give you a certain advantage in terms of admission. Not sure about MD/PhD programs for physicists.
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That's what you read but I don't think that's true when it comes to hard sciences. To be able to ace a major like physics says a lot about someone's intelligence.
 
I think it would be a disadvantage since the average GPA for physics majors is most likely lower than other majors. :shrug:
 
Hoody said:
Physics majors are common. No major will give you a certain advantage in terms of admission. Not sure about MD/PhD programs for physicists.
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Common? That must be why I'm the only physics major in my class. If you want to count the various types of engineering, there are 5 more that I can recall. Considering that I'm in a class of a class of 160, I'm not sure I'd go with "common" as the word to describe the number of physics majors. I can recall at least 2 other schools, Mizzou and UMiami, that only matriculated 1 physics major the year before I applied.

I'd contend that majoring in physics and engineering does give you a little bit of slack in the GPA department but not much. You still need to hit a 3.5 or above to be a competitive candidate, and that's damn near impossible in a lot of programs.
 
I'm not a physics major but it is the second most interesting thing next to my major :) I love physics!
I think you should pursue your major regardless of the premed statistics if you really like it. Physics in the long run should give you great scientific intuition and deeper understanding.
As for MD/PhD, there should be plenty of opportunities in the biophysics area. For example, x-ray crystallography requires a lot of physics and math. Another example would be motor protein analysis. These are all very important aspects of understanding the human body at a molecular level and undoubtedly important in medicine.

Keep loving physics and you'll appreciate both science and medicine! :D
 
Hoody said:
Physics majors are common. No major will give you a certain advantage in terms of admission. Not sure about MD/PhD programs for physicists.
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They aren't common. That's just plain wrong.

I've also found that all of my fellow majors are extremely intelligent. It's very disconcerting because I was going to double major in chemistry for a while and in all my chem classes I would often score the highest on tests and quizes and I'd be feeling good and then I'd get to my physics class and I'd just be middle of the pack again =\ The sad thing is that I don't think it's that I'm that much more gifted at chemistry (though I am better at it). I think a lot of my physics friends would do extremely well if they cared to do chemistry too. Humility ftw I guess.
 
DrBowtie said:
I got asked straight up what plancks constant was in an interview.
I guess it was just supposed to make me squirm but I just rattled off the value and he just ended the interview. Accepted w/scholarship.
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Wow. I suppose they don't make interviews like that anymore.
 
Narmerguy said:
They aren't common. That's just plain wrong.

I've also found that all of my fellow majors are extremely intelligent. It's very disconcerting because I was going to double major in chemistry for a while and in all my chem classes I would often score the highest on tests and quizes and I'd be feeling good and then I'd get to my physics class and I'd just be middle of the pack again =\ The sad thing is that I don't think it's that I'm that much more gifted at chemistry (though I am better at it). I think a lot of my physics friends would do extremely well if they cared to do chemistry too. Humility ftw I guess.
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Physics majors are perhaps the only major that I respect as much or more than engineers, in terms of average intellectual ability. I know a good number of "dumb" engineers, but I don't think I know a single "dumb" physicist. (This is relative--these "dumb" people would be at least average in other majors)
 
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Not physics but physical chemistry. The only benefit was that by doing, and excelling at my school's harder-than-average program, I was able to adapt pretty quickly to medical school (not to say that they are similar in style or in content).

I did also take a number of bio classes (anatomy, molecular biology, physiology) that made the corresponding medical school classes easier since I was relearning much of it.

Oh, and there is also the fact that when people ask me what my major was in undergrad, I have something more interesting to say that "bio". I think having a solid science GPA and being a physics major will only help you to stand out more (not to say that you should pursue physics just to appear more competitive.)
 
DrBowtie said:
I got asked straight up what plancks constant was in an interview.
I guess it was just supposed to make me squirm but I just rattled off the value and he just ended the interview. Accepted w/scholarship.
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what? are you kidding me? if thats what it takes to get into med school, ill pay better attention to those constants yo.

anyone else get insane questions like this asked to them?
 
lorenzomicron said:
what? are you kidding me? if thats what it takes to get into med school, ill pay better attention to those constants yo.

anyone else get insane questions like this asked to them?
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whaat? i wish I got asked that question... that woulda been sweet.. and im a comp sci/IS guy myself
 
seelee said:
Oh, and there is also the fact that when people ask me what my major was in undergrad, I have something more interesting to say that "bio". I think having a solid science GPA and being a physics major will only help you to stand out more (not to say that you should pursue physics just to appear more competitive.)
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Agreed! (coming from another physical chemistry major!!)
 
Physics is pretty cool. It's certainly easier than Engineering imho. Also, the physics professors aren't as douchey as chem/bio ones. Definitely nerdy and relatable.
 
Common? Uncommon? Why debate this kind of question when the AAMC has statistics here: http://aamc.org/data/facts/applicantmatriculant/start.htm? I think some of this data is printed in the MSAR too.

Check out table #18. Granted, "physical sciences" isn't as specific as "physics", but matriculants that identify with this broader category are hardly uncommon, nor are they outliers in terms of GPA or MCAT score.
 
drbenmd said:
Common? Uncommon? Why debate this kind of question when the AAMC has statistics here: http://aamc.org/data/facts/applicantmatriculant/start.htm? I think some of this data is printed in the MSAR too.

Check out table #18. Granted, "physical sciences" isn't as specific as "physics", but matriculants that identify with this broader category are hardly uncommon, nor are they outliers in terms of GPA or MCAT score.
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that was hardly the point....
but, anyway, physics and physical science are not necessarily the same thing.

but, the point i guess that it comes down to:
does it matter at all what you major in? not for improving chances for getting in, but does med school really treat applicants like generic scholars during application and then assumes tabula rasa on the start of med school?
 
circulus vitios said:
I think it would be a disadvantage since the average GPA for physics majors is most likely lower than other majors. :shrug:
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Would you guys agree with this? I'm really starting to like my physics class, now that I'm getting used to my professor's teaching style. But...the GPA impact surely has to be severe?
 
I'd say Physics is about as hard as Bio/Chem/BCH. Nothing too hard about it unlike Engineering. No problem-based projects, for example. Mostly didactic.
 
Morsetlis said:
I'd say Physics is about as hard as Bio/Chem/BCH. Nothing too hard about it unlike Engineering. No problem-based projects, for example. Mostly didactic.
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Uhhh....are you a physics major?
 
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circulus vitios said:
Uhhh....are you a physics major?
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I took some pretty fun upper div physics classes and got A+
One of my LORs is from a physics prof.
I encourage your input though if you are a physics major.
 
I wouldn't recommend physics unless you absolutely love it and would consider doing graduate work in the field. The major is too time consuming and has very little marketability when you graduate. The upside is you learn to think about things from multiple angles to help you solve complicated problems in physics and in other fields. Sadly, this is something many college graduates will never learn because they don't challenge themselves.

If you think physics is all "plug and chug" or "easy peasy", think again. I put in over 20 hours on my last EM assignment, those of which are due every week.
 
Morsetlis said:
I took some pretty fun upper div physics classes and got A+
One of my LORs is from a physics prof.
I encourage your input though if you are a physics major.
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Much of engineering is just bulk of work. A lot of data crunching and computer usage. That is no where as difficult as the ridiculous derivations in EM2.

I'd say the physics material is much harder, but engineering requires more time.
 
Fort said:
I wouldn't recommend physics unless you absolutely love it and would consider doing graduate work in the field. The major is too time consuming and has very little marketability when you graduate. The upside is you learn to think about things from multiple angles to help you solve complicated problems in physics and in other fields. Sadly, this is something many college graduates will never learn because they don't challenge themselves.

If you think physics is all "plug and chug" or "easy peasy", think again. I put in over 20 hours on my last EM assignment, those of which are due every week.
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10x more marketable than a bio degree. The technical and analytical skills can be applied in engineering settings as well as finance/actuary.
 
Fort said:
I wouldn't recommend physics unless you absolutely love it and would consider doing graduate work in the field. The major is too time consuming and has very little marketability when you graduate. The upside is you learn to think about things from multiple angles to help you solve complicated problems in physics and in other fields. Sadly, this is something many college graduates will never learn because they don't challenge themselves.

If you think physics is all "plug and chug" or "easy peasy", think again. I put in over 20 hours on my last EM assignment, those of which are due every week.
Click to expand...

What do you mean multple angles and other fields?
 
Fort said:
If you think physics is all "plug and chug" or "easy peasy", think again. I put in over 20 hours on my last EM assignment, those of which are due every week.
Click to expand...

That's more along the lines of what I was thinking.
 
physics is a tough class IMO, requires advanced conceptual thinking
 
Narmerguy said:
They aren't common. That's just plain wrong.

I've also found that all of my fellow majors are extremely intelligent. It's very disconcerting because I was going to double major in chemistry for a while and in all my chem classes I would often score the highest on tests and quizes and I'd be feeling good and then I'd get to my physics class and I'd just be middle of the pack again =\ The sad thing is that I don't think it's that I'm that much more gifted at chemistry (though I am better at it). I think a lot of my physics friends would do extremely well if they cared to do chemistry too. Humility ftw I guess.
Click to expand...

Im the exact opposite. I have found my physics courses to be much easier than my chem classes, although I havent taken physics beyond what is required for med school. I feel that physics is more straight forward than chem, and the calculations are very "plug-n-chug", wheras chemistry calculations seem much more abstract to me.
 
I have found my physics courses to be much easier than my chem classes, although I havent taken physics beyond what is required for med school.
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Therein lies the problem. Intro physics is a cakewalk and definitely can be plug-and-chug if you want it to be. Even intermediate level physics (or calc-based intro physics, for that matter) is an entirely different monster. You know how people bitch about PChem being so ungodly hard? Yeah, it's covered in about the first 3-4 weeks of a quantum mechanics class which is a sophomore/junior-level course for physics majors.
 
DrBowtie said:
Much of engineering is just bulk of work. A lot of data crunching and computer usage. That is no where as difficult as the ridiculous derivations in EM2.

I'd say the physics material is much harder, but engineering requires more time.
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As a former engineer major we have to learn physics too. Basically every mechanical engineering class is an applied physics course. Statics, dynamics, fluid mechanics, circuits, thermodynamics. It felt as if every class was a chapter of a book from a basic physics course in more depth.

I don't think either one is easier. Yes there was a large bulk of work but we also had lots of derivations to do too. We might use computers for a lot of data processing but usually we learn how to do it ourselves first.

Too be honest I don't think any major is necessarily easier than others. Yes some majors are more memorization and some are more problem solving. A lot like biology versus engineering. But I wouldn't say one is easier than the other because they are two different learning styles, you can't compare them (apples and oranges). It just depends on what your learning style is and what subject you have a passion for that determines which majors are easier or harder for you.

But don't put others down saying your major is harder. I'm sure each and every major has different aspects that are harder than others.
 
:laugh: at the people saying physics is easier than engineering...
engineering and chemistry are nothing but applied physics.. and if you have the right perspective, biology and medicine can be applied physics also. it's the most encompassing science and it's not appreciated just by takin a few "fun upper-level phys classes" but it's much more than just applying math to the universe.

i'm a physics major, with a double-major in biomedical physics. i think physics is great to learn but you really need a few biophysics classes to effectively apply that major to your medical training.. otherwise you'll have a tough time in med school if you're naturally inclined to think like a physicist. some people enjoy both ways of learning though. i have noticed in the application process that doctors and admissions people are impressed with my coursework/GPA and a few doctors have told me that they would LOVE to have more people with expertise in hard sciences, scientific method and technology.

PM me if you have any questions.. I talk to/mentor prospective physics undergrads a lot.
 
DrBowtie said:
Thanks?
Quantum and EM > bridge loads, engines, circuits conceptually.
It takes more time to combine the simple physics for those things, but it tough to understand.
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Sorry, I'm an engineer AND I do quantum, thermodynamics (the hard kind), and the derivations included in Transport Phenomena for the modeling of three-dimensional mass-energy-momentum transfer. (EM isn't applicable to my major, but it is to other engineers, although I did very well in the physics II type of EM)


Yeah, civil engineering is easy, mechanical isn't too bad, but Electrical and Chemical engineers have you at least tied in difficulty.
 
circulus vitios said:
Would you guys agree with this? I'm really starting to like my physics class, now that I'm getting used to my professor's teaching style. But...the GPA impact surely has to be severe?
Click to expand...

I would agree for the most part. I think that the amount someone would be impressed will not compensate for the difficulty you have to undertake.

MilkmanAl said:
Therein lies the problem. Intro physics is a cakewalk and definitely can be plug-and-chug if you want it to be. Even intermediate level physics (or calc-based intro physics, for that matter) is an entirely different monster. You know how people bitch about PChem being so ungodly hard? Yeah, it's covered in about the first 3-4 weeks of a quantum mechanics class which is a sophomore/junior-level course for physics majors.
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Exactly. General physics is so much different from the rest of it. How I crave that 1 or even 2 dimensional problem.

As far as engineering vs physics, I feel like we are fighting among brothers here. The curricula is so often linked that they share similar hardships.
 
Narmerguy said:
I would agree for the most part. I think that the amount someone would be impressed will not compensate for the difficulty you have to undertake.



Exactly. General physics is so much different from the rest of it. How I crave that 1 or even 2 dimensional problem.

As far as engineering vs physics, I feel like we are fighting among brothers here. The curricula is so often linked that they share similar hardships.
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The brothers thing just made me smile. You sound like a very nice person.


So, no one has had interesting questions posed to them/interesting experiences to share just because you're a physics major (please, apart from the academics argument)....?
 
I am curious what Engineering major would require quantum. I majored in physics and my boyfriend and many other friends were electrical and computer engineering majors. Are you talking about modern physics, which is typically taken in your freshman or sophomore year? Or do you mean the integral heavy, Rabi flopping, Born approximation, excitation and emission (;)) quantum? I've never heard of this in EE, but maybe it's in Chem-E? I don't know any Chem-E majors.

Also, to possibly take this thread in a new direction beyond which is harder--eng or physics--any women here who majored in physics? I was pretty heavily active in our physics club, and I have to say it was quite the boy's club. The men in there would often make sexist jokes and just seemed way socially awkward. I don't know if this is just something about people in the hard sciences being awkward, or if it's just what you get when you stick a bunch of men together...


FlowRate said:
Sorry, I'm an engineer AND I do quantum, thermodynamics (the hard kind), and the derivations included in Transport Phenomena for the modeling of three-dimensional mass-energy-momentum transfer. (EM isn't applicable to my major, but it is to other engineers, although I did very well in the physics II type of EM)


Yeah, civil engineering is easy, mechanical isn't too bad, but Electrical and Chemical engineers have you at least tied in difficulty.
Click to expand...
 
lorenzomicron said:
The brothers thing just made me smile. You sound like a very nice person.


So, no one has had interesting questions posed to them/interesting experiences to share just because you're a physics major (please, apart from the academics argument)....?
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I have found in some interviews that people were impressed with the physics major (but this only works if you have a high GPA). You should be ready for the question "Why not physics grad school?" I think I got that a few times. I think what would be more impressive though is physics combined with something else to show you are well-rounded. I also majored in French and I think that helped a lot, because it is so different from physics. So, if you can add in any EC's that show off your humanities side, that will make your application more eye-catching. But this isn't such a huge bonus to merit suffering through humanities stuff if you hate it!
 
Morsetlis said:
Everything is applied mathematics.

Mathematics is just applied philosophy.

http://xkcd.com/435/

HELLO.
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In greek physics or "φύσις" literally means 'nature.'

tack a Ancient Greek minor on to your physics degree = medical school
 
afugazzi said:
I have found in some interviews that people were impressed with the physics major (but this only works if you have a high GPA). You should be ready for the question "Why not physics grad school?" I think I got that a few times. I think what would be more impressive though is physics combined with something else to show you are well-rounded. I also majored in French and I think that helped a lot, because it is so different from physics. So, if you can add in any EC's that show off your humanities side, that will make your application more eye-catching. But this isn't such a huge bonus to merit suffering through humanities stuff if you hate it!
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I hope you wanna tell, but how'd you answer that question?
What do we mean by high GPA? like A-?
wow, french...impressive.
 
lorenzomicron said:
I hope you wanna tell, but how'd you answer that question?
What do we mean by high GPA? like A-?
wow, french...impressive.
Click to expand...

As for GPA, I can't be sure. I'm just guessing that for any given GPA, the physics major will be a bit more impressive than your average major, though not a ton. For the "why not physics grad school" it's gonna be really applicant-specific. For me, I was able to get involved in a lot of undergrad research in physics (I originally was planning to go to physics grad school), and I found the work that was heavily centered around a computer or a soldering table or what-have-you to be very impersonal. I wanted something where I could work with people. Then various other EC's confirmed that, which got me interested in medicine as something that combined the analytical thinking from physics with working with people...I think when you have a major that isn't obviously related to medicine, it is good to have a nice chronological story prepared (and possible incorporated into your PS) that explains how you got from where you were when you decided that major to where you are now, wanting to go to med school. Or it's possible, unlike me, you were planning on med school all along, and in this case it will be your job to explain "why physics", despite knowing you wanted med school.
 
afugazzi said:
I am curious what Engineering major would require quantum. I majored in physics and my boyfriend and many other friends were electrical and computer engineering majors. Are you talking about modern physics, which is typically taken in your freshman or sophomore year? Or do you mean the integral heavy, Rabi flopping, Born approximation, excitation and emission (;)) quantum? I've never heard of this in EE, but maybe it's in Chem-E? I don't know any Chem-E majors.

Also, to possibly take this thread in a new direction beyond which is harder--eng or physics--any women here who majored in physics? I was pretty heavily active in our physics club, and I have to say it was quite the boy's club. The men in there would often make sexist jokes and just seemed way socially awkward. I don't know if this is just something about people in the hard sciences being awkward, or if it's just what you get when you stick a bunch of men together...
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Yes, REAL quantum. Chemical Engineering. However, after my catalog year, they're actually no longer requiring quantum. That would make my semester a good bit easier. Oh well.
 
What's the homework like for physics majors? Is "20 hours a week, every week" the usual?
 
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