Please give advice

[MoeDaMan]

Hey everyone )

I am a premed and going through the application process as we speak. I was wondering, does anyone have any info to disclose on what they regret not doing their last year before going to medical school? Where there classes in college that could help you out? Any personal experiences and regrets that you have now when you look back on your college life?


I have one year left in college, and I in the process of deciding of whether or not to double major. My current major is Neuroscience, and I might probably double major with physiological science......

Now this is where I need the wisedom and experience of everyone whose already in medical school! I know everyone says you can be a non-science major and get into medical school. However, my question is, for everyone who were a science major in college, do you feel that you were at a advantage in medical school compared to non-science majors, especially in schools where everyone is ranked?

I m seriously debating double majoring next year. A part of me really wants to, because I find the subject fascinating (phy sci) and I heard if you take these core classes this year, you can kick ass in medical school. However, on the other side, I am kind of burnt out, and wouldn't mind using this last year to relax. But then again, I heard I would have an eaiser time in medical school?!? All my friends who happened to be phy sci majors who went to medical school, told me the first year curriculum was basically a "review" for them. While my other friends who happened to be non-science majors like econ and english were telling me they were getting overloaded with so much info in a short amount of time, and getting so burnt out to the point that they were wondering whether the life of a physician is right for them...

So to make a long story short (I know kind of too late for that). Am I helping myself by covering as much science material as I can. Mind you, I find the material fascinating, but I really don't know it is worth the stress, cuz I have heard undergraduate curriculam is more stressful because grades are involved.

Thanks so much )

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[Doctor Wyldstyle]

I'm going to start this fall and I had doubts on my major during my undergraduate. I started out science undeclared and eventually ended up majoring in biochemistry. All I needed was 7 more units my senior year and I could have double majored in biology too. After all that, I realized that I could have majored in something else that fascinated me like psychology, philosophy and still have minored in biochem and gotten into medical school. If your grades are great and you've taken a myriad of science classes of which a few are covered in the medical curriculum, relax! Do what your heart says because it will make that work that much easier. On the other hand, the converse is also true too....

Good Luck,
wyldstyle2000

 

[AJM]

Your senior year will be your last real chance to do things that are completely unrelated to medicine. You will be learning Physiology and other aspects of medicine for the rest of your life -- why start one year earlier? Take cool classes like art history or philosphy or other classes that you'll never be able to take again! If you're burned out now, and try to do a second major next year, you're going to be REALLY burned out by the time you hit your 2nd year of med school! I say wait until you're a med student to start trying to kick butt in med school.

I don't really consider neuroscience a non-science major. But I will tell you what I noticed during med school -- while science majors may have a slight advantage over non-science majors during the 1st year, the 1st year basically serves to level the field and bring everybody up to speed so that they can start learning the real stuff. Once students hit the 2nd year and beyond, there is no real difference between the two groups. And the advantage in the first year only means that the non-science majors have to work slightly harder than the science majors at some of the basic courses such as biochem, genetics, molecular biology. There are lots of courses in the first year that are new to everybody.

 

[Fanconi]

Agreed. Number one, you need to do what makes you happy. However, it is also important to realize this is the last chance you are going to have to study things unrelated to medicine for a while. Broadening your horizon is definitely a good thing, (and not that this matters in real life), and many medical school admissions boards would look upon your taking more humanities courses favorably.

I also was a neuroscience major, but I found out the day before graduation that I was only three credits shy of a philosophy major! Whoops.

Have fun and enjoy your last year of freedom. IMO, you don't need a huge basic sciences background to do well in med school. For example, I never had anatomy, biochemistry, or physiology in undergrad and I did just fine. So will you, if you decide to take more humanities instead.

 

[star23]

My senior year I took several classes that were NOT science related and I found it very refreshing as well as educational. Some of the electives that i took: accounting, law, reasoning, and aging in comparative perspective. I am very glad I took these non-science courses.

 

[sunny9505]

I think you should relax and have fun during your last year!! I am so happy I did that before med school started. If you find the classes that interesting, maybe see if you can take them pass/fail. Then, you can enjoy it without the stress. I highly recommend having taken biochem and anatomy in undergrad. It makes things easier first year.

 

[mcwmark]

Relax!

Don't double major, because it really doesn't matter...I was a Biology/Econ double, and I really enjoyed the Econ classes more--in fact, it does help when talking to physicians about the economy, or interest rate cuts (they love that!), or stocks, etc.

I think physicians and other medical students all have a very strong background in science--anything you can learn now that has nothing to do with science is a benefit! I wish I had taken more sociology classes myself...