Pre-Med Major

[DoogieMD22]

Hello! I and a high school student seriously considering a career in medicine. At this point, psychiatry is the field most appealing to me. Could anyone give me suggestions for an undergraduate major? I am leaning toward german or biology. Both interest me a great deal. Any and all advice is appreciated.

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[DrBowtie]

Anything you want to do as long as you take the pre-reqs.

 

[kevster2001]

Anything, do something you're really interested in. As long as you fulfill your pre-reqs and maybe take a few more (biocheM) you'll have a good chance. In fact schools like people with unique majrs since it adds more diversity. Nothing more boring than a class full of bio majors

 

[Schaden Freud]

Hello! I and a high school student seriously considering a career in medicine. At this point, psychiatry is the field most appealing to me. Could anyone give me suggestions for an undergraduate major? I am leaning toward german or biology. Both interest me a great deal. Any and all advice is appreciated.

Major in psych!

Also, since you are considering majoring in German you have most likely had several years of it already. In this case, completing the degree requirements will not take you that many classes, and you can always have that as an additional major to whatever else you choose.

I majored in biology but if I had to do it over again I'd do a double major in Chemistry and Philosophy.

Anyway, pick what you like with no regard to what traditionally pre-meds have studied.

 

[RxnMan]

Anything you're interested in. That interest is important, because it will make getting those high grades easier. And take the pre-reqs, too.

 

[Wookey]

This is a little of topic but there are schools with the major of "Pre-med", but I wonder what these people would do if they don't get into med school. I'd imagine having "Pre-med" as a major would be a red flag on a job app.

 

[HelenaP]

This is a little of topic but there are schools with the major of "Pre-med", but I wonder what these people would do if they don't get into med school. I'd imagine having "Pre-med" as a major would be a red flag on a job app.

Plus, who wants to spend four years telling everyone you meet that you're premed. I definitely prefer to just say my major when asked, and I don't tell anyone I'm premed unless it seems very relavent to the conversation.

 

[NonTradMed]

This is a little of topic but there are schools with the major of "Pre-med", but I wonder what these people would do if they don't get into med school. I'd imagine having "Pre-med" as a major would be a red flag on a job app.

I didn't know schools could offer people 'premed' majors. It seems kind of jumping the gun to sign up for that with no assurances of actually getting into medical school.

 

[RxnMan]

I didn't know schools could offer people 'premed' majors. It seems kind of jumping the gun to sign up for that with no assurances of actually getting into medical school.

You need to have a backup plan, so major in a field that nearly garauntees success, like engineering!

There are a few schools that offer Premed majors, and there's some that offer Premed as a minor.

 

[jojocola]

Could someone get into med school without a major, just by fulfilling pre-req courses?

Hrm, I do not know what to major in. Do people do pre-reqs after their major or before? Probably after, for MCATs?

 

[MossPoh]

Do both....it really isn't that bad. I am a double major in Information Science and German. Started a semester late and I am still graduating on time.... It gives you a good reason to do other fun stuff like study abroad and I've even heard of a few kids here in Berlin enrolling in a course with the medical school...Liberal arts stuff is a good mix from anything that is straight fact based. That being said if Medschool doesn't fall back you pretty much need something else besides German. I don't know any person that has German as a single major...If they do they are dead set on gradschool for it, applied linguistics, or something else along those lines.

 

[kevster2001]

Could someone get into med school without a major, just by fulfilling pre-req courses?

Hrm, I do not know what to major in. Do people do pre-reqs after their major or before? Probably after, for MCATs?

You do it concurrently. And I do believe most med schools want to see that you graduate college and to finish college you have to declare a major. My school doesn't let you sign up for junior classes until you've declared one

 

[ethyl]

Take a look at molecular and microbiology. It's a degree specifically for pre-professionals at my school and it includes every prereq plus some... perhaps your school will have something similar.

 

[ADeadLois]

Hello! I and a high school student seriously considering a career in medicine. At this point, psychiatry is the field most appealing to me. Could anyone give me suggestions for an undergraduate major? I am leaning toward german or biology. Both interest me a great deal. Any and all advice is appreciated.

I would say go in with an open mind, but if Bio and German interest you, than go for it. Very few people who go in with one particular major in mind end up sticking with it. For example, I went in as a gung-ho bio major, but then I switched to Chem. After it was too late, I wished I had switched to journalism. Plus, picking a major that interests you will get you prepared for a job if med school doesn't work out.