Pre-Med Majors

[yeahman67]

Hey guys, I was thinking about pursuing a major in business and then applying to medical school? Am I at a down-side when it comes to being accepted to medical school when compared to a person who's majored in a science-related field?

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[Depakote]

Hey guys, I was thinking about pursuing a major in business and then applying to medical school? Am I at a down-side when it comes to being accepted to medical school when compared to a person who's majored in a science-related field?

Not really.

All med schools have set required classes that you need to take in order to apply. As long as you take those classes, you can major in whatever you want. I was a liberal arts major, I'll admit that I did take a pretty good number of science classes on top of that but there are numerous non-science majors in my class that are doing just fine.

Major in something you'll enjoy.

 

[yeahman67]

So, majoring in business wouldn't be a problem, because I like accounting a lot.

 

[metalhead1023]

...I like accounting a lot.

Are you sure you want to be a doctor, or would you like more to do a career like, I don't know, becoming an accountant?

 

[yeahman67]

I've taken career test and they've all pointed me towards accounting. So, we'll have to see because I haven't taken accounting yet, but if I really like it, I'll reconsider my game plan, but accountants don't make a lot of money, and doctors do so....

 

[Depakote]

So, majoring in business wouldn't be a problem, because I like accounting a lot.

majoring in business wouldn't be a problem... and you could eventually apply that to a MD/MBA program (most of these skills are used for running practices, etc.)

But metalhead does make a good point. Medicine and Accounting are pretty different fields. It's good for a doctor to have a strong financial sense, but make sure you're not missing your true calling.

 

[yeahman67]

If I really like accounting, I'll stick with it, but they don't make a lot of money, where as doctors do. However, I do like the human body as well. Also, it takes guts to become a doctor, where anyone can become an accountant. Do you guys see what I'm trying to say?

 

[penguinophile]

If I really like accounting, I'll stick with it, but they don't make a lot of money, where as doctors do. However, I do like the human body as well. Also, it takes guts to become a doctor, where anyone can become an accountant. Do you guys see what I'm trying to say?

I totally understand what you're saying. However, remember that you have 4 years to make the decision, and reasons such as above might not seem as important in 4 years as they are while you are in high school. Salary for doctors is not huge, especially if you choose something like primary care, so that should not be a huge reason for picking this career. Also you should think about free-time and lifestyle to balance out your concern for $$.

As for guts, it does take a lot of sacrifice to become a doctor, but for some people this is an easy decision (not terribly gutsy to become a surgeon if your father-in-law is as well). Again, this is not something that should determine your future career. While in college, work hard in business and do well in that, and continue taking classes that are required for entry into medical school, but always keep an open mind about what you want to do and constantly re-evaluate what you find to be important.

 

[QofQuimica]

So, majoring in business wouldn't be a problem, because I like accounting a lot.

No, it's definitely not a problem. I think it's a good idea, actually. Like Dep said, you should major in something you enjoy, because it's very important to pull strong grades if you think you might apply to med school one day. It's also smart to major in something that prepares you for a career in case you don't go to med school. The university where I was teaching had a major called "premed." I always tried to talk my students out of being premed majors, because if they didn't wind up going to medical school, they were not trained to do anything else. Even a biology degree is better than a premed degree, because there are jobs for biologists. But there are no jobs for professional premeds! With an accounting degree, you would come out of college very nicely set up to get a job if you change your mind about medicine. Best of luck to you. 🙂

 

[cdmccart]

If you major in a non-science, just make sure you take the required pre-requisites for the med schools you plan to apply to. Virtually all med schools require 2 Biology classes (usually Gen Bio I & II), Gen Chem I & II, Organic Chem I & II, College or General (algebra- or cal-based, respectively) Physics I & II, and many require Calc I. Also, know that you'll have far fewer credits that factor into your science GPA than science majors. This translates into your grades in these 8 or 9 classes being more heavily weighted in your science GPA.

For example, I'm a Bio major and I'll end up taking all those classes I listed above PLUS all my upper-level electives. My upper-level electives (Genetics, Cell Bio, Immunology, etc) will all be factored into my science GPA, so I have more room for error. If I get Bs in 4 of my classes, it isn't a huge deal since I have so many more science classes that will end up outweighing my Bs. However, if you're a non-science major and you get 4 Bs in your science classes, then you only have 4 or 5 other science classes to factor into the science GPA.

 

[lemoncurry]

I've taken career test and they've all pointed me towards accounting. So, we'll have to see because I haven't taken accounting yet, but if I really like it, I'll reconsider my game plan, but accountants don't make a lot of money, and doctors do so....

If you hadn't mentioned already that you seem to like accounting, I would have had something to say about career tests.

Just make sure that whatever you decide to do with your life, that it is what you WANT to do, and not what some test or some advisor, or even me, tells you to do.

 

[Nikki2002]

those career tests are just general guides.


I understand where you are coming from--you haven't found your true calling yet. If you enjoy accounting that much, great. Start out you undergrad career by majoring in business and see where that takes you. There are MD/MBA programs out there that may interest you in the future.

 

[spicedmanna]

If I really like accounting, I'll stick with it, but they don't make a lot of money, where as doctors do. However, I do like the human body as well. Also, it takes guts to become a doctor, where anyone can become an accountant. Do you guys see what I'm trying to say?

You can major in whatever you prefer, as long you meet the premedical requirements / coursework. Do well in school, volunteer in activities that inspire you, take on leadership positions, and learn about being a physician and taking care of sick people, by shadowing, volunteering, etc.

On another note, keep your options open and explore a bit. Don't prematurely narrow yourself into becoming a physician, if you aren't sure. Learn about being a physician as well as some other fields that appeal to you and see which one fits best. Medicine is too long and difficult of a road to go through, if you'd rather be doing something else.

Lastly, there's nothing magical about being a doctor that makes them "better" than accountants. Both are needed and well-respected roles. The magic is what you bring to the table as you take on whatever role you choose.

The road to becoming a physician is certainly difficult, but so can being an accountant. It can depend on what field you have the heart for. Not everyone can be happy as an accountant, just like not everybody can be happy as a physician. The most difficult path is the one you don't align with, otherwise, moving from a place of alignment, what makes sense to both mind and heart, times can get tough as you move toward your chosen goal, but you know you are going for what you love, so that makes it well worth the trip. Having the heart for your chosen path can help sustain you through some of the most difficult times. To me, it takes guts to follow your heart, your passion, which is not necessarily dependent on popular perception of what field is more difficult, makes more money, or prestigious, etc. Do you understand what I mean? 😉

Anyway, good luck with your endeavors. 🙂

 

[yeahman67]

Penguinophile mentioned that you should think about your lifestye and accountants do have pretty hectic schedules as they climb the ladder in their career. I plan on having a life outside my career, but I think accounting may get in the way if I have too much on my hands. However, doctors seem to have a more steady job where they can see their families and such. We'll see where life takes me.

Thanks for all positive feedback.

 

[metalhead1023]

...but accountants don't make a lot of money, and doctors do so....

... I don't even know what to say.

 

[Depakote]

Penguinophile mentioned that you should think about your lifestye and accountants do have pretty hectic schedules as they climb the ladder in their career. I plan on having a life outside my career, but I think accounting may get in the way if I have too much on my hands. However, doctors seem to have a more steady job where they can see their families and such. We'll see where life takes me.

Thanks for all positive feedback.

While it varies by specialty, doctors tend to have very hectic lifestyles and the amount of time available for the family tends to be less than other professions. During the last two years of medical school and throughout residency (the first 3-6 years of training following graduation from medical school), physicians work somewhere around 80 hours a week.

Once they've completed residency, this number drops, and depends on the specialty the physician has chosen, but it is not uncommon for a physician to be on call and have to answer pages in the middle of the night.

I will say I don't know much about accounting, but I'm going to venture a guess that it would be the more family friendly of the two career paths.

 

[HumidBeing]

Penguinophile mentioned that you should think about your lifestye and accountants do have pretty hectic schedules as they climb the ladder in their career. I plan on having a life outside my career, but I think accounting may get in the way if I have too much on my hands. However, doctors seem to have a more steady job where they can see their families and such. We'll see where life takes me.

Thanks for all positive feedback.

Uh, no. This is one of the reasons that you'll want both clinical exposure, plus the opportunity to talk to several doctors about both the positives and negatives of their careers. The hours spent in an office seeing patients are only part of the picture. There's night and week-end call, paperwork, meetings, paperwork, paperwork . . Very much depends on the specialty, location, number of physicians available for coverage, and more that I'm not familiar with at this stage of my education.

The accountants that I know do get extremely busy at predictable times of their accounting cycles. Once again, much depends on the type of setup they have, and the businesses they work with.

And experienced accountants do make good money.

 

[metalhead1023]

...I plan on having a life outside my career...doctors seem to have a more steady job where they can see their families and such...

If you do decide on becoming a doctor after your 4 years at a university getting your bachelors you will be jam packed with stuff you need to do. At the least if you study enough to get good grades in med-school not to mention the licensing exams you will be working 60-100 hours a week.

 

[Tired]

Uh, no.

Uh-oh is right.

Just ask my wife.

 

[Dr.TobiasFünke]

I've taken career test and they've all pointed me towards accounting. So, we'll have to see because I haven't taken accounting yet, but if I really like it, I'll reconsider my game plan, but accountants don't make a lot of money, and doctors do so....

HA! Doctors don't make a lot of money plus you like a quarter million in debt when you get out. YOU do the math there. I read somewhere once that if a high school grad gets unionized immediately after high school in construction they will make more money in the course of their lifetime than the average physician.

Plus, medical school was the worst thing to ever happen to me.

Wrap your head around that sonny

 

[NickNaylor]

HA! Doctors don't make a lot of money plus you like a quarter million in debt when you get out. YOU do the math there. I read somewhere once that if a high school grad gets unionized immediately after high school in construction they will make more money in the course of their lifetime than the average physician.

Plus, medical school was the worst thing to ever happen to me.

Wrap your head around that sonny

😕

MAYBE net income depending on your situation, but certainly not gross.

 

[45408]

Penguinophile mentioned that you should think about your lifestye and accountants do have pretty hectic schedules as they climb the ladder in their career. I plan on having a life outside my career, but I think accounting may get in the way if I have too much on my hands. However, doctors seem to have a more steady job where they can see their families and such.

No offense, but your impression is completely wrong. A physician is almost guaranteed to have less free time, especially during portions of medical school and residency. If this is your rationale for medicine, forget it now. Srsly. Don't become a doctor just because you want a good income with good hours, because while the income is pretty good, the hours ARE NOT, and you will have a hard time motivating yourself through all of this just for the promise of a future income.

 

[Terna]

HA! Doctors don't make a lot of money plus you like a quarter million in debt when you get out. YOU do the math there. I read somewhere once that if a high school grad gets unionized immediately after high school in construction they will make more money in the course of their lifetime than the average physician.

Plus, medical school was the worst thing to ever happen to me.

Wrap your head around that sonny

Funny, I read about the exact same scenario: one person becomes a doctor, one person goes right out of high school into construction. I believe the actual outcome was that once the doctor had worked for 10 years, they had made more money than the construction worker. This is factoring in the enormous debt they had as well as the fact that the construction worker had been working for 10 or so more years than the doctor (the doctor had been in undergrad, med school, then residency).
I could cite the book I read this in if you like, but this was freshman year sociology class, so it might be slightly difficult to get my hands on it. I just distinctly remembered this quote because I was looking into medicine as a career, thus it stuck in my mind.

Anyway, back to the question at hand...

 

[njac]

If I really like accounting, I'll stick with it, but they don't make a lot of money, where as doctors do. However, I do like the human body as well. Also, it takes guts to become a doctor, where anyone can become an accountant. Do you guys see what I'm trying to say?

accountants can make lots of money. More than many doctors these days.

All of my personality tests said I should be an accountant as well. I'm almost done pharmacy school and I love it.

 

[yeahman67]

Well, I guess the hours would be better if you were to join a person with their own clinic, the same way dentists do.

 

[NYUJazzEcon]

I just wanted to throw in my personal experience as a way of answering the original poster and sharing my personal experience...

I'm a pre-med currently applying to med school, but I'm also studying business. I've spoken to several people on medical school admissions committees, as well as many current physicians, and the overall consensus I've received is overwhelmingly positive.

From what I understand, as long as your grades are good and you pick a major you're passionate in (and can explain your choice, rather than saying "it was easy") you'll be just fine. My advice would be to major in what you ENJOY, as you'll find that you do much better in classes whose subject material you actually like. I suffered through Organic Chem and BioChem with the rest of the pre-meds, but what made the suffering easier is the fact that I had my awesome major classes to fall back on. This has made the entire process only that much easier for me.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to PM me or reply to this post with any questions.

P.S. As others on this post have said (and the statistics show it), don't go into medicine for the money. It's too long a track with too short a payoff. If you want quick, fast and heartless money, go into investment banking. Go into medicine if (and only if) you feel a calling.

 

[aroen]

Doesn't majoring in something like Bio or Chem help you for the MCATs?

 

[pingouin]

Doesn't majoring in something like Bio or Chem help you for the MCATs?

Not necessarily, since everyone takes the same gen chem/gen bio coursework that should cover everything you need to know for the MCAT. Other courses may be nice to have, but aren't necessary.

By the way, my degrees are in social work, and someone in my class majored in film. 🙂

 

[lemoncurry]

Not necessarily, since everyone takes the same gen chem/gen bio coursework that should cover everything you need to know for the MCAT. Other courses may be nice to have, but aren't necessary.

By the way, my degrees are in social work, and someone in my class majored in film. 🙂

While this is true, I found that having a good background in upper division Biology courses helped me on the DAT. For example, the Endocrinology class was extremely beneficial because there were several questions that I might not have known the answer to, or gotten the answer as quickly. Also, once you have a smattering of upper division classes under your belt, it helps the concepts from the lower division gel together.

 

[QofQuimica]

While this is true, I found that having a good background in upper division Biology courses helped me on the DAT. For example, the Endocrinology class was extremely beneficial because there were several questions that I might not have known the answer to, or gotten the answer as quickly. Also, once you have a smattering of upper division classes under your belt, it helps the concepts from the lower division gel together.

The DAT is a very different type of test compared to the MCAT. DAT questions tend to be more factual and directly test your knowledge of the sciences. While the MCAT has a few questions that are DAT style (these are the discretes that aren't associated with a passage), there are very few MCAT questions that directly test your knowledge. The MCAT is primarily testing your critical reasoning ability: in other words, your ability to read a passage, assimilate new information, and apply the new info along with your basic science knowledge to a new situation that you've almost certainly never encountered before. There is no knowledge necessary for the MCAT beyond sophomore-level organic chemistry.

 

[futureboy]

If I really like accounting, I'll stick with it, but they don't make a lot of money, where as doctors do. However, I do like the human body as well. Also, it takes guts to become a doctor, where anyone can become an accountant. Do you guys see what I'm trying to say?

An accounting major would be a good choice if you like accounting and do well in your classes. If anything, it would be a positive for medical school admission. Your medical school application would stand out among the hundreds of biology major applications.

Also, from a practical standpoint, business knowledge is useful no matter what field you're in. Medicine is a business, after all. Additionally, keep in mind that not everyone gets in to medical school, and a lot of people that could get in decide against it at some point in college. With the accounting degree you'll have more career options than with a biology degree.

 

[futureboy]

Penguinophile mentioned that you should think about your lifestye and accountants do have pretty hectic schedules as they climb the ladder in their career. I plan on having a life outside my career, but I think accounting may get in the way if I have too much on my hands. However, doctors seem to have a more steady job where they can see their families and such. We'll see where life takes me.

Thanks for all positive feedback.

My uncle is a CPA with a very sucessful practice. Yes, he makes good money (probably doctor money), but he works his tail off, especially during tax season. We would drop by his office on Sundays and he almost always would be there.

No matter what the field, whether medicine, accounting, law (mine), or business, the high salary almost always comes with long, hard, stressful hours.

 

[QuikClot]

HA! Doctors don't make a lot of money plus you like a quarter million in debt when you get out. YOU do the math there. I read somewhere once that if a high school grad gets unionized immediately after high school in construction they will make more money in the course of their lifetime than the average physician.

Plus, medical school was the worst thing to ever happen to me.

Wrap your head around that sonny

The math is actually pretty positive. Take a 200k debt deferred through residency, assume 8% government interest, and a BC in EM, working in the community, no moonlighting.

That job pays about 250K per year. Subject 8% of 200k (16k). Final salary: 234k.

Physicians are very, very well compensated. We're very lucky in that respect (and in a lot of others). If you like sick people, there's no better job. If you hate sick people, it's a long, long career, even if they pay you in gold ingots.

The money is great. No one who loves the job should be put off by the debt. The ROI is insane. (Say alt BA/BS job pays 50k per year and physician pays 250k. Take 200k lost wages, 150k tuition, and for 350k your return is 200k per year. That's a 56% percent dividend on your initial 350k each year.)

 

[45408]

Doesn't majoring in something like Bio or Chem help you for the MCATs?

there's just one MCAT.

 

[aroen]

there's just one MCAT.

I meant the tests, like SAT is colloquially referenced as SATs due to its sections (at least that's why we do it at my school)

 

[Caesar]

The " 's " is a regional thing. In parts of Canada and the UK exams have 's at the ends of them. If there is an etymology of this available I'd be extremely interested to read it. I think the " 's " has made it's way into some of the northern states as well, and maybe isolated areas of the US. Also of note in the US we "take tests" in the " 's " areas they are more inclined to "sit exams". Isn't language fun?

 

[aroen]

understanding that medicine is in theory unbiased care, would majoring in something like political sciences hurt an applicant?

 

[kdburton]

Hey guys, I was thinking about pursuing a major in business and then applying to medical school? Am I at a down-side when it comes to being accepted to medical school when compared to a person who's majored in a science-related field?

No you won't be at a downside. I majored in marketing and finance and I'm a medical student. To be honest with you business is much easier than most science majors (save some upper-division accounting, MIS, and actuarial science courses), so you may actually be at an advantage of you take advantage of the relative "easiness" of your business courses and get awesome grades. Either way you're going to have to take the core science courses for applying to medical school, so you'll want to make sure that you do well in those. In my case my BCMP GPA was actually higher than my cumulative GPA though because I worked harder in my science courses to make sure they saw I'd be able to cut it in medical school