Pre-Med Question from a Chemistry Major

[FireBolt123]

For three semesters, I was a pre-pharmacy student. I took the PCAT, and was in the process of applying to pharmacy schools. Something happened to me, and it totally inspired me to become a doctor. I am now a pre-med student, but my advisor desires me to change my major to biology. He says it will benefit me in medical schools because I will have a head start in some of the classes: human physiology/anatomy, histology, etc. However, I am not too sure about changing it. Almost all the pre-med students at my college are biology majors, and I really want to stand out among this pool of biology applicants. My advisor says it is not about being unique, it is about being prepared. That is why I really wonder if I should follow my instinct and stick to chemistry, but will still take whatever biology classes he thinks will prepare me for medical school. Or perhaps, I should change my major to biology? I am comfortable with taking either one, but I can potentially graduate one year earlier with a chemistry degree. In addition, I really feel like it would make me stand out more if I can combine it with a great MCAT score, respectable GPA, community service, and clinical experience. What should I do?

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[tigress]

Pick your major based on what you are most interested in. If you love chemistry and want to have your degree in that, do it! It won't matter for getting into med school, and won't matter much (if at all) for once you're in. I think this is a really common question, whether your major matters. Basically, it doesn't. Just have the pre-reqs and a good MCAT and GPA and you're fine.

 

[shivalrous]

You will definitely not be at a disadvantage doing chemistry over biology. If chemistry is your passion, stick with it!

 

[Arsenic]

I had the same decision to make 2 yrs ago. My undergrad chem dept offered either the BA or the BS in Chemistry. I decided to go with the Chem BA, that gave me the chance to take electives like Physiology, Genetics, and Microbiology. In the end it all worked out, those classes gave me enough depth to feel comfortable on the MCAT Bio section and I didn't have to switch my mjr to Bio and take who knows how many credits in plant biology and ecology, that would have bored me out of my mind.

If you have that option you may want to consider it, if not you still might be able to take the electives with the Chem BS but you'd have less flexability. Good luck!

 

[hnbui]

if you like chem major in chem. you can always take those upper lvl bio classes....or you can self study.

 

[DrMom]

General advice: major in something you like & can get good grades in. You can always use electives to take prereqs and other bio classes if you wish.

 

[nabeel76]

I am comfortable with taking either one, but I can potentially graduate one year earlier with a chemistry degree. In addition, I really feel like it would make me stand out more if I can combine it with a great MCAT score, respectable GPA, community service, and clinical experience. What should I do? [/QUOTE]

As far as I know Chemistry is a common premedical major, just as biology. Anyways, stick w/ chemistry it will save you a year and your already on that track. I too am a Chemistry major, love it.

Also - most schools have a Chemistry major with a specialization in BioChemistry which will help you get some of your bio requirements knocked out within the degree and it gives you the flexibility of taking upper level bio classes that will apply toward your degree requirements. Look into this, you may be interested.

P.S. I would change advisors...

 

[DrMom]

P.S. I would change advisors...

This is a common problem exacerbated by the fact that these people have never applied to med school themselves and they seem to work off of rumors.

I was actually told that taking anatomy/physiology in UG would be seen as a negative by med schools and would hurt my chances of acceptance.

 

[QofQuimica]

P.S. I would change advisors...

I agree with this poster! Unless you really love biology and want to be a biology major, don't change, because can definitely be pre-med as a chem major. I'm pre-med as a chem. grad student!

 

[hnbui]

Yeah i agree with the others. You should maybe look into changing your advisor. I did. He told me not to take general chem and general biology my freshmen year. Plus he said some pretty racial things.

 

[avinash]

i dont think makes you that more unique in any sense..the common pre med is bio chem or biochem....

just my .02 cents

 

[ShyRem]

Have you talked to your chemistry advisor? I am a chem major (and a math major) and pre-med. Interestingly, two of the "pre-med" advisors flat out told me I HAD to be a bio major. I told them to go stick it and found another advisor. Never regretted it (well, except in biochem... I think genetics and cell bio should be pre-reqs for biochem). All those advisors who say you "HAVE TO MAJOR IN BIO" never applied to med school, and if you really quiz them, have very little clue about what it takes to get into med school (at least at my college).

Major in what you like and take the bio classes on the side. You won't regret it and you'll have a lot more fun.

 

[FireBolt123]

We have only one pre-med advisor at my college. He's really not that bad. I've heard stories of how he will personally go the distance to help his advisees get into medical schools. He's supposed to be one of the best ones in this area. I think I will stay with chemistry since I'm already on that track. This way, I won't have to do a complete 360 and turn around to do lower level biology courses: botany, zoology, etc. In addition, I can possibly graduate one year earlier. Thank you all for responding.

 

[Rendar5]

Ok, I was a chem major in Columbia. I loved and hated it (really depended on the class. I hated all of orgo with the exception of a graduate level non-lab orgo course, pchem was what I ended up being good at, lab and lecture).

I have been extremely well-prepared for medical school. Histology, anatomy, and physiology would not have helped at all for school. If you want worthwhile bio classes to take prior to med school, try immuno, embryo, or basic cell bio or biochem.

If you have a good PChem lecture course, you will have a great biochem basis for school. I know that most people will not tell you that because you won't be learning glycolysis or respiration or all that stuff, but you will learn all the thermo, enzyme kinetics, etc. you need in it. learning all the molecules beforehand is worthless since you're just gonna memorize it anyway.

the only bio courses I took before med school were: intro bio (worthless, I already knew it all), bio lab (loved it, we did a fetal pig dissection. That helped for med school as much as any anatomy course will help), and cell biology (very worthwhile).

So my advice from one chem major in med school to a chem major pre-med: DO NOT CHANGE YOUR MAJOR. take the basic bio courses plus one extra one that you know you will get a lot from and enjoy: cell bio, immuno (because every doctor needs to know this and learning it twice is going to be useful), or embryo (because you will most likely put this last in your med class priorities). being a chem major did not detract from learning anything here for me, and it helped me get in because I was different from the crowd.

and again, if you know enzyme kinetics and thermodynamics from pchem, you don't need even worry about learning any biochem. It will not really help at all.

 

[Rendar5]

oh, and I am extremely glad I stuck with the chem major because although pchem lab is an insanely hard class with a ton of work, it lets you know exactly how much workload you can take on a chronic basis. 20 page alb reports due each week? that's pretty similar to having to study like 3 hours a night of boring material

 

[Rendar5]

from that, it sounds like he really wants you to be a bio major because that's the people he knows how to help best.

We have only one pre-med advisor at my college. He's really not that bad. I've heard stories of how he will personally go the distance to help his advisees get into medical schools. He's supposed to be one of the best ones in this area. I think I will stay with chemistry since I'm already on that track. This way, I won't have to do a complete 360 and turn around to do lower level biology courses: botany, zoology, etc. In addition, I can possibly graduate one year earlier. Thank you all for responding.

 

[SwineLake98]

I'm a Biochem major (which at my school is basically a Chem major with cell and molecular Bio instead of analytical and inorganic chem), and my job at our Open Houses is to talk potential pre-meds out of being Bio majors (Actually, our Chem department has a better accpetance rate into med school - 100%!) Anyway, I enjoy what I do (for the most part...P-chem was frustrating), and I know I would hate being a Bio major - I think there is too much memorization and not enough application for me. Besides, med schools see applications from thousands of Bio majors, and I'm sure they'd much rather see you do something you enjoy rather than what you're "supposed" to do. If you like it, you'll do better! Plus, I hear that a good, solid backround in Biochem makes life so much eaiser in med school (I can only hope all that time I spent on metabolism will be useful at some point)!

To add to the P-chem/Biochem discussion, I recommend taking at least a semester of each if you can because I got a much more thorough view of thermo from P-chem, but the people who hadn't taken Biochem were lost during the enzyme kinetics part (and according to my P-chem text, mixed inhibition doesn't exist...)

 

[45408]

A chemistry major will hardly stand out in the application pool for med school, but if you like chem, do it.

 

[UCDavisdude]

dude, if you like chem, stay in it. i am a chem major and i thinks its sweet (that sound so nerdy, oh well) major in what interest you because that will probably the major you get your highest gpa in. i know if i were to major in something im not as interested about, like history, my gpa would probably be all screwed up.

 

[Shredder]

Chemistry won't really make you stand out (that is reserved for music majors and things like that), but time is valuable and I think you should stick with chemistry to save the year. I'm sure you are smart enough to handle med classes without majoring in bio (as many others also do not), and as you said you can always supplement chem with extra classes if you want to. Imagine a chem major approaching med classes vs a history major (of which I'm sure there are plenty)...are you really at a disadvantage? Besides, you may be better able to understand the reactions and drugs involved in medicine. Concerning the extra year, about the only benefits would be that you would have an extra year to strengthen your research, extracurriculars, connections, or whatnot. Okay, these are actually significant benefits, but a year is a year, and school isn't free.