Pre-Med VS. Econ

[dpu97]

I'm currently going into my second semester of sophomore year at a good liberal arts school with a 3.8 GPA. My whole life I've been wanting to be a surgeon, and have always had a strong natural ability in anything to do with biology, which I love. However as of about six months ago I started getting into trading cryptocurrencies (basically the same as trading stocks with higher profit potential and less fees) and have fallen in love with it. I've made a very good amount of money for myself and I find the world of finance drawing me in, whether it be Ibanking, Wall Street, day trading, whatever. These are two very different areas and I'm very quickly approaching the crossroads of what to pick, and while finance is becoming more attractive, the thought of doing all the years of residency and graduate school to become an MD continuously looms over me, without even factoring in the difficulty of getting into med school. The downside to finance is if things go south I may end up in a cubicle somewhere spending my life in a box behind a computer screen, while if I'm able to get into med school I trust myself to be able to graduate and go on to do a job I'll greatly enjoy. I don't really know how to end this, I guess I'm asking for others who are well informed in this to weigh in on this.
Thanks in advance.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[deleted804295]

Do some interning over the summer at some stock place and do shadowing as a doctor and come to your conclusion.

Split interests also happens to be a blessing in medicine since it's so hard to get in so you can make econ your plan B.

Spoiler

Also, by crypto do you mean bitcoin? I threw some cash in there after the 40% drop and I'll probably keep it in there for a year. I only put in as much as I'm willing to lose. It reminds me of my days of flipping with the grand exchange so even though it's with real money I find it pretty fun.

 

[Terry Toma]

I don't think you're really "approaching a crossroads" as rapidly as you think. You can major in econ and still take the premed prereqs, so you can leave both doors open for now. On top of coursework, I'd try to get some experience in the day-to-day of both fields through shadowing, volunteering, and internships.

 

[TheBiologist]

okay, but economics isn't trading cryptocurrencies, economics is a behavioral science that studies human decision making. yes it often involves money because we make decisions based off motivators (where money is a universal motivator). while an understanding of econ might help in investing you're better off in finance or even some mathematics if you want to technical trade

 

[Lawpy]

I'm currently going into my second semester of sophomore year at a good liberal arts school with a 3.8 GPA. My whole life I've been wanting to be a surgeon, and have always had a strong natural ability in anything to do with biology, which I love. However as of about six months ago I started getting into trading cryptocurrencies (basically the same as trading stocks with higher profit potential and less fees) and have fallen in love with it. I've made a very good amount of money for myself and I find the world of finance drawing me in, whether it be Ibanking, Wall Street, day trading, whatever. These are two very different areas and I'm very quickly approaching the crossroads of what to pick, and while finance is becoming more attractive, the thought of doing all the years of residency and graduate school to become an MD continuously looms over me, without even factoring in the difficulty of getting into med school. The downside to finance is if things go south I may end up in a cubicle somewhere spending my life in a box behind a computer screen, while if I'm able to get into med school I trust myself to be able to graduate and go on to do a job I'll greatly enjoy. I don't really know how to end this, I guess I'm asking for others who are well informed in this to weigh in on this.
Thanks in advance.

Personally, I would just major in economics and finance, while completing the prereqs in the side. I don't recommend majoring in biology because the alternative career options are poor. Economics/finance gives a very solid backup plan if you decide you don't want to pursue medicine.

 

[akuko2]

IMO I'm not sure a natural biological ability will put you that far ahead of the pack as far as surgery goes, but if you have a natural ability to stand in one spot for hours and a natural distaste for family life then you're golden.

Edit: But for real if you are into econ do some calculations and project how much you'd gain or lose going in to medicine and then see where you stand from there. If you come out behind and could justify passing up on that money to follow your valid yet romanticized fantasy of surgery, then do it!

 

[TypeADissection]

I was an econ/finance major and worked in IB before going to med school. I don't regret the background it gave me. I definitely don't regret not being a science major in undergrad, because I don't particularly like science per se. Sitting through semesters of genetics, microbiology and cell biology just sounds painful. Med school will teach you everything you need to know. Cheers.

 

[Planes2Doc]

I was an econ major at a top 15 non-Ivy League school. It was tough enough to get into investment banking as is. I've been on WallStreetOasis.com plenty of times just to see what people are saying, and it looks like you need to get your foot in the door early and quickly with financial positions and opportunities to get into something like investment banking. Most other people I knew took analyst positions at corporations, and the majority of the high-achievers I knew went into consulting firms. With the most competitive jobs like investment banking, you gotta go all or nothing. It's not very compatible with trying to check the boxes for getting into medical school. I think, however, that majoring in economics will be beneficial though since it's a good fallback option if things don't work out. Good luck!

 

[aldol16]

Watch the movie "The Big Short" and look up Michael Burry.

 

[Blanky]

Crypto is exciting right now, but I would rather be interested in trading as a hobby while practicing medicine.

 

[getdown]

premed is not a major.

 

[lpe71]

I’d rather go through 4 years of MS then 3 of residency to get to an engaging and interesting job. I haven’t met a single person that likes the life of an entry level investment banker but I’ve heard of plenty of residents who love what they do (despite their ridiculous workweeks and stress).

 

[bommer1389]

Agree with majoring in Econ, but take med school prereqs if possible. If you enjoy Econ more than Bio, stick with it. It makes for a better Plan B. Also, med schools appreciate some academic diversity.