Psychology as Pre-Med? Good, Bad, Ugly?

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I have read a few threads on this site and others over the past week or so pertaining to Psychology as a pre-med degree. Some have said you CAN do whatever it is you want. Others have said it isn't a good idea but possible. I am looking to clear this up.

My ultimate goal is to become a Psychiatrist. I love my Psychology courses but want to practice Psychiatry. I know it is possible but would it be recommended to major in Psychology (while taking pre-med prerequisites) and go this route?

I know what I am about to say will make it seem as if I am not ready for pre-med but I have a family to look out for and need to make the best decision for them and me. If I go the Psychology route and for some reason don't get into or give up on med school I still have a Psychology degree. If I go the pre-med route and major in Biology I will have a degree that leads to no jobs I personally care to work at. I am an ex submariner and KNOW I can achieve med school with enough time and effort but I do not know where my life will be at in 4 years when I graduate undergraduate school.

Any assistance or direction would be greatly appreciated as I am not 100% sure what to do come next semester. Change my major to Biology (pre-med) or stay in Psychology (pre-med prerequisites).

Cheers,
Ryan

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I would say stick to what you love to do. If you like psychology, then get a psychology degree. I also feel like it is relevant to the field you want to study.

You might want to consider minoring in something like biology or physiology to back it up if you're worried about it.
 
Thank you for taking the time to respond. You are saying do either Psychology (pre-med prerequisites) or do Psychology minor in Biology? Both of those are ALMOST the same correct? I would like to finish my bachelors degree in 3 years and I don't know, correct me if I am wrong, but don't minors end up taking more time?

Cheers,
Ryan
 
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Thank you for taking the time to respond. You are saying do either Psychology (pre-med prerequisites) or do Psychology minor in Biology? Both of those are ALMOST the same correct? I would like to finish my bachelors degree in 3 years and I don't know, correct me if I am wrong, but don't minors end up taking more time?

Cheers,
Ryan

There really isn't much of a point to a biology minor, because medical school prereqs are a better representation of your abilities then if you took ecology courses for the minor. In regards to time, I am completing my bachelors in 3 years and was considering a minor in bioengineering which, if started freshman year, would not have added any additional time.
 
Thank you as well for your input. I think I am going to keep going on my Psychology major and ensure I get all my prerequisites completed.
 
Definitely stick with what you love. Like you said, if something doesn't work out via the med school route (which I'm sure it will for you)... but say you have a change of heart... you will always have that degree in the field that really, truly interests you. Plus, biology majors seem so boring to me... Some one mentioned majoring in psychology and then minoring in biology--that makes perfect sense to me.
 
I am completely going to do what I love to do and if med schools don't want me for whatever reason I will pursue my degree and will still be happy!
 
Interesting. I am interested in clinical Psychology / Psychiatry which should I pursue? BA or BS? I understand the difference in each but dont know which will be better. Thank you very much for that comment!

Cheers,
Ryan
 
Interesting. I am interested in clinical Psychology / Psychiatry which should I pursue? BA or BS? I understand the difference in each but dont know which will be better. Thank you very much for that comment!

Cheers,
Ryan

The curriculum requirements can differ... but that really depends on a lot of things, like what school you go to. For example, I received a BA at one school, and I took the exact same classes as someone who received a BS at another school. Apparently, at the other school, their BA requirements were less math- and science-oriented. Our program essentially had those math and science requirements already built into the BA curriculum; so my BA was the same as their BS. I say BA or BS makes no difference... what matters is whether or not you have a math and science to back up your knowledge in psychology. Just make sure you have a pretty good math/science background to go along with your psych studies, and you should be fine. Being pre-med, you will not need to worry about a thing.
 
I will review my schools BA and BS degrees and look at which one fits me the best. Thanks for the help.

Cheers,
Ryan
 
Regarding the BA vs. BS in psych, do many school actually give you an option? At my school you could only get a BA in psych, since a BS degree was reserved for engineering, bio, chem, physics, and the like, even though we took a year of research methods coursework that included math. I really can't imagine that a med school would see my BA in psych as less worthy than a BS in psych from an "easier"/unranked/whatever university.
 
Regarding the BA vs. BS in psych, do many school actually give you an option? At my school you could only get a BA in psych, since a BS degree was reserved for engineering, bio, chem, physics, and the like, even though we took a year of research methods coursework that included math. I really can't imagine that a med school would see my BA in psych as less worthy than a BS in psych from an "easier"/unranked/whatever university.
i didn't have an option. my school only gives BS for psych.
 
Regarding the BA vs. BS in psych, do many school actually give you an option? At my school you could only get a BA in psych, since a BS degree was reserved for engineering, bio, chem, physics, and the like, even though we took a year of research methods coursework that included math. I really can't imagine that a med school would see my BA in psych as less worthy than a BS in psych from an "easier"/unranked/whatever university.
At least at my California school they did. I think it's also the case in other California campuses.
 
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Stony Brook offers BA and BS degrees in Psychology. Each degree has separate curricula.
 
I graduated with a B.S. in Psychology and actually took some classes that kind of crossed over into the biological realm like psychopharmacology (...which I absolutely loved), cognitive psych, and physiological psych. Also be ready for research design and statistical courses. This is what usually separates the B.S. from the B.A.

If you stay determined, passionated, and feel secure in your foundation, you should be fine no matter your major.
 
heyy, mayy i ask why do you regret the BA option?
The bio option opens more doors for relevant research instead of research where you just hand out surveys. The bio option also has some overlap with neuroscience, so it will keep your mind jogging in the "science" without having to compromise your BCMP. Also, the BA option at my school was too general. You don't really learn in depth about any topic. You just scratch a lot of surfaces.
 
I would say do what you are interested in. Undergrad classes are just too much to keep your GPA up if you don't enjoy what you're doing.

I was a Justice Major with a Psych Minor. I did all my prereq's and then some and I did my own research project in the social administration field. All my interviewers liked what I had done in undergrad, not only because I excelled but because I was interested in what I did and it was reflected in my interviews.

Just do what you want. Life is too short to worry about the BS. :D
 
The bio option opens more doors for relevant research instead of research where you just hand out surveys. The bio option also has some overlap with neuroscience, so it will keep your mind jogging in the "science" without having to compromise your BCMP. Also, the BA option at my school was too general. You don't really learn in depth about any topic. You just scratch a lot of surfaces.

Thanks for the response!
Regarding the research ... you can still get other research opportunities though right? I heard that psychology research was pretty good because it focuses on humans most of the time whereas in a science major a lot of the time it is animal focused... I'm not sure thought that's what I've been told.
Also, have you felt that your major was ever looked down on for being a BA? (by an interviewer or medical adcom, not from personal opinion)
And yeah the BA option at the university I am considering is also fairly general, but it's also pretty flexible so I can take my pre-reqs + a lot of room for more sciences. The reason I want to go with the BA option is that it's flexible, includes a few more humanities and does not require math (which I'm pretty bad at)
 
I would say do what you are interested in. Undergrad classes are just too much to keep your GPA up if you don't enjoy what you're doing.

I was a Justice Major with a Psych Minor. I did all my prereq's and then some and I did my own research project in the social administration field. All my interviewers liked what I had done in undergrad, not only because I excelled but because I was interested in what I did and it was reflected in my interviews.

Just do what you want. Life is too short to worry about the BS. :D

hahah thanks for the advice!

P.S. your major is so cool! and unique :)
 
There really isn't much of a point to a biology minor, because medical school prereqs are a better representation of your abilities then if you took ecology courses for the minor. In regards to time, I am completing my bachelors in 3 years and was considering a minor in bioengineering which, if started freshman year, would not have added any additional time.

so does the adcom look at the courses you took?/
 
Well, I'm not in med school, so I can't answer to that. The tests are with humans, but you will soon learn that many of them don't account very well for other variables. Much of your research as an undergrad will probably be focused on giving surveys. It's boring work. I would prefer doing more biological research to prove my strong background in the sciences for med school.

I know this thread is a little bit stale, but I have to chime in here. All psych research does not consist of "giving out surveys." Many areas of psychology (behavioral, physiological/neuropsych) directly observe behavior while monitoring other variables. This is most definitely scientific. When you talk about "handing out surveys," I think you are thinking of social psychology and related fields. Although this is a little off-topic, but I do not believe relying on data from surveys is entirely scientific considering the fallacies of the human mind. Please be aware of the vast differences between psychology sub-fields before you make generalizations.
 
I majored in psych (BA) and did my pre-med requirements all in 4 years. And like some people have said, there isn't much work for someone with a degree in psych these days. Luckily for me, I always wanted to pursue medicine, and I got accepted to medical school this year.

Anyway, stick with your interests. Psychology is very interesting and is definitely correlated with one's health condition and health care, in general :)
 
What about Neuroscience? It's pretty much psychology but on the premed track. Seems to be exactly what you're looking for.
 
I have a BA in Psychology. A lot of it, surprisingly, does not pertain to psychiatry, but having this knowledge base will help you somewhat in your future training.

Obviously I think that Psychology is an interesting field, and if you agree, that should be reason enough to study it en route to medical school.
 
If you want to become a Psychiatrist, than I really suggest Neuroscience. It has psychology requirements but focuses on neurology and the brain. You're going to be a lot more concerned with medication and physiology as a psychiatrist than traditional therapy.
 
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