Psychology major and Pre req anyone?

[ScaredMedfed]

So I have had this question in my mind for a long time but I don't have anyone to ask so I thought you guys might be able to help me.

So it takes 4 years for a pre med student to get his undergrad degree if everything goes normally. With that being said, I just picked the psychology major that I will be obtaining my undergrad in before appliing to med school and to do that at the same time I would have to take pre req for med school too.

This is the part that confuses me, how does a person manage to take, 1 year of bio, 2 years of chem, 1 year of english, 1 year of physics and on top of that finish his undergrad major courses? Like is that possible? I am willing to have a full schedule(I have a photographic memory and combined with my work ethics I can do good I know that ) I just want to know how do you pull this off in 4 years

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[deleted407021]

I have a psych degree and I had more than enough room to complete my pre-reqs and then some. I took genetics and human genetics on top of that with plenty of space left over. Essentially, you'll end up with lots of "elective" hours. I graduated early, as well.

 

[ScaredMedfed]

I have a psych degree and I had more than enough room to complete my pre-reqs and then some. I took genetics and human genetics on top of that with plenty of space left over. Essentially, you'll end up with lots of "elective" hours. I graduated early, as well.

Really? Wow. That gave me hope. Thank you

 

[mistafab]

I was a psych major as well. It is very easy to fit the pre-reqs into your semesters. I did switch from a minor in stats -> biology in order to make it easier though. I'd recommend taking a minor in one of the premed-core disciplines (chem or bio) just to make it easier for you.

 

[651297]

I declared my psychology major a bit late and will still finish the degree and all pre-requisites on time.

 

[raiderette]

I did it in the normal period. Started chem sequence as a freshman and took prereqs throughout junior year. It isn't difficult and I had a chem minor just from taking the prereqs.

 

[dreamadream]

I'm graduating in 2019 instead of 2018 and I'm heartbroken but that's just how it goes as a premed. And yes, people have graduated in 4 years or hell, less than that. You just have to manage your time wisely and register early.

 

[deleted407021]

I declared my psychology major a bit late and will still finish the degree and all pre-requisites on time.

Adding to my original post ...

I was a biology major and switched over about half-way through college and still managed very easily.

 

[ScaredMedfed]

That was very helpful everyone. I guess it seems impossible right now but it makes sense. Thanks a lot everyone!!

 

[Govols22]

Its possible, but still hard. If you have time, you can make a theoretical schedule for the next 4 years and see how many classes/hours you need to take. Personally, I don't think graduating in 5 years is a bad thing. It's pretty normal.

 

[haaaaaaaaaaveyoumetted]

I have many friends who were English/Pre-med or Spanish, Art History, etc. and still managed to complete their degree and complete pre-requisites. I would recommend planning out the requirements for premed and your major with your academic advisor (if they're a good one). Excel spreadsheets of possible courses got me through 2 major changes!

 

[Lucca]

I'm doing two degrees, am graduating in 4 and finished my pre-reqs at the end of sophomore year. It's totally doable. Just take 15 credits or equivalent a semester and it is easily done

 

[Pagan FutureDoc]

Going off a semester system. It seems most students need 120-128 hrs to graduate on time. A major usually requires 30hrs and gen Ed is somewhere in the 45-60 hr range. Which still gives you 45-60hrs to take your prereqs (some of which will be covered under gen Ed).

And that's only taking 15hrs a semester with no summer classes.

 

[Cytarabine]

I double majored psych and chem and didn't start off as either. There's plenty of time to take care of prereqs. That said, plan out of your schedule. Don't just schedule what you feel like for a semester and expect it to work out 7 semesters later

 

[prehealthadvisor55]

You'll need to be taking more than 1 science a semester for the most part. But it's definitely possible. I have tons of students who are Psych majors that are also doing med prereqs. Like others have said, you just have to plan it out & do well in the courses. If you have a good Psych advisor, try to also find a pre-med advisor. Using the guidance of the 2 you'll be able to plan out both to make sure you get everything finished in the time you want!

Also, if you're planning on taking the MCAT in between your junior & senior year, your senior year will just be Psych requirements or other graduation requirements. You should have all the med prereqs pretty much done by that point.

 

[ilovegrapesoda]

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[ScaredMedfed]

Thank you everyone. Also, I have another question for you guys since it seems like most of you majored in psychology. Is it a worth majoring in psychology? A lot of people say it is useless to major in psychology. Can you guys give me some information on that

 

[Dandine]

Was waiting for others to reply because I am not a psych major, but if you're planning on having more years of study after undergrad (grad, med, master's, etc.), the consensus is no, it's not useless. However, in the end, you are the one who will decide how you want to frame your path of study in undergrad, and that will depend on your investment in certain activites or opportunities you pursue, which may or may not involve your major. This goes for all majors, not just psych.

(Also posted because I wanted to bump this thread for people interested in commenting on their experiences with psych.)

 

[deleted407021]

Thank you everyone. Also, I have another question for you guys since it seems like most of you majored in psychology. Is it a worth majoring in psychology? A lot of people say it is useless to major in psychology. Can you guys give me some information on that

It's immensely interesting -- at least to me. Everything is psychology. Even our observations of the most distant of stars in the Universe are filtered through our senses and perceptions and consolidated in our memories. Our brain is an organ that's evolved the capacity to look at, understand and communicate with the environment outside its bone case. This stuff is cool.

From a more pragmatic angle, a psych degree ought to give you the opportunity to be fairly well rounded and expose you to some very important theories about how humans work. Not plants or insects, but the human animal. Aside from my interest in the subject, the main reason I switched over from biology was because I felt my psych coursework was more applicable to my life and work than "flora of the coastal plain" -- I was right, I think.

Also, you may have more opportunity to get involved in faculty research as a psych major, since there's likely to be fewer pre-whatevers gunning for positions.

 

[TypeADissection]

Gonna echo the sentiments of everyone above. Was a psych major and that did not affect my ability to get into medical school (or do well once there). If anything, it gives you something else to talk about. My junior research project was about the moment the mind perceives emergent properties and my senior project was about thin slice judgments. In my opinion, a lot more fascinating to carry out and then talk about at interviews, dinner parties, etc. So embrace the major you have chosen and do the best you can. Cheers.