Question for Med Students

[kurethmu]

Hi, I don't know if this is the right place for this but here it is. I am considering working towards getting into Medical School and have to choose on a major. As usual, I am being told by the advisors at school that Biology or Chemistry is a popular way to go. I have also been told that you can major in whatever you want as long as you get the pre-reqs for the school you're applying to. That's where my question comes in, I may major in English and get those pre-reqs at the same time. If any of you majored in something besides a science and done the same thing, I would like to ask if you were well prepared for the MCAT and how you fared. I am asking because it seems that those who had more science might stand a better chance at doing well at it. Or is it just a matter of getting those core sciences and then preparing correctly? Any help on this matter would be greatly appreciated.

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[Dral]

The science sections seemed to test Gen Chem, O Chem, Physics, and Biology. I don't really remember anything that one couldn't answer by taking 2 semesters of each of those, which I believe fall under the pre-reqs (and I took the darn thing 3 times).

Major in what you want. Unless you like research, it's tougher (not impossible obviously) to fall back on much with a Bio or Chem degree.

 

[Bartelby]

Major in what you want. I was a psych major and I scored a 35 S. I took the prereqs Dral mentioned, and the only other class I feel might have helped me would have been biochemistry. Definitely do not feel pressured into a taking a major because it will 'look good' to medical schools, they pretty much don't care what you major in as long as you excel at it (and your science prereqs).

 

[mmmcdowe]

Hi, I don't know if this is the right place for this but here it is. I am considering working towards getting into Medical School and have to choose on a major. As usual, I am being told by the advisors at school that Biology or Chemistry is a popular way to go. I have also been told that you can major in whatever you want as long as you get the pre-reqs for the school you're applying to. That's where my question comes in, I may major in English and get those pre-reqs at the same time. If any of you majored in something besides a science and done the same thing, I would like to ask if you were well prepared for the MCAT and how you fared. I am asking because it seems that those who had more science might stand a better chance at doing well at it. Or is it just a matter of getting those core sciences and then preparing correctly? Any help on this matter would be greatly appreciated.

Yeah, major in what you want. In the future though, questions about getting into medical school should be posted in the pre-med forum (don't worry there's more of us there than here a lot of the time).

 

[Warped Apostle]

I wish I had asked that question before choosing a major. I recommend picking a major that allows you to get a job right out of college. I was a biology major in college and when I wasn't accepted into medical school, I was left sucking my thumb trying to figure out what to do next. I ended up going for a masters degree because I knew I wanted to do medicine but could not find a job. I say stick with teaching, engineering, nursing, or business. All of those professions have immediate job placing. With engineering you can have a lower gpa because admission committees understand the harder course work. None of the majors in undergrad are passions for pre meds because we all want to be physicians, so why not choose one with a starting salary of 40k and up?

 

[st0w]

None of the majors in undergrad are passions for pre meds because we all want to be physicians, so why not choose one with a starting salary of 40k and up?

Plenty of pre-med and medical students have passions outside of medicine. I would argue having such interests is actually a hallmark of people who will be well-rounded physicians.

To the OP, as other people have said, major in something you enjoy that you could be happy doing if medical school doesn't work out. You're going to spend four years studying it, so why torture yourself? Additionally, if you're studying something you like, the chances are that your grades are going to reflect that interest - which will make you a stronger candidate for medical school.

Picking a major because it would be something that might be able to make you a little money for a year or two out of college isn't a good idea. If you end up doing that in a field you don't really enjoy, those years are NOT going to be fun. Neither is college. And what if medical school doesn't work out or you decide it isn't for you? Now you're not going to be a physician, you're stuck with a degree in something you never really wanted to do in the first place.

If you want to major in English, go for it! There are plenty of things you can do for a year or two with a degree in English to make some money.

 

[synapse lapse]

As everyone else said, major in what you want. You will learn everything you need for the MCAT in your required prereqs, and you will learn everything you need to be a physician later on. I majored in philosophy btw.

 

[coldweatherblue]

I was a music major and loved it.. am totally glad I studied music and I use it every day to remain balanced in med school.

I took g-bio and g-chem in like 2003-2004, and took the MCAT in 2007. Honestly I didn't remember very much at all from those classes and had to study a lot for the MCAT (maybe 4 hours a day for one month). Physics and o-chem I'd taken more recently and didn't study as much but the others I hit really hard during MCAT prep.

 

[J ROD]

If I had it over to do again, I would have majored in nursing since it would be a great backup!!!

 

[ButImLETired]

I majored in something I loved (not bio or biochem or chem) and I have a couple of words of "wisdom":

1) make sure whatever you major in is something you're good at. If you're absolutely positive you'll be going into medicine, avoid the major that sounds really cool but you suck at. AKA don't be a math major because you think it sounds interesting and/or because you think med schools will like it- med schools don't care about the name of your major, but they will care if gpa is a 2.8- you'll then have to deal with the consequences. Part of me is really glad that I majored in something I loved and that really challenged me, and another part wonders why I made my life harder than it needed to be.

2) Regardless of what you major in, you might find it useful to take more than the minimum amount of required sciences. For one thing, taking more advanced sciences will give you a hint of whether you really do like science enough to study it in grad school, and if you DO still choose to go to med school in the end, many of those classes will help you with the MCAT or even med school classes themselves. For example, I'm thrilled to have taken lots of neuroscience and physiology now that I'm here, but I really wish I'd paid closer attention to genetics, and that I'd taken biochem.

3) Throughout it all, keep questioning whether you really want to do the med school thing. Shadow, do research- whatever you need. Test the theory, don't just keep assuming that because you liked one thing you'll like all the others. Be POSITIVE.

 

[kurethmu]

For all of you who say "if you get into medical school", what are the reasons that a person wouldn't make it? Do you mean if your grades aren't good enough or if a person decides they don't wanna do it or what? It seems to me that if a person has the grades and then applies to alot of schools they should at least get into one or two. Is this thinking wrong?

 

[mybubbles14]

For all of you who say "if you get into medical school", what are the reasons that a person wouldn't make it? Do you mean if your grades aren't good enough or if a person decides they don't wanna do it or what? It seems to me that if a person has the grades and then applies to alot of schools they should at least get into one or two. Is this thinking wrong?

yes...there are ppl who you would be astonished to find out didn't gain admission on their first try. I too didn't understand the magnitude of the acceptance rate (less than ~50% now?) until probably my junior year. The competition gets higher and higher each year and there is a lot of variability in the entire application process that could affect your chances at acceptance. It's also more than just grades...If you're determined to go to medical school and willing to do whatever it takes you should be able to get in but not everyone gets in the first time they apply...(even if on paper they look like they wouldn't have any problems)

 

[FluffyRabbit]

With engineering you can have a lower gpa because admission committees understand the harder course work.

The corollary to this is that given the course work will be "harder", unless you are actually an engineering type, your gpa is likely to be indeed lower, negating any possible advantage. You don't get to switch your major from Biology to EECS and automatically keep the same GPA. Then again, I do like engineering and math! It really depends on what your strengths are.