Question for non-science undergrad majors

[jenmarie]

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I hope this is the right forum. Sorry if it isn't!

I wanted to ask any med students with non-science undergrad majors if they felt like they were at a disadvantage for not having a science major. Are the basic requirements that med schools have enough for a solid foundation for med school? And lastly, do you feel like it was harder to get into med school with a non-science major?

Thanks!

 

[OncoCaP]

I'm not a non-science undergrad, but have talked to med students and practicing physicians with non-science backgrounds (e.g., a German major), and no, they did not feel at a disadvantage. For example, the German major has a fantastic memory, reading comprehension/speed skills way above average, and a love for anatomy (including the terminology), so he rocked in that subject and went on to become a top surgeon. The experience of non-science undergrads might vary somewhat from school-to-school.

 

[Law2Doc]

I hope this is the right forum. Sorry if it isn't!

I wanted to ask any med students with non-science undergrad majors if they felt like they were at a disadvantage for not having a science major. Are the basic requirements that med schools have enough for a solid foundation for med school? And lastly, do you feel like it was harder to get into med school with a non-science major?

Thanks!

Just the prereqs are fine for med school. And it was certainly not harder to get into med school with a non-sci major. If it makes you a more interesting applicant, it perhaps makes it easier to get into med school. Being the umpteenth bio major an adcom sees in a given day certainly doesn't help you stand out.

 

[Flopotomist]

Philosophy major here, and I think this major has helped me tremendously. There are of course a few details that I have had to study harder that some of the science guys already knew (eg the Kreb's cycle, knowing all the amino acids etc.) but these are trivia type questions.

Two other advantages, and why I tell people to major in what they really enjoy:

1. I studied something in undergrad that I really liked, so I did well, and actually really enjoyed the undergrad experience.

2. When the adcoms read your application, a biology degree just doesn't stand out. A degree in something interesting might help a bit.

 

[Mistress S]

I was an english major in undergrad. I enjoyed my major and wouldn't change it, and I don't feel I've been at a disadvantage. I also minored in bio so I took a few upper-level classes (biochem and genetics, which are actually required at my school now, as well as a few others). I have noticed that science majors obviously have more familiarity with some of the material, and this could be construed as a slight advantage, particularly in difficult subjects like physio where having seen the material before can facilitate understanding over those who have never been exposed to it. If you want to major in a non-science, definitely don't hesitate because you think it won't prepare you for med school, as people have mentioned it may help you develop other useful skills like critical thinking and rapid evaluation of written material (this was the case for me, and has been useful in med school and on the MCAT--I got a perfect score in VR). Do consider taking some upper level sciences alongside the humanities (besides the ones I mentioned earlier, physiology and cell/molecular bio might be helpful for the preclinical curriculum). Good luck!

 

[vtucci]

I think being a non-science major cuts both ways. If you are an excellent memorizer regardless of major, you will be fine. If, however, you were taught to think and not just memorize and regurgitate, first year really sucks. It gets better each year though and information synthesis and communication skills become increasingly important. I am only a second year so maybe it will all even out by the end of fourth year.

I would highly recommend that you take anatomy and immunology. A background in these courses is tremendously helpful. Ditto on physio and biochem.

 

[Dr_Biscuit]

someone I know, who was a pre med student, always told me that the trick to be accepted in a med school is to NOT major in biology. Biology major pre-meds are a dime a dozen, and they will be your stiffest competition for A's. You want A's. To get them, become a HUMANITIES major, ace the easy fluffy stuff, then focus your power on the prereqs. You'll graduate with a higher GPA, and not suffer from much of the stress the rest of us feel when we're up against 400 bio majors with the same goal of topping the curve. She was a molecular biology major, and it singlehandedly ruined her chances of getting into medical school. Now she's applying to med school again, hope she will get accepted!
BTW, I'm going to major in English while taking medicine prereqs.

 

[Law2Doc]

someone I know, who was a pre med student, always told me that the trick to be accepted in a med school is to NOT major in biology. Biology major pre-meds are a dime a dozen, and they will be your stiffest competition for A's. You want A's. To get them, become a HUMANITIES major, ace the easy fluffy stuff, then focus your power on the prereqs. You'll graduate with a higher GPA, and not suffer from much of the stress the rest of us feel when we're up against 400 bio majors with the same goal of topping the curve. She was a molecular biology major, and it singlehandedly ruined her chances of getting into medical school. Now she's applying to med school again, hope she will get accepted!
BTW, I'm going to major in English while taking medicine prereqs.

While I agree with this conceptually, you should realize that "easier" is based on perspective, and more than a few science oriented types have been known to tank the "fluffy stuff". Folks struggling in micro like to think that they are martyrs and everyone else has it easier, which may or may not be the case. If you aren't an avid reader who loves to write, and can handle yourself in essay tests, you may actually have trouble with the humanities. Certainly someone is balancing out those curves in the English classes.

 

[Tiger26]

Government major, history minor here. I think you're only at a disadvantage for the first couple of weeks because you don't have as much of a foundation as some of the other people in your class do, but once you come out of that first round of exams feeling like you've been kicked in the groin, you'll know where you're at and how much work you need to do. All it's been so far is memorization, so for the most part, the harder you work, the better you will do. I failed my first biochem test because I didn't know what to expect, but I worked my tail off and brought my entire average up 30%. You can definitely do this with a non-science major.

 

[jenmarie]

Thanks for the replies; they're really helpful. I want to keep my options open when I go to college. My mom's not too happy with the idea that I may not major in science, but I guess I'll find out what to do when I get there!

 

[samenewme]

Thanks for the replies; they're really helpful. I want to keep my options open when I go to college. My mom's not to happy with the idea that I may not major in science, but I guess I'll find out what to do when I get there!

Major in something you love. You'll get better grades and your eyes will sparkle when you talk about it. This is important in interviews.

 

[Flopotomist]

Major in something you love. You'll get better grades and your eyes will sparkle when you talk about it. This is important in interviews.

Just to reinforce how great this advice is - I totally agree. If you LOVE biology, wake up early in the morning eager to go study it, then that is what you should be studying. If not, then study something that DOES get you out of bed in the morning. Don't worry, you can still get into medical school if that is what you decide you want to do in a few years.

To the poster suggesting that certain humanities classes are "easier" I think that they may only appear so because people that tend to be taking these classes are doing so because they have a passion for what they are studying. I certainly put more time into some of my upper division philosophy classes than any of my science pre-reqs.

 

[jenmarie]

That is good advice. It's a bit irritating that I don't know what I want to major in right now. It's hard for me to figure out what I really like. I can't differentiate between liking the class and liking the teacher Sometimes I love the material we learn because the teacher makes it really interesting.

 

[vtucci]

That's the truth generally- be it high school, college or med school. College is for finding out what courses you like. Try a number of different offerings and see which speak to you.

 

[plutonium]

I hope this is the right forum. Sorry if it isn't!

I wanted to ask any med students with non-science undergrad majors if they felt like they were at a disadvantage for not having a science major. Are the basic requirements that med schools have enough for a solid foundation for med school? And lastly, do you feel like it was harder to get into med school with a non-science major?

Thanks!

Jenmarie, not only is going to medical school with background in the humaniities not a problem, it is an advantage. Entering medical school is the beginning of a life-long commitment. Aside from studying neuroanatomy and the physiological mechanisms of Williams disorder, you will want to have some time to periodically go to a museum, travel or enjoy some quality time with your hobby (i.e. your undergraduate non-science major).

You will not be at a disadvantage so long as you are willing to fill the gaps where others are solid as a result of intensive undergraduate scientific exploration. This is not hard, but will obviously require your dedication. You will be better off as a person with diverse interests and a greater sense of compassion and understanding of the world with a background in something other than science. But do not forget to focus on the fundamentals and stick with the medical texts 90% of the time, because, hey, that's your job.

 

[geekOCD]

I was a non-science major and don't feel at a disadvantage. But I also took some key upper level bio classes that have helped me in terms of general familiarity with concepts...I *highly* recommend you take anatomy, a semester of biochem, and immuno. I have a friend who was a bio major but didn't take anatomy and she had a lot of anxiety about it and had to spend a lot of time on it. She ended up fine on exams, but I was definitely more stress-free.

 

[med_heidelberg]

I was a double major in college (sciene and humanities) and I think without the science background, i would have been at a disadvantage. Having to learn biochem, cell biology etc for the first time in med school would not be much fun, I think. The pace is much faster and you are expected to know the material in just as much depth as a science major (at least at my school). But people manage to excel in med school without a science background, so you should major in what interests you.

 

[cfdavid]

My situation was a bit different, but I was a finance major that also took all the pre-reqs while in U-grad. Then, 12 years later, I took a bunch of mid-upper level science courses prior to applying. I did not retake any of the pre-req's though.

That being said, I'm VERY glad that I took all of those science courses (above and beyond the basic pre-reqs), which was necessary to reestablish an academic track record for applying etc. Again, my timeline was not traditional, but I feel those courses (physio, biochem, micro, immuno) have, and will in second year, come in handy in a pretty big way.

Also, during our welcome ceromony, it was very clear that the vast majority (though having non-science could help you stand out in lieu of this) of my peers were science majors and came into med school with some very strong backgrounds. Many have had a full year in biochem. And biochem is a lot of memorization of pathways and enzymes (as most of you well know..lol). So, the more you've been exposed (and have had to memorize in the past), the better off you'll be. Don't underestimate this benefit. It was MUCH easier to memorize glycolysis, tca, and the ETC processes having had that stuff before. So, keep that in mind. It's a big help.

So, NO, you don't need to be a science major. Others have said that it could be of strategic advantage to go another route (provided you enjoy whatever major you choose). But, try to take as many science electives as possible. Focus on physio, cell bio, biochem, micro, and immuno. Also, if you can take a cadaver based anatomy course, that would be great. Ofcourse all these classess are not necessary, but try to get in some of them.

 

[jenmarie]

Again, thanks for the tips! I'll be sure to remember them.

Is anybody here a psychology major? I've been looking into that and I want to audit a psychology class at my school. Learning about behavior and stuff like that sounds really interesting. I'm sort of worried about majoring in that and having nothing to do with it (in case med school doesn't work out). People with psych majors - how much did it help and how was it an advantage/disad?

 

[Blanket]

I have BS in Electrical Engn. After that, I worked in IT for 3 years.

I just wrapped up first semester and did just fine. Genetics started out difficult (especially the first exam) but after than I felt that I was upto speed with the rest of the class. At times, I had to spend more time on understanding the basics, but it was not too bad.

Next semester, I take cell biology and bio-chem so my Engn background might play a greater factor then.

 

[Sophie]

I was a psychology major in college, and I loved it. I actually was so happy and recommended it so highly that my best friend and fiance both switched to psychology, and another friend got a psych minor. The classes are really interesting, they focus on concepts (at least in my experience), and it's not hard to do well.

On the flip side, I do feel like I am at a disadvantage in med school right now. Our first block was a review of the basic sciences for most of my classmates, and I had to study really hard and was very stressed - it made me feel pretty stupid to be so behind everyone. I ended up scoring below the class average for that block. Our second block was much more clinical and interesting, but a lot of it was still review for the majority of the students - although they complained to no end about the difficulty of the subjects that weren't a review (e.g. pathology). I had already gotten used to being stressed and working hard due to the first block, while a lot of them had taken it pretty easy, so I guess that was an advantage. I think as time goes on it'll even out, but it really made the transition to med school rough.

Another thing is that psychology, and most non-science majors, teach you to learn concepts and analyze what you're learning. They don't prepare you for rote memorization and the level of detail you'll be expected to master. This was another shock, and it takes a bit of practice to become good at memorizing. I'm still struggling with this, and with changing my studying style to detail-oriented memorization rather than conceptual understanding. However, the strength in understanding and analyzing will pay off in pathology (I really enjoy this subject - it's largely based on understanding concepts, analyzing given situations, and synthesizing lots of info to reach a conclusion). I've heard it pays off in a lot of 2nd year, too.

If you like psychology, though, I'd definitely recommend majoring in it. You can take a few extra science classes (oh, definitely take biochem) and work on your memorization skills before starting med school, and you shouldn't be at much of a disadvantage.

 

[Sophie]

Oh, and to give a little better idea of what our blocks consist of (since I know block 1 and block 2 don't tell you much):

Block 1 consisted of: biochemistry, cell biology, physiology, gross anatomy, microanatomy, and to a smaller extent: genetics, statistics/epidemiology, and nutrition

Block 2 consisted of: gross anatomy, bacteriology, virology, immunology, pharmacology, pathology, and to a smaller extent: biochemistry, parasitology, and mycology