Science Major Needed?

[rotty1021]

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Are science majors neccesary for med school apps? Do admissions officers favor them? I may end up majoring in English Lit, minoring in Business Management, and taking plenty of upper level sci courses (i.e. microbi, histology, biochem, and other bio classes) plus the med school neccesities. I haven't entered college yet but was wondering how this would look towards med schools.

 

[Zub]

Hrmmm....I really hope not!=)
I'm currently a history major at UCLA, and am on the pre-med track as well. I talked with my counselor and it definately does not hurt to have a non-science major- sometimes it's even beneficial. HOWEVER, since I'm not a science major I will probably have a harder time with the MCATs since my knowledge of chem and bio won't be as deep as most of the science majors.

BTW- taking the upper division bio/chem won't really help you that much and will force you to probably take an extra year to graduate, esp w/a minor.

Good luck tho in figuring it all out

 

[YaFwiendToluene]

Choose a major that you enjoy and will do WELL in. I remember as an incoming freshman...Biology was my major...well...I jumped on the biology bandwagon like everyone else. Biology is ghey, repetitive and boring to an extent...I mean, I like physiology...but thats It. I am a junior now, I changed my major to something more interesting...chemistry of course.....and well..I love it and I'm enjoying my undergrad career right now. Moral of the story? Choose a major that interests you...just as long as you take ALL med school core requirements.

Cya

 

[Bonds756]

Originally posted by Zub
. HOWEVER, since I'm not a science major I will probably have a harder time with the MCATs since my knowledge of chem and bio won't be as deep as most of the science majors.

At the same time, non-science majors tend to have higher verbal MCAT scores. I think it all balances out and doesn't matter much.
No med schools will look down on people who did not major in science as long as you show them you are really interested in becoming a doctor and working hard. Take a few upper level science classed in addition to the requirements and you will be fine. The three you listed would be good ones.

 

[Gleevec]

I know of a lot of people who double major in a science and a liberal art (because it also fulfills undergrad curricular requirements!) and they tend to do very well, especially when talking about it during an interview.

 

[UCLAstudent]

Originally posted by Zub
HOWEVER, since I'm not a science major I will probably have a harder time with the MCATs since my knowledge of chem and bio won't be as deep as most of the science majors.

Actually, I have heard from quite a few sources that the opposite is usually true; non-science majors generally do better on the MCAT. They usually have a verbal edge, and they do pretty much the same as science majors on the science portions of the MCAT. This may or may not be true... kind of interesting. 🙂

 

[Zub]

Weird....my counselor told me that my verbal would probably be higher, but the other 2 sections would be lower than most sci. majors. I hope your right=)

Also, are upper division classes *really needed*?
Cause at the moment every quarter i'm taking 2 sci and 2 history courses....and i won't really be able to take any upper division classes prior to taking my MCAT.

Thanks=)

 

[Bonds756]

Originally posted by Zub

Also, are upper division classes *really needed*?
Cause at the moment every quarter i'm taking 2 sci and 2 history courses....and i won't really be able to take any upper division classes prior to taking my MCAT.

Thanks=)

If you can't, you can't. But hopefully then you will have some other kind of medically/science related experience like hospital volunteering, research, etc.
And even if you don't have time before you apply, you can take upper level classes your senior year after your applications are out (more to show that you are interested than to help with MCATs).

 

[Rapid Decomposition]

I swear, having a non-science major will almost always help you, if you can pull it off. I think it's better to have high stats and a science major than to have lower stats and a non-science major, but if you think you can do well in the science prereqs and you have a major interest in a non-science area, DO IT. I am a non-science major and I know that if I was a bio major I wouldn't have done as well as I have in the application process (or be as happy in undergrad as I have been).

I've also heard about the non-science majors doing as well as or better than science majors on the MCAT. Not sure if it's true, but you definitely don't need more than the basic level classes in physics, ochem, gchem, and bio to do well on the MCAT.

Bottom line, if you want to major in non-science because it's something you want to study, do it. Just make sure you don't forget you are premed, and make those classes your priority.

 

[crazyA]

Speaking from the perspective of a non-science major...

Schools don't really care about your major, they just want enough evidence that you can succeed in their science classes, so your science GPA will be important.

As for the MCAT, don't worry about it. I did fine in the science sections with a bare minimum science background (1 year bio, 1 year physics, 1 year gen chem, 1 year orgo) As long as you study adequately, and keep a clear mind at all times, there's no reason for you to not do well on the science sections.

I saw MCAT stats released by Princeton Review last year. Verbal scores of non-science majors were marginally (like .4) higher than science majors, but I doubt the difference is statistically significant. Science scores were virtually identical.

 

[opus03]

Check out the AAMC's data for MCAT examinees...at the bottom of summary data are broad categories of college majors. Although I think that the greatest percentage of test takers are biological science majors, it seems non-science majors are not at a disadvantage for the MCAT...

http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/examineedata/pubs.htm

 

[IlianaSedai]

Nope. As I said in another thread,

http://www.studentdoctor.net/forums/showthread.php?threadid=55039

I did English literature and am fine. Some people at my school said that not majoring in a science meant they had to "learn to study" during the first semester of med school, but science majors also made the same claim of needing to "learn to study" at my school. I can say, though, that most people who majored in the humanities and entered med school, never regretted it!

 

[Iffy premed]

Originally posted by rotty1021
Are science majors neccesary for med school apps? Do admissions officers favor them? I may end up majoring in English Lit, minoring in Business Management, and taking plenty of upper level sci courses (i.e. microbi, histology, biochem, and other bio classes) plus the med school neccesities. I haven't entered college yet but was wondering how this would look towards med schools.

well...majoring in english, minoring in business, and taking a courseload of upper division bio courses like the regular bio majors all at once...you definitely haven't entered college yet. 🙄

first...concentrate on what you want to study...all of your classes need time...people are too intent on "expanding their horizons" during college, that they often take on too much, and ruin their gpa forever. make some choices, but wisely, and pursue them till the end. you can't do it all, only have 24hrs/day
plus...when do you plan on spending time doing research, joining clubs, volunteering...all the goodies they want to see on a perfect premed resume?

 

[Gleevec]

If your school has curriculum requirements, you wont be getting as many majors/minors as you think you will be.

 

[khan]

doing well in these classes is mostly what counts to med schools, sounds like a heavy load, be careful!