Science vs. Arts Background

[TobiasFish]

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Lately I have been reading about programs pushing for more applicants from backgrounds other than science and indeed programs that already have preexisting venues for applicants with non-science backgrounds:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/30/nyregion/30medschools.html?emc=eta1

There are many in my class who have come from business, arts, language, etc, yet I find something troubling about this trend. A solid grounding in the sciences is crucial for understanding almost every medical concept (sans perhaps patient relations). On the other hand, I know that there are many good doctors who come from non scientific backgrounds and end up doing terrifically in med school.

What do people think? Should we be pushing for more people from non-scientific disciplines in medicine?

 

[blueberrybaby]

I don't think it matters. I think MCAT's test whatever essentials you need to know..I'm sure that a science major will find the first year easier no doubt...but its not essential.

Like I go to med school in UK, and we do an undergraduate course, we don't even have a degree before we go to medical school, yet we learn the same things as you guys in US...and we take the USMLE (which I'm doing now) and are matched in US...so I don't think prior background is essential, but could sure be helpful.

🙂

 

[namethatsmell]

I see where you're coming from regarding the need to have a "solid" grounding in the sciences, but I'm not sure you need to major in a science to get that.

I majored in something that had nothing to do with basic science and only took the bare minimum premed reqs (bio, chem, orgo, physics). While majoring in a science might have scored me a few extra points on the MCAT, it has not proven to be a detriment in med school. For example, I have friends who majored in biochem...we blew through their knowledge base in about 3 lectures and after that we were on an even playing field.

I will admit that it was a bit of a pain to get myself used to studying mostly science 24/7 (goodbye writing), but on the other hand a lot of my science major classmates found that their tried-and-true science study habits from college we're no longer efficient enough.

In the end, I personally like the variety of having both science majors and non-science majors in my class.

 

[Meerkatology]

science major makes 1st year easier.

 

[MossPoh]

I must've had a hardcore undergrad biochem course because we literally only mentioned about 3 things I never heard before. It didn't make it any easier, but still.

 

[falkifox]

I think it is perfectly fine and welcome for students of the arts and humanities to enter into medicine. I don't think you need to be a bio/chem major to do well in medical school. What you do need are the basic tools to approach the material which are provided in the pre-req courses and the MCAT.

Keep in mind that regardless of major, the student still needs to nail their sGPA and MCAT which I think shows they have every competency to handle med school material.

 

[DeadCactus]

The funny thing is that everyone's so busy asking whether they should require a medically relevant degree, but no one bothers to ask why they force you to waste tens of thousands of dollars and four years of your life on an undergraduate education when history and drama majors are doing just fine in medical school...

 

[namethatsmell]

I must've had a hardcore undergrad biochem course because we literally only mentioned about 3 things I never heard before. It didn't make it any easier, but still.

I'm not trying to disparage any major. To clarify, my buddies knew our first few lectures cold (protein structure and folding/ion channels/similar stuff) based on their previous coursework. After that, while they certainly recognized big chunks of the material as the course went on, they said it was just at a much deeper level (as in much more minutiae) than they had been previously exposed to--it seemed like, as you said, it was no longer easy for them. Of course I never felt that biochem was easy at any point, but we all ended up doing well in the course.

My apologies if I offended ya. My only intent was to say that in my opinion you aren't exactly doomed to mediocrity/being clueless in med school if you aren't a science major.

 

[gettheleadout]

The funny thing is that everyone's so busy asking whether they should require a medically relevant degree, but no one bothers to ask why they force you to waste tens of thousands of dollars and four years of your life on an undergraduate education when history and drama majors are doing just fine in medical school...

Is it just a handful of schools that don't actually require a Bachelor's or more/less?

 

[DeadCactus]

Is it just a handful of schools that don't actually require a Bachelor's or more/less?

I don't know how many schools require a degree, but they all require a high enough number of hours that essentially make it necessary. If you require 75% of a degree, how many applicants are really going to pass up doing the extra 25% to get a degree and boost their chances of getting in?

 

[ZagDoc]

I was a Biology and Philosophy dual major. Honestly, I think the bio degree made me a better medical student. But the philosophy background has definitely helped me more with patient interactions, and I suspect will serve me better as a physician.

FWIW.

 

[Encephalectomy]

ah yes, i can see how being a philosophy major would be a great boon for physician-patient relations....my imagined scenario

Hello, I'm Dr. Philsopher, it looks like you have appendicitis...three hours later... so as you can see, your free will and ability to 'consent' to this procedure are merely an illusion.


To the topic of the thread, I think that you can major in anything and do well in your premed requirement classes and probably be well prepared for medical school. That said, having a good science background (especially something like a molecular biology background + lab experience) will make your first year easier and a decent understanding of of physics and chemistry will make physiology very intuitive.

 

[Dirt]

This thread makes me enjoy the fact that my philosophy major ass crushes all the hardcore science majors on tests even more.

Even better is the fact that I took one single science class in undergrad and a monkey could have gotten an A in my post-bac.

Your major doesn't mean $hit.

Take this pre-allo topic back to where it belongs.

 

[namethatsmell]

my philosophy major ass

You ever read Karl Popper? I've never felt so stupid in all my life.