Should I give up on pre-med?

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Sounds like you need to cut the cord. Are they even doctors (i.e. do they know what the hell they're talking about)? Switch to a major that interests you and you're more likely to do well. Improve that GPA or consider DO schools.
 
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I'm noticing you talking a lot about what your parents want rather than what you want.
 
Do what makes you happy OP. If psychology is what you want to do then do that.

Your parents aren't the ones living your life... you are.
 
I got ~3.0 GPA my first semester of college and figured it out and got accepted to school---plenty of time to get it together but you need to do it now. Also do what you like and not what your parents, although its easier said than done when they are paying your tuition.
 
It's times like these that I'm grateful to have parents that always say to me "Just be happy". Pursue what you want, forget your parents.
 
Tebow said:
Sounds like you need to cut the cord. Are they even doctors (i.e. do they know what the hell they're talking about)? Switch to a major that interests you and you're more likely to do well. Improve that GPA or consider DO schools.
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His GPA is too low for DO schools.
 
Your parents are correct. There won't be a phenomenal difference content-wise between psychology and psychobiology. "Lack of interest" is a terrible excuse for a low GPA. It sounds like you're looking for excuses to take the easy way out. Don't make a big career mistake because you felt some vauge sense of "passion" at age 18. Yes, nobody else has control over your life, but that doesn't mean they can't help you make rational decisions. Whichever path you pick, you will encounter things that don't interest you. Don't be afraid to learn discipline.

Success in college (and later) isn't about just doing whatever feels good at the moment.
 
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I generally agree with the people advocating for the "just please yourself" route; however, it's also important to proceed with caution when following this advice. What makes you happy now or instant gratification is not necessarily what will make you happy in the future. For example, psychology may interest you yet leave you jobless when you graduate. That's a reality you have to take into consideration. If that's a risk you'll willingly take because you're that interested in psychology, by all means do so. If not, then I might suggest shopping around for something that you are not THAT interested in, or something that you might not be falling heads over heels for, but would likely give you better graduation prospects and ultimately leave you happier later on.

EDIT:
Also, if you're only a freshman, you have plenty of time to pull that GPA up. One semester of grades isn't difficult to move. However, that doesn't mean you can blow two more semesters off - you need to start finding motivation to get better grades, otherwise in the near future it may actually be too late to pursue some of your goals.
 
TheKDizzle said:
I generally agree with the people advocating for the "just please yourself" route; however, it's also important to proceed with caution when following this advice. What makes you happy now or instant gratification is not necessarily what will make you happy in the future. For example, psychology may interest you yet leave you jobless when you graduate. That's a reality you have to take into consideration. If that's a risk you'll willingly take because you're that interested in psychology, by all means do so. If not, then I might suggest shopping around for something that you are not THAT interested in, or something that you might not be falling heads over heels for, but would likely give you better graduation prospects and ultimately leave you happier later on.

EDIT:
Also, if you're only a freshman, you have plenty of time to pull that GPA up. One semester of grades isn't difficult to move. However, that doesn't mean you can blow two more semesters off - you need to start finding motivation to get better grades, otherwise in the near future it may actually be too late to pursue some of your goals.
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He'll have to go to graduate school afterwards, but isn't that the reality of most undergraduates these days?
 
I'm taking a class at UCLA (and other schools), and to tell you the truth, you won't do well at the school if you don't like your classes. You need to be upfront with your parents and tell them what you want. What don't you like about your major? Is it biology? The biology sequence at the school is no cake walk, so you need to be prepared to put in some work for those classes. You should reconsider your career path if you don't like biology, and give your parents statistics on how many students match into residencies going to med school outside the U.S.
 
Maybe you should take a break from pre-med for a while so you can figure out what YOU want. I basically did that--I came in pre-med, but I was really extrinsically motivated, and that wasn't enough. I wasn't happy and studying for my classes felt like a huge struggle. So, I dropped pre-med, chose a major I loved, and got really involved in that. I eventually came back to pre-med, but the second time around it was on my own terms, and I found it much easier to succeed because I actually wanted to.

So, maybe you should consider taking a semester off from prereqs and bio classes, and just take psych classes instead. I'm sure there are psych classes that count toward your psychobio major, so you might not have to change your major/have that battle with your parents just yet. Maybe after a few semesters of psychology, you'll realize you want nothing more than to be a psychiatrist or a neurologist or what have you. You can always change your mind and come back to pre-med if you want to. If you do end up pursuing medicine, I think it's much easier to just take those classes later than it is to take them now, unhappy and unmotivated, and have to repair the GPA damage later. :luck:
 
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I think you'd be a lot happier if you found out what you want out of life and pursued it rather than what your parents want.
 
Talk to your parents. I can think of nothing a psychobiology major would qualify for that a psychology major would not. Ask them why a six figure salary is so important. (Is 99,000 per year not enough?) And, as has been said, what do YOU want to do?
 
Majoring in psychology would be a bad idea. Your parents know a lot more about life than you think. Maybe medicine isn't the right choice for you, but switchig majors because it's too hard is always always always a bad idea. You would have more options with psycho-biology as it is more specific and unique.

seen it happen soooooo many times. I wanted to switch from Biochem once-- had the same reaction from parents as you. They wouldn't let me. SO SO SO glad they didn't let me.

It's not always as b/w as "live your own life you're an adult". Your parents probably don't have some terrible agenda. Why don't you stick it out a little longer and see how it goes.

There is actually a lot to doing something that actually has the capability of making money and getting a job. Work is work and always will be. There is nothing wrong with that. Finding a job for the purpose of making a living is (shockingly) not so wrong.
 
It's ok to not enjoy freshman bio, ochem, gchen, etc. Things get a lot more fun once you start taking anatomy, physiology, histology, and some of the more specific, upper level stuff.
 
Tebow said:
Sounds like you need to cut the cord. Are they even doctors (i.e. do they know what the hell they're talking about)? Switch to a major that interests you and you're more likely to do well. Improve that GPA or consider DO schools.
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OP just said he/she doesn't want to go to med school.

:smack:
 
2012Aggie said:
It's ok to not enjoy freshman bio, ochem, gchen, etc. Things get a lot more fun once you start taking anatomy, physiology, histology, and some of the more specific, upper level stuff.
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Very true!
 
Also...I don't know where this is from, but I remember reading something about how 95% of all psychology majors don't actually end up with jobs in psych-related fields.

My advice is to figure out what you may enjoy (even if only slightly) and decide what career would incorporate that interest but also has good job prospects and decent pay. It's ok not to make 6 figures. Most of the world doesn't.
 
You only live once. Live it to the fullest.

Change to psychology.
 
BurntFlower said:
You only live once. Live it to the fullest.

Change to psychology.
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Is this actually true? I have always wondered about what makes us realize that we are unique and exist independently of other people. I mean...how do you know that we are not living multiple lives at the same time? Or that once we die, we begin a new life in a different body (without realizing it)?

Haha, seriously, some food for thought.
 
Do what you feel is right for you. Just be sure you'll face the consequences if you ever decide to change it again.
 
Psychology isn't really great for landing a job by itself. But then life sciences in general aren't much better. If you want a good job with just a BS get an engineering degree. In any case internships, research, etc. are way more important than your major and GPA as far as just getting a job after undergrad goes.

However, the only psychology related job you can really do with a BS is research; or maybe some kind of clinical work under a psychiatrist's supervision. A lab tech in the neurosciences will probably make about $35k - doing other kinds of psych research will probably make a lot less.
 
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Don't know if this is mentioned but even if you go psych you can still get accepted to medical school.
 
will you guys stop it. The OP doesn't want to go to med school.
 
As someone who switched, do yourself a favor, if you don't have the passion for this, don't waste your time. There's no point in spending countless hours on classes, studying, MCAT, applying, EC, shadowing, volunteering, just the whole process, only to spend the next 7-12 years preparing for a job, all while going into MASSIVE debt.

Do something else where you can make a decent living AND BE HAPPY. Don't worry about what your parents think. They just want you to be a doctor so they can show you off as some kind of symbol of their success as parents. They won't be the ones living your life, you will. Do what makes you happy, and allows you an income where you can live decently. Plenty of jobs offer you that, and it doesn't have to be medicine. At least then you won't have your Saturday night ruined because you messed up on a few MCAT practice passages, lol.
 
SoulinNeed said:
As someone who switched, do yourself a favor, if you don't have the passion for this, don't waste your time. There's no point in spending countless hours on classes, studying, MCAT, applying, EC, shadowing, volunteering, just the whole process, only to spend the next 7-12 years preparing for a job, all while going into MASSIVE debt.

Do something else where you can make a decent living AND BE HAPPY. Don't worry about what your parents think. They just want you to be a doctor so they can show you off as some kind of symbol of their success as parents. They won't be the ones living your life, you will. Do what makes you happy, and allows you an income where you can live decently. Plenty of jobs offer you that, and it doesn't have to be medicine. At least then you won't have your Saturday night ruined because you messed up on a few MCAT practice passages, lol.
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mods must sticky this.
 
Medicine obviously isn't right for you if you don't like it at all. Although, I do want to point out something... Your parents are trying to do what's best for you, and obviously they see a rich, successful doctor as your future. If that's not what you want to be, then OK, but I just want to say don't resent your parents for pushing whatever choices on you.
 
FlyingFeatherz said:
I'm a freshman undergrad at UCLA and I've been struggling a lot...I don't find interest in the material I'm learning and I think my GPA is around a 3.0 right now
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Everyone has touched on the parent thing already, so I wont speak much on that. What I will say, however, is that the premed material you learn in undergrad as a freshman is extremely dry in my opinion. You should ask yourself if you hate the material you're currently learning or if you hate the general idea of becoming a doctor.

I say this because becoming a physician isn't all about knowing physics, organic chemistry, biochemistry, etc. While all of those subjects are important to know (maybe not physics so much), it's also important to understand that becoming a doctor involves caring for people, being personable, etc. These are all skills that are supposed to be somewhat innate, fostered in college, and further cultivated in medical school. If you can take a step back and look at the bigger picture of a career like this one rather than the current uninteresting classes you're currently taking, it may make a difference. However, if find you hate medicine then you hate medicine, and there's no changing that.

I'm in medical school now, and I didn't find a lot of my freshman classes in college to be fun (intro chem and intro bio were a drag!) but I stuck it out because I had a gut feeling that it HAD to get better, and it does. There are a plethora of classes that you can take in undergrad outside of the pre-med requirements that will make you more interested in medicine/happier in life. I majored in English and minored in Chemistry, and--believe it or not--I learned a lot about caring for people through some awesome English courses, but I still kept my focus on science via the Chemistry minor/pre-med pre-requisites.

Mix it up! Major in whatever you want to. Major in Psychology if you want, but just complete your pre-med requirements. In medical school, you will learn that it is a BAD, BAD, BAD thing to let go of the things that interest you because of medicine. Medicine will be your career, and you aren't supposed to put your career before yourself. Medical schools look for applicants that understand how to be effectively interested in other things besides medicine. They don't want science robots (unless you're MD/PhD, haha), and I think the goal is to figure out how to balance both loves--and it CAN be done/HAS been done.

So should you give up on pre-med with a 3.0 GPA as a freshman because it's hard? Hell no! Should you give up on pre-med with a 3.0 GPA as a freshman because you hate your courses? Hell no!

Get a few more interesting classes under your belt before you make that decision. You're only a freshman! The amount of things that I thought I knew as a freshman compared to what I really knew as a freshman is quite comical. I say put your parents aside and think about what you really want in life. Where do you see yourself? How do you see yourself getting there? Why do you want to be there?

Hope that helps you a little bit. :thumbup:
 
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FlyingFeatherz said:
They said they would rather have me be a 3.0 psychobiology (my current major) than a 4.0 psychology, because they don't think I can get any decent job with a high salary (triple digits) if I go Psychology.
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Does psychobiology offer this kind of salary? I've never heard of it. What kind of work do they do?
 
thestrokes14 said:
Is this actually true? I have always wondered about what makes us realize that we are unique and exist independently of other people. I mean...how do you know that we are not living multiple lives at the same time? Or that once we die, we begin a new life in a different body (without realizing it)?

Haha, seriously, some food for thought.
Click to expand...

No, that's not food for thought. That's just the same nonsense that our terrified and irrational species has been telling itself for thousands of years.
 
synthmonsterjax said:
Your parents are correct. There won't be a phenomenal difference content-wise between psychology and psychobiology. "Lack of interest" is a terrible excuse for a low GPA. It sounds like you're looking for excuses to take the easy way out. Don't make a big career mistake because you felt some vauge sense of "passion" at age 18. Yes, nobody else has control over your life, but that doesn't mean they can't help you make rational decisions. Whichever path you pick, you will encounter things that don't interest you. Don't be afraid to learn discipline.

Success in college (and later) isn't about just doing whatever feels good at the moment.
Click to expand...

There is a huge difference content wise between what a psyhobio major learns versus a psych major. Do not preach or give advice if you at not familiar with the coursework. It may seem like there isn't a difference, but there is. Not trying to call out just this post.. A few others were essentially saying the same thing.


Okay. Being a psychobio major myself, let me tell you there IS a difference at Ucla at least between the classes you take in your lower and upper div classes as compared to a psych major. Also, of course there is a difference! One is a bachelor in arts and other in science.

Also, neither major by itself will really get you anywhere.

You've probably heard at ucla as psychobio being the "easy pre-med major"... it is a bachelors in science and the lower div classes are essentially the same as mimg or mcdb or eeb.. The major difference between psychobio and other life science majors for lower divs is that you have to take psych 10, 100a, and 100b (these three are also required for psych).

IMPORTANT: keep in mind, whether you decide to choose psych or psychobio, your major is impacted. Before you finish all your prereqs, you are a pre-major. You have to declare by a certain number of units. So make sure you dont waste units. Otherwise, you won't be able to get into the major you work for. It's not that tough really to declare in time.. But if you go back and forth between major and their different requirements, it will get tough.

In psych, you won't be doing the chem, math, physics, or bio series (pay attn to the post above which talks about how these prereq subjects may not necessarily directly appear much later in your career). You instead will have one survey course, for most part, per each mentioned.

For upper div classes, psych majors have more choices and freedom to pick from a wide variety of classes. For psychobio, it was a bit more structured- you can't avoid 110, 115, 116, etc., and some of the fun psych classes were only offered to psych majors not psychbio. So they will get credit for more psych classes and for us psyhbio kids, we can get credit thru biochem, mcdb, and other science electives (this does not mean your ever have to take these, just that their variety is in psych classes and ours is in the harder sciences)

Anyway: my point... Lower div completely different. Upper div- more freedom in psych.

End of the day: figure out what YOU want to do.

I loved psychobio, my first two years, pre-reqs for the major, were the same as any other science major... So me liking my major is based solely on upper divs. You don't really explore the subject til upper div.

You can go to psych advising in Franz Hall.

Or, can take a few classes to see what you like. And you won't get screwed over cus likely the class would fulfill a requirement in either major. So you aren't really wasting time. Chances are you won't be able to do that til sophomore year because you wont get into the classes on any pass as a freshman.

If you don't want to do med school, make a plan that will let you make up your mind Too much time will be wasted taking the wrong classes. Your lower divs won't transfer all over to fulfill psych pre-reqs.

Overall, I agree with the posts above.. do it for yourself; be realistic.

Also, carribean isn't too bad as long as you are smart about which school you go to. But that is besides the point if you dont even want to go to med school.
 
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thestrokes14 said:
Is this actually true? I have always wondered about what makes us realize that we are unique and exist independently of other people. I mean...how do you know that we are not living multiple lives at the same time? Or that once we die, we begin a new life in a different body (without realizing it)?

Haha, seriously, some food for thought.
Click to expand...

I think about this all the time... Mindf***. Also, if the universe is expanding, what is it expanding in to? ahhhhhhhhh :scared:
 
goodnewsplease said:
There is a huge difference content wise between what a psyhobio major learns versus a psych major. Do not preach or give advice if you at not familiar with the coursework. It may seem like there isn't a difference, but there is. Not trying to call out just this post.. A few others were essentially saying the same thing.


Okay. Being a psychobio major myself, let me tell you there IS a difference at Ucla at least between the classes you take in your lower and upper div classes as compared to a psych major. Also, of course there is a difference! One is a bachelor in arts and other in science.

Also, neither major by itself will really get you anywhere.

You've probably heard at ucla as psychobio being the "easy pre-med major"... it is a bachelors in science and the lower div classes are essentially the same as mimg or mcdb or eeb.. The major difference between psychobio and other life science majors for lower divs is that you have to take psych 10, 100a, and 100b (these three are also required for psych).

IMPORTANT: keep in mind, whether you decide to choose psych or psychobio, your major is impacted. Before you finish all your prereqs, you are a pre-major. You have to declare by a certain number of units. So make sure you dont waste units. Otherwise, you won't be able to get into the major you work for. It's not that tough really to declare in time.. But if you go back and forth between major and their different requirements, it will get tough.

In psych, you won't be doing the chem, math, physics, or bio series (pay attn to the post above which talks about how these prereq subjects may not necessarily directly appear much later in your career). You instead will have one survey course, for most part, per each mentioned.

For upper div classes, psych majors have more choices and freedom to pick from a wide variety of classes. For psychobio, it was a bit more structured- you can't avoid 110, 115, 116, etc., and some of the fun psych classes were only offered to psych majors not psychbio. So they will get credit for more psych classes and for us psyhbio kids, we can get credit thru biochem, mcdb, and other science electives (this does not mean your ever have to take these, just that their variety is in psych classes and ours is in the harder sciences)

Anyway: my point... Lower div completely different. Upper div- more freedom in psych.

End of the day: figure out what YOU want to do.

I loved psychobio, my first two years, pre-reqs for the major, were the same as any other science major... So me liking my major is based solely on upper divs. You don't really explore the subject til upper div.

You can go to psych advising in Franz Hall.

Or, can take a few classes to see what you like. And you won't get screwed over cus likely the class would fulfill a requirement in either major. So you aren't really wasting time. Chances are you won't be able to do that til sophomore year because you wont get into the classes on any pass as a freshman.

If you don't want to do med school, make a plan that will let you make up your mind Too much time will be wasted taking the wrong classes. Your lower divs won't transfer all over to fulfill psych pre-reqs.

Overall, I agree with the posts above.. do it for yourself; be realistic.

Also, carribean isn't tooOkay. Being a psychobio major myself, let me tell you there IS a difference at Ucla at least between the classes you take in your lower and upper div classes as compared to a psych major. Also, of course there is a difference! One is a bachelor in arts and other in science.

Also, neither major by itself will really get you anywhere.

You've probably heard psychobio as the "easy pre-med major"... Well, as it is a bachelors in science in an "other" life science, the lower div classes are essentially the same as mimg or mcdb or eeb.. The major difference between psychobio and other life science majors is that you have to take psych 10, 100a, and 100b (these three are also required for psych).

In psych, you won't be doing the chem series, or physics, or bio. You instead will have one, for most part, survey course per each mentioned.

For upper div classes, psych majors have more choices and freedom to pick from a wide variety of classes. For psychobio, it was a bit more structured- you can't avoid 110, 115, 116, etc.



Anyway: my point... Lower div completely different. Upper div- more freedom in psych.

End of the day: figure out why YOU want to do, not your parents.

I loved psychobio (but your first two years, pre-reqs) for the major will be the same for any other science major. You don't really explore the subject til upper div. Example in your first two years, you will have phy sci and MIMG majors in ur classes but it's only later that you really get into your major.

You can go to psych advising. Take a few classes to see what you like. And you won't get screwed over cus likely the class would fulfill a requirement in either major. So you aren't really wasting time. Chances are you won't be able to do that til sophomore year because you wont get into the classes on any pass as a freshman.

If you don't want to do med school, make up your mind. Too much time will be wasted taking the wrong classes. Your lower divs won't transfer all over to fulfill psych pre-reqs.

Overall, I agree with the posts above.. do it for yourself; be realistic.

Also, carribean isn't too bad as long as you are smart about which school you go to. But that is besides the point if you dont even want to go to med school.
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my eyes :(.

Psychobiology = or =/= neuroscience?
 
daman1337 said:
Have you thought about the prospect of oblivion after death? It is unfathomable and absolutely terrifying. I don't blame humanity for how scared it is.
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Yes, I have. I think about it all of the time. And it seems to me a lot more worthwhile to actually try to do something about it - cure diseases and extend the human lifespan - than to make up stories that make it seem less scary.
 
Signifier said:
Yes, I have. I think about it all of the time. And it seems to me a lot more worthwhile to actually try to do something about it - cure diseases and extend the human lifespan - than to make up stories that make it seem less scary.
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oh snap. *awaits daman's response*
 
As others have said, college is about intellectual exploration and discovery. Your major matters little in the long run, especially if you are pre-med. Take courses that interest you, find research/extracurriculars you're passionate about, talk to professors and peers you look up to -- all of these things will help you find direction.

Re: career opportunities in psychology. One of my PIs is a clinical psychologist (PhD) by training, and does a mix of teaching/research/clinical work. She is in her early 30's, just recently received tenure, and earns a salary in the six digits. (I know this only because I'm nosy and the information is freely available.) This is all at a perpetually underfunded public university -- so, no, psychology isn't a dead end street! :)
 
TriagePreMed said:
Change majors and what you want to do with your life. A "psychobiology" major isn't going to get you many great jobs either.


No, his parents are not correct. Correct is doing what you want. Exploring and finding out what's best for yourself is right.

And no, psychobiology is not the same as studying general psychology. When you study general bio you focus on the social aspects of psychology and its history. When you focus on psychobiology, you just learn a lot of **** about rats and monkeys counting things. Unless you have been a major in this field, don't comment. I have been.

How can you expect him to be an adult if you don't allow him to even make a basic decision about what he wants to study? You'll probably be the fascist "I know everything" parent. And what does this have to do with discipline?
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OK, sorry about mixing up the two subjects--you're right, I don't know anything about them. I guess I was talking about job prospects there. Anyway, just because you're an "adult" doesn't mean making every decision without anyone else's input is required. I don't see any logical reason why he can't be an "adult" while still taking advice on major choices from his potentially more-experienced parents. Throwing away the possibility of pre-med for something that doesn't seem that well thought-out doesn't seem rational to me--unless, of course, the OP has completely erased, beyond a shadow of a doubt, medicine from his future career prospects (in which case, why would he ask this question?).
 
To the OP, I'm happy you're giving it more time before you make a final decision. The fact that you can understand the necessity to make informed decisions already puts you way ahead of most people in your age group. It's super hard to think about the bigger picture when you're only 18/19 years old, and you're off to a great start!

Best of luck
 
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