Looking over the cutoffs for several ontario schools is pretty depressing. But what makes me very angry is how some schools do not require a specific degree or only 'recommend' rigorous courses like orgo or physics.
Most people I know do not have straight A's. And something inside me fails to believe that every single medical student out there had straight As in undergrad. I know a few medical students and a couple of residents who will be starting their own practices soon, and they're definitely not the world's smartest people.
I feel that medical schools should clearly say that they require a specific degree in science or health studies. First of all, knowledge gained while pursuing such a degree will be beneficial in medical school. I want to puke when I think of arts students who never took any rigorous science courses because these were only recommended, and are now doctors because their English preparation helped them write their essays.
Lets face the facts, most of us knew that we wanted to be doctors or health practicioners of some kind way back in high school. That's why we worked so hard in bio, chem, calculus and other advanced level courses to help us get into the best undergrad. Why should we reward an English major with no serious science background who realizes that their only options are teaching or writing books?
Is there anyone out there who really wants their doctor to have an undergrad in arts who has only been rigourously studying science during his 3 years as a med student??
Don't get me wrong, doctors do need good written and oral communication skills, and they do need a basic knowledge in social science and ethics. But science has been the foundation of medicine. Sure we need a good bedside manner but what's more important is our understanding of the human body, of its interactions with drugs, of the way viruses and bacteria evolve and overtake us in disease. And I just can't agree that you can jump into science as a medical student and learn everything you need to know in a three year period.
Unfortunately, at a lot of medical schools that's the way admissions are these days.
So to all the high school students aspiring to be pre-meds:
Don't be too keen, remember to take the easiest courses you can, because if your curiosity actually causes you to engage yourself in too many advanced science courses noone will recognize it in the end anyway. All that matters is your GPA and not how you got it.
This whole post is just wrong in every way. First of all, almost every medical school (at least most American ones) require a lot of typical premed courses. So if you're a humanities major or not, you'll still be taking those rigorous sciences. Also consider that the MCAT is going to determine if you have what it takes or not. If you make a 35 on the mcat as an English major, and have a 3.8 gpa and never took a science course. Well all I can say is, amazing, and you deserve to be a doctor.
Also, it isn't like art, history, philosophy and English majors have it easy. They have very rigorous course loads as well, not in science, but it isn't any less challenging. Science doesn't equal harder, it is just one of the many difficult things you can pursue in college. While there are certainly going to be easier classes than others, and possibly easier degrees than others, the vast generalizations you make wreak of ignorance. Consider that medical school is there to teach you about disease, anatomy, physiology etc. While a thorough undergrad experience with science classes will help, intelligent, hard working individuals will be able to excel without them.
Also, it isn't the case that most of us, knew we were going to be doctors since high school. There is a whole forum devoted to people who didn't know they wanted to be doctors until much older, or after earning a degree in a completely different field, they're called non-trads. Furthermore, I would guess the majority of "traditional" premeds did not know they wanted to be doctors until college, or even a year into college.
I was going to contemplate voting on this thread, but I decided against it after reading your post. Don't generalize so much, if you got to be a medical student you deserve it, and don't try to take that away from anyone, just because you might not have what it takes to make it.
You're sending the wrong message here, students should attempt whatever major they like, not what will get them into medical school the easiest. You think English or History is so easy, well I want to see you graduate with a 4.0 in it. The point is, people in college should take this time as a unique period in life where they can learn about themselves and hopefully pursue an academic, and career path that is enjoyable, rewarding and profitable.
