Undergrad Major

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pre-unsure

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7+ Year Member
hi, Im currently a sophomore having a hard time deciding on a major for pre-med. Yes, I know you can major in anything.....but I'm still just really confused on what I should choose. As of now my major is nursing, but I'm looking at public health as a major.

So, what is/was your undergrad major & why did you choose it? Like what benefits did you think it would give you?
 
pre-unsure said:
hi, Im currently a sophomore having a hard time deciding on a major for pre-med. Yes, I know you can major in anything.....but I'm still just really confused on what I should choose. As of now my major is nursing, but I'm looking at public health as a major.

So, what is/was your undergrad major & why did you choose it? Like what benefits did you think it would give you?
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That's probably the only thing you shouldn't major in. If you decide not to work as a nurse, you used a nursing school spot that could have gone to someone who would have worked as a nurse. Since many areas are facing/will face an RN shortage, medical school admissions committees will not look favorably upon someone who studied nursing knowing all along that he or she wanted to be a doctor. Your nursing school faculty and administration will probably give you some flak as well if they ever find out.

I think the best advice for picking a major is to do what you like. I majored in engineering because I liked it, and I think that helped my grades: If I was a history major and I had to spend hours researching in the historical archives/rare documents section of the library, I'd probably have procrastinated a lot because I simply don't like that kind of thing. With an engineering problem set, on the other hand, I was willing to get to work right away.

If you like two things equally, pick the one that is easier. You have many years left in the path to becoming a physician and you don't want to wear yourself out early on by choosing a difficult major.
 
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I started off in accounting to be practical but switched to humanities because it was what I loved. If you love something other than biomedical science I'd study it to round yourself out. Plus you'll exceed in a major you find interesting.

I've heard elsewhere that nursing is a questionable major for premed. Public health would probably be better out of the two.
 
Major in what you like and what would be easy for you to do. I can also vouch that I have heard numerous people say that nursing is not a good pre-med major.
 
There's a few theories:

1. Unrelated interest/hobby: Undergrad is (or use to be prior to the internet) a chance in a lifetime to study something in depth that you are interested in. So, nourish your soul and develop that which you are passionate about. Just remember to fit in the medical school and MCAT prereqs. (FYI - A group of theater majors will be socially somewhat different than a group of science majors, business majors, etc. I think some ADCOMs like having a diverse class of not all biology students or not all science majors. This provides for a diverse group of physicians later on.)

2. $$$$$$$: Undergrad should be used to acquire profitable skills. The sooner you can start saving money in interest bearing accounts (over the summers, etc.), the more money will compound throughout your life, and you should have a nice emergency fund. (It's been said that putting $4000 in a 14 year old's roth ira is projected to become $1 million tax free by retirement age. That's the power of interest.)

3. Complimentary skills: Undergrad can be used to acquire skills that will COMPLIMENT your medical career. Some people want to do more than treat patients or have hybrid careers. Research is probably the most popular example of this. Some, but not all, research jobs prefer or require a biology major or BS. And some students will pick an undergraduate major that has to do with the medical SPECIALTY they think they'll want to apply for.

4. Back up plan: Undergrad can be used to train for a back-up plan. Should you decide you are no longer interested in medicine or if you don't get into medical school, maybe there's a second choice undergrad can prepare you for.

5. Med school prep: Some believe that undergrad be used to get a jump-start on medical school by picking a major that will include classes with the same name as classes taught in medical school: Immunology, hematology, etc. (Double check this "fact," as I've heard that medical school classes are very different from undergrad requiring students to "unlearn" stuff. Does this #5 really work? Don't ask me. It's a good question.)

Feel free to add any theories I've left out.
 
Major in something that you find interesting and will give you the ability to have a productive career should you decide not to go to medical school, don't get in, etc.. If public health is that thing for you, then by all means do it. It has been said time and again that schools have no interest in what your major is as long as you do well and it's a rigorous program.
 
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