Undergrate Degree

[chickensoup78]

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Hi I'm currently a senior in High School who looking for a career in the medical field. Recently I've been researching things about College and Medical School. Also Ive been looking into different majors. Many website says I have to major in Biology, Chemistry or Premed for medical school. Do I have to have a major in one of those? Does it matter what I major in as long as I take the prerequisites courses? Also, if you could go back in time would you change your major and why?

 

[Kurk]

1. You can major in anything you want for Med school but you do have take the necessary prerequisites like Bio, Chem, Physics, etc.
2. Med schools don't really discriminate against non-science majors
3. Pre-med major doesn't exist.

I'm an upcoming college freshman who plans to major in cell bio. So far I haven't regretted it 😀

 

[killyourdarlings]

Hi! I'll be starting my first year next year too, and from the research I've done the consensus seems to be that you can major in anything you want if your goal is medical school. Moreover, majoring in something you are interested in and good at will probably be more beneficial to your GPA than if you were to study something you did not care about; still get the pre-requisite courses done of course. 🙂

 

[longhaul3]

You do not have to major in the sciences. As you say, you can major in whatever you want as long as you take the prerequisites. This would cut down on the amount of elective courses you can take for the same amount of credits; a lot of people will tell you that college is a place to find yourself, put yourself out there, and take classes you'll never get to take again, but honestly it should be less about taking oddball classes like Representations of the Divine in 20th Century Guatemalan Film and Gender Nonconformity in Norse Folklore and more about coming up with a realistic vision for your adult life.

I did not major in the sciences, and if I could go back, I would change my major to something like Computer Science or Electrical Engineering. It is harder to undertake a difficult major like one of those and do well enough in your pre-med studies to get into med school, but it is certainly possible, and if you decide not to become a doctor, you'll be much better off.

 

[AttemptingScholar]

Majors and minors are some of the few things you will get to do for yourself, not your application. Your major should accomplish two things:

1. Help you pursue your interests
2. Support your 'Plan B.' Many qualified people don't get into med school. Many people decide they would rather do something else. No shame, just good planning.

If your school has a pre-med major (very few do), don't take it. They do the worst on the MCAT.