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I was thinking BioChem... am I wrong?
What do you think the best major to prepare you for the MCAT?
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i think biochem rocks.
At my school, biochem requiers the sexier calc based physics. not that you need to know calc, but its upper level and typical you will get teachers who will take you seriously and actually teach you physics. I was in the trig based physics for a half semester before changing my major to biochem and the differnce is BIG.
Also, the biochem classes help alot with your understanding of genetics and organic.
Take genetics and vertabrate Phys as electives though. there help loads.
At my school, biochem requiers the sexier calc based physics. not that you need to know calc, but its upper level and typical you will get teachers who will take you seriously and actually teach you physics. I was in the trig based physics for a half semester before changing my major to biochem and the differnce is BIG.
Also, the biochem classes help alot with your understanding of genetics and organic.
Take genetics and vertabrate Phys as electives though. there help loads.
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Seriously, the MCAT is just a test, and one that doesn't require any upper-level knowledge. Don't pick a major based on the stupid MCAT -- figure out what you like, and excel in that.
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mathematics majors do the best on the mcat, followed by social science majors
bio/biochem majors do not perform statistically better then other groups
the data is available in a file somewhere on this site....on potwana's website maybe?
bio/biochem majors do not perform statistically better then other groups
the data is available in a file somewhere on this site....on potwana's website maybe?
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Biochemistry does prepare you for the MCAT. But , it has been the humanity majors who have, in general, scored higher than the science majors. So you have a kind-of paradox.
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I'm often perturbed when people use statistics yet mistake correlation for causation, and this seems to happen in many threads regarding this topic.
The OP's question "What do you think the best major to prepare you for the MCAT" is a question of causation. In other words, what major will cause me to get a higher score on the MCAT.
The statistics pointed out here regarding math and humanities majors doing well on the MCAT are not only for large aggregate groups, but are only correlative.
There is nothing inherent about majoring in non-sciences that leads someone to score higher on the MCAT. The simple fact is, just about every biology major, regardless of qualifications, and their dog takes the MCAT and applies to medical school. On the other hand, only a few highly motivated non-science majors take the MCAT and apply to med school. So of course the latter group is going to have a higher success rate on the MCAT and acceptance rate to medical school. If there are 50 archaeology majors applying to medical school, and 20 get in, that ratio is a lot better than 5,000 biology majors getting into medical school out of 50,000.
So pointing to statistics really won't help the OP. What will is descriptions of how specific classes within specific majors will help you on certain sections of the MCAT. Referring to statistics about majors and average MCATs is useless for the reasons stated above.
I think advanced biology courses help out a lot in the biological sciences section. Biochemistry, Immunology, etc might not help you overtly, but the classes get you into the right frame of mind in terms of thinking about questions. Also the more advanced biology courses are less memorization and more analysis, which is the type of thinking emphasized on the MCAT.
English ability, in terms of Verbal and Writing scores, is relatively inherent. I dont know to what degree I put faith in the Kaplan method of suddenly reading a lot of advanced humanities journals to improve your score. But if you read a lot outside of class, I doubt majoring in English will help you too terribly much.
The standard answer, and the correct one I believe, is that you should simply major in what you want. The MCAT is a one-time test. You don't want to have it be your focus for undergraduate studies. It's simply not worth it for a test. Take a bunch of varied classes and see what you like. I dont have any statistics to back this up, but I doubt your MCAT would change significantly depending on which major you chose. More likely, your own preparation for the test as well as your inherent intelligence will be a factor in your MCAT score. Also, if you major in something you like, your GPA will naturally be higher. GPA is generally considered one of the top 2 factors in admissions, so keep that in mind as well.
So I guess to summarize, take advice on "this major has a higher percentage of acceptance and a higher MCAT" with a large grain of salt, because they are corellative statistics related to large populations. And major in something you like. The MCAT is a test you will forget about promptly after you get into medical school, but the things you learn in your undergraduate major will stick with you for the rest of your life. So dont lose sight of that. Good luck to ya!
PS... I am a sciences/humanities double major and I like them both so I don't think I have any major biases.
The OP's question "What do you think the best major to prepare you for the MCAT" is a question of causation. In other words, what major will cause me to get a higher score on the MCAT.
The statistics pointed out here regarding math and humanities majors doing well on the MCAT are not only for large aggregate groups, but are only correlative.
There is nothing inherent about majoring in non-sciences that leads someone to score higher on the MCAT. The simple fact is, just about every biology major, regardless of qualifications, and their dog takes the MCAT and applies to medical school. On the other hand, only a few highly motivated non-science majors take the MCAT and apply to med school. So of course the latter group is going to have a higher success rate on the MCAT and acceptance rate to medical school. If there are 50 archaeology majors applying to medical school, and 20 get in, that ratio is a lot better than 5,000 biology majors getting into medical school out of 50,000.
So pointing to statistics really won't help the OP. What will is descriptions of how specific classes within specific majors will help you on certain sections of the MCAT. Referring to statistics about majors and average MCATs is useless for the reasons stated above.
I think advanced biology courses help out a lot in the biological sciences section. Biochemistry, Immunology, etc might not help you overtly, but the classes get you into the right frame of mind in terms of thinking about questions. Also the more advanced biology courses are less memorization and more analysis, which is the type of thinking emphasized on the MCAT.
English ability, in terms of Verbal and Writing scores, is relatively inherent. I dont know to what degree I put faith in the Kaplan method of suddenly reading a lot of advanced humanities journals to improve your score. But if you read a lot outside of class, I doubt majoring in English will help you too terribly much.
The standard answer, and the correct one I believe, is that you should simply major in what you want. The MCAT is a one-time test. You don't want to have it be your focus for undergraduate studies. It's simply not worth it for a test. Take a bunch of varied classes and see what you like. I dont have any statistics to back this up, but I doubt your MCAT would change significantly depending on which major you chose. More likely, your own preparation for the test as well as your inherent intelligence will be a factor in your MCAT score. Also, if you major in something you like, your GPA will naturally be higher. GPA is generally considered one of the top 2 factors in admissions, so keep that in mind as well.
So I guess to summarize, take advice on "this major has a higher percentage of acceptance and a higher MCAT" with a large grain of salt, because they are corellative statistics related to large populations. And major in something you like. The MCAT is a test you will forget about promptly after you get into medical school, but the things you learn in your undergraduate major will stick with you for the rest of your life. So dont lose sight of that. Good luck to ya!
PS... I am a sciences/humanities double major and I like them both so I don't think I have any major biases.
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Once again you guys are amazing. When I began this process I thought I knew everything I needed to know about getting into med school. I quickly learned that I have no idea what I am talking about.
Thank you so much again. This gives me yet even more to think about.
Thank you so much again. This gives me yet even more to think about.
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I didnt have the energy to type this out my self but gleevec sait it perfectly.
"correlation for causation
There is nothing inherent about majoring in non-sciences that leads someone to score higher on the MCAT. The simple fact is, just about every biology major, regardless of qualifications, and their dog takes the MCAT and applies to medical school. On the other hand, only a few highly motivated non-science majors take the MCAT and apply to med school. So of course the latter group is going to have a higher success rate on the MCAT and acceptance rate to medical school. If there are 50 archaeology majors applying to medical school, and 20 get in, that ratio is a lot better than 5,000 biology majors getting into medical school out of 50,000."
This should be a sticky post.
I still think that all things being equal, more bio/chem classes will keep your mind where it is supposed to be throughout undergrad. taking calculus helps you keep algeba fresh in your mind. Taking P chem keeps general chem in your mind too. Takeing vert phys keep you bio 1 class in you mind. But I certianly wouldnt trade being a biochem major over being a liberal studies guy for .2 of a gpa point.
"correlation for causation
There is nothing inherent about majoring in non-sciences that leads someone to score higher on the MCAT. The simple fact is, just about every biology major, regardless of qualifications, and their dog takes the MCAT and applies to medical school. On the other hand, only a few highly motivated non-science majors take the MCAT and apply to med school. So of course the latter group is going to have a higher success rate on the MCAT and acceptance rate to medical school. If there are 50 archaeology majors applying to medical school, and 20 get in, that ratio is a lot better than 5,000 biology majors getting into medical school out of 50,000."
This should be a sticky post.
I still think that all things being equal, more bio/chem classes will keep your mind where it is supposed to be throughout undergrad. taking calculus helps you keep algeba fresh in your mind. Taking P chem keeps general chem in your mind too. Takeing vert phys keep you bio 1 class in you mind. But I certianly wouldnt trade being a biochem major over being a liberal studies guy for .2 of a gpa point.
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I agree with basically everything that Gleevec said. I think that bio/biochem majors probably have an easier time during the first two years of medical school because they already have a firm background in physiology, anatomy, biochemistry (obviously), and genetics. The humanities majors probably have to struggle more in medical school...but I'm sure they would probably find the verbal section of the MCAT to be child's play. To reiterate what was said above, your college major is something that you'll carry with you for the rest of your life so do not major in something just because it'll help you for the MCAT. Major in what you love doing and when you speak about your major to others..your eyes should light up because you find the material/research to be so interesting. In addition, you should also try to pursue research in whatever field you're considering. At my school, all majors have research opportunities and faculty are willing to take on undergrad researchers in unpaid positions. I know an English major who is working on the Mark Twain papers (we have the original manuscripts from Mark Twain) with his professor and he's also involved in translating ancient texts from Greek to English. On the flip side, I also know several MCB (molecular-cell bio) majors who are working in labs with their professors. Best of luck!
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yeah everyone is right, as a pre-med dont try to pre-pare yourself too early, trying to gain advantages, etc... i wouldnt suggest bio-chem unless you really like it. (for me it would be suicide) espeically because its one of the harder majors.
allot of premeds make the mistake of choosing a hard major, doing bad, then dropping the whole premed thing entirely.
dont do something because your head tells you its the right thing, do what moves you, do what your hearts tells you to do -- as stupid and cheezy as that may sound.
and in the end you cant go wrong, because you'll always follow something you are passionate for. not something that an adcoms will see and say "oh look another bio major, thats lovely"
=P
allot of premeds make the mistake of choosing a hard major, doing bad, then dropping the whole premed thing entirely.
dont do something because your head tells you its the right thing, do what moves you, do what your hearts tells you to do -- as stupid and cheezy as that may sound.
and in the end you cant go wrong, because you'll always follow something you are passionate for. not something that an adcoms will see and say "oh look another bio major, thats lovely"
=P
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Yes, you heard me right!
Why? because engineering teaches you how to *think*, and that's all you need to do well on the MCAT... And this specific major will expose you to all necessary bio/chem material (engineers of course usually do well on PS).
In addition, you need to love to read, make it part of your own curriculum...
And, if the whole med school thing does not work out, you can always still get a JOB...
Why? because engineering teaches you how to *think*, and that's all you need to do well on the MCAT... And this specific major will expose you to all necessary bio/chem material (engineers of course usually do well on PS).
In addition, you need to love to read, make it part of your own curriculum...
And, if the whole med school thing does not work out, you can always still get a JOB...
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Zoology.
It requires classes on everything the MCAT tests. I've taken genetics, microbio, physiology, anatomy, and reproduction along with the standard pre-med requirements. Those extra classes cover pretty much all of the obscure biology passages on the MCAT.
It requires classes on everything the MCAT tests. I've taken genetics, microbio, physiology, anatomy, and reproduction along with the standard pre-med requirements. Those extra classes cover pretty much all of the obscure biology passages on the MCAT.
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If you wana even have a chance of scoring 30 you MUST Quadrouple MAJOR in Chemistry, PHYSICS, MATH and Biology. and have 7 minors preferbly: Biochemical Engineering, Political Science, Greek, South Asian Studies, Arabic Literature, and not to look too academic Communications. Good luck.. hope you guys aren't thining of getting into medical school with a single major in biology or chemistry or god forbid Politcal Science.
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So many of you are talking about majoring in what you want and not in something that prepares you for the MCAT.
Well Im new to researching the medschool idea so I might have some lame questions in the near future.
I just talked with my counselor for the first time about med school and she gave me a print out of UofF's requirements. It said you needed Chem 1 and 2, bchem, ochem, up to Calc, amoung others...
My question is, are you guys saying this isnt so?
If I were to major in something I loved, it would be Psychology. But I dont see how I can major in that if I am required to take all those other courses for entrance into med school.
Yes, I could dual major, but I dont get the feeling you guys are talking about dual majoring when you say you should major in what you love.
and gonakillmcat, good luck with that.
Well Im new to researching the medschool idea so I might have some lame questions in the near future.
I just talked with my counselor for the first time about med school and she gave me a print out of UofF's requirements. It said you needed Chem 1 and 2, bchem, ochem, up to Calc, amoung others...
My question is, are you guys saying this isnt so?
If I were to major in something I loved, it would be Psychology. But I dont see how I can major in that if I am required to take all those other courses for entrance into med school.
Yes, I could dual major, but I dont get the feeling you guys are talking about dual majoring when you say you should major in what you love.
and gonakillmcat, good luck with that.
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No Stefan, you don't have to double major. In fact, I triple majored, and none of my majors were in science, and I still could take the prereqs.
Just major in psychology (or whatever -- you'll probably change your mind 70 or 80 times
) and take the required courses. Most med schools require around 40 hours or so of prereqs, which isn't actually all that much -- about 1.5 classes per semester over four years.
Just major in psychology (or whatever -- you'll probably change your mind 70 or 80 times
) and take the required courses. Most med schools require around 40 hours or so of prereqs, which isn't actually all that much -- about 1.5 classes per semester over four years.
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The mcat doesn't really require that much text book knowledge.
If you really want an advantage major in ancient art or ancient history because the damn verbal section always has some of that in it.
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right on
thanks for the input
the whole thing seems so up in the air.
Im a Junior now, graduated with my AA a couple semesters ago
but I guess I could still pull off a psych degree while doing the med school pre-req's.
bad thing is I only got to College Algebra so there two more courses just to get to the required Calc.
Ill be 40 before this is all done with... assuming everything goes smoothly!
thanks for the input
the whole thing seems so up in the air.
Im a Junior now, graduated with my AA a couple semesters ago
but I guess I could still pull off a psych degree while doing the med school pre-req's.
bad thing is I only got to College Algebra so there two more courses just to get to the required Calc.
Ill be 40 before this is all done with... assuming everything goes smoothly!
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I'm a psychology major, a senior. I have changed majors twice: Psych to Chem then back to psych.
I have taken all my prereq courses except for phyics I and II and their respcetive labs. I can graduate in fall 2004, having also taken genetics, biochemistry, and quant -- enough to complete a minor in chemistry on top of my pre-med courses.
Being a science major may save you some time. Would I have graduated earlier if I had been a science major? I think so. (that's partially why I switched to chemistry). I didn't lose any hours by switching as long as I kept a minor in chemistry. I think it's worth it to take an extra semester or year if you have the chance to study something that truly interests you.
I have taken all my prereq courses except for phyics I and II and their respcetive labs. I can graduate in fall 2004, having also taken genetics, biochemistry, and quant -- enough to complete a minor in chemistry on top of my pre-med courses.
Being a science major may save you some time. Would I have graduated earlier if I had been a science major? I think so. (that's partially why I switched to chemistry). I didn't lose any hours by switching as long as I kept a minor in chemistry. I think it's worth it to take an extra semester or year if you have the chance to study something that truly interests you.
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yea thats a good point JKMed
Theres so many factors in these decisions, I think maybe im over emphasizing the age thing.
I think I am just worrying more and more about my age and when Ill be able to start a career.
Thanks for the input, Im going to look into doing psych and bio courses at the same time.
Theres so many factors in these decisions, I think maybe im over emphasizing the age thing.
I think I am just worrying more and more about my age and when Ill be able to start a career.
Thanks for the input, Im going to look into doing psych and bio courses at the same time.
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Please for the love of all that is holy major in something that interests you!! Like Gleevec (and some other posters) said, this is one test. The test only covers the basic sciences that are pre-req's AT ALL MED SCHOOLS (aka, courses that you're gonna have to take anyways regardless of your major if you want to go to med school). So major in something that you enjoy. Obviously, the biology majors are going to be more familiar with the biology section, and the chemistry majors are going to breeze through the chemistry sections. Biochem covers both those areas. IMO humanities majors often do well on the MCAT b/c the MCAT is largely a reading comprehension test and the MCAT is largely a test of how well you can apply what you've read (even the science sections). But this is one test. You will learn all that you have to know for the test in the pre-req classes.
You're going to study for the MCAT for 4 months. You're probably going to be studying your major for 4 years. Pick something that you like!! You'll get better grades and have a better time.
You're going to study for the MCAT for 4 months. You're probably going to be studying your major for 4 years. Pick something that you like!! You'll get better grades and have a better time.
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