What was your major?

Applying to Med School? Get In Or Your Money Back
This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

What was your major

  • Total voters
    127
Physiology and neurobiology but I definitely wished I minored or double majored in something else. You get so much med stuff but I would have loved to take some more business classes, psych, comp sci classes.
Members don't see this ad.
 
I wish I would have majored in something non-science related and just taken pre-reqs
 
Members don't see this ad :)
cs24 said:
Two science majors, one of which exposed me to a good deal of biochemistry. Having the basics of biochem was very helpful for med school. Other than that, a lot of pre-reqs for my majors that were introductory classes for other fields (molecular genetics, microbiology, immunology, etc) were extremely helpful. I tried to learn all the material to the best of my ability, even when I could have coasted to easy A's in some of these classes, and I have been surprised at how much it helped in the non-organ system intro blocks of med school. There was almost nothing I was seeing for the first time, and the solid foundation I built in undergrad paid off. I had some free space my senior year, so I filled it with introductory pharm classes for kicks, and the fundamentals I picked up there are also quite useful.

That said, I didn't take those classes as a way to prep for medical school, I just followed my interests. I would recommend that people thinking about which major to follow do the same. Just don't discount any of the science material you have the opportunity to learn at a leisurely undergrad pace. It may come in handy later.
Click to expand...

Hey,
Had a question :) Based on ur reply above, I see that you are interested in many (almost all, actually, even the pharm classes) of the things I am interested in. Are you currently doing ur MD? I'd just like to ask, what are you interested in specialising in? I wish to do basic research later on on topics mentioned above, and I'm confused about whether I should get a medical degree or not for that. I am not THAT interested in seeing patients. Maybe you have a different take on that, but I would be really grateful if you could tell me about the path you took in medical school :) Thanks!
 
familyaerospace said:
All of my classmates were aerospace engineers.

I never identified as such although I have an extensive amount of presentations at aerospace engineering conferences. My adviser designed closed life support systems for NASA and RSA. I used my social science background to improve the design. A mathematical model that my adviser and I wrote is being used at NASA.

My area of research was human factors in space engineering and aerospace medicine/psychology. I always identified with the aerospace medicine part of that.
Click to expand...
Haha that's awesome! My brother is a computer/software engineer and developed a lot o stuff for NASA, as well as navy carriers and jets, army tanks, etc. now he works fo Google and "makes bank" lol. As a hero story- was rejected from CMU, MIT, etc bc, after my guidance counselor made calls, "we get 4.0/1600s all the time." So he went to the same lil ol liberal arts university as me with a full ride.(him, not me!) Now he has baristas on every floor who make his coffe for him!
 
Chemical Engineering, and then in the past two years I've been filling in the missing classes (genetics, biochem, etc.). I feel unmotivated in some classes because I know I'll never be using the material in my career, but I love the people I have met through the program. Also, there was a summer I got to go do research in Spain, so that was worth it.
 
familyaerospace said:
LOL! Be careful, my partner actually does know how to sword fight! I will have to warn him that you are coming for my hand! He'd say though that you'd give me back after a day. ;)

I've made more than a few switches in my life. I've had a lifetime in the performing arts (about 20 years as I did it as a child), owned businesses, did my aerospace work, studied everything including three years of studying religious texts in a yeshiva in Israel, did lots of travel. Did more volunteering than I want to admit in everything.

I feel much older than I am especially with my birthday being next week.

My library at home reflects my crazy interests and career paths. 4500 books, mostly non-fiction in areas I've worked in or want to work in. I like joking that I am a true renaissance man, which hey I have that degree too!
Click to expand...


Lol this person is an aerospace engineer that worked for NASA who is also gonna be a MD.






Meanwhile I'm worried about being able to get into DO schools. LOL
 
Pharmacy- don't regret it ever.
I did 2 yrs of clinical pharmacy residency after at a university after where I specialized in neuro and psych. Worked for 5 yrs on the floors and teaching at the university as well. Love the outlook and skills my background gave me (I ain't no pill pusher)
 
Neurobiology -- no regrets, loved the content of my major courses, super fascinating stuff.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
MindCastle15 said:
Hey,
Had a question :) Based on ur reply above, I see that you are interested in many (almost all, actually, even the pharm classes) of the things I am interested in. Are you currently doing ur MD? I'd just like to ask, what are you interested in specialising in? I wish to do basic research later on on topics mentioned above, and I'm confused about whether I should get a medical degree or not for that. I am not THAT interested in seeing patients. Maybe you have a different take on that, but I would be really grateful if you could tell me about the path you took in medical school :) Thanks!
Click to expand...
I am starting my third year of my MD. Specialty interests right now involve some sort of surgery. If you want to do basic research in biochem, pharm, or whatever else and don't want to see patients you should do a PhD/masters of some sort and look into being a postdoc/PI or going into industry. Do not get an MD. There is very little time for basic research in medicine unless you take years out of your education (MSTP, MD/PhD) and what basic research is done tends to be specialty focused. I still do research in medical school, but it is clinical, not basic science. Sometimes I miss the basic science work, but I would never choose it over being a clinician.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
I doubled in bioengineering and materials science engineering, something I truly regret. I was under the stupid impression that med schools weigh the rigor of your classes heavily. The workload precluded me from participating in more clinical/volunteering activities. The only silver lining was that my majored prepared me extremely well for the MCAT.
 
Gandy741 said:
Meanwhile I'm worried about being able to get into DO schools. LOL
Click to expand...

I was rejected from DO schools if that makes you feel any better and I still had to go through 4 rounds of applying. ;)

Keep applying and you will get in somewhere.
 
BA in Pastoral Studies (Ministry/Theology) followed by a Juris Doctor.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
I was a weatherman (aka, meteorologist) coming out of undergrad. Somehow I ended up in the military with a couple of public health degrees and now in medical school.
 
Anthropology with a minor in cell and molecular biology. Anthropology was an incredible major though and applies to any field of practice, the classes were interesting if you enjoy culture and relatively easy.

being an anthro major major definitely helped on the CARS section of my MCAT as well, a lot of semi-science reading and paper production
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
cs24 said:
I am starting my third year of my MD. Specialty interests right now involve some sort of surgery. If you want to do basic research in biochem, pharm, or whatever else and don't want to see patients you should do a PhD/masters of some sort and look into being a postdoc/PI or going into industry. Do not get an MD. There is very little time for basic research in medicine unless you take years out of your education (MSTP, MD/PhD) and what basic research is done tends to be specialty focused. I still do research in medical school, but it is clinical, not basic science. Sometimes I miss the basic science work, but I would never choose it over being a clinician.
Click to expand...
Thanks a lot! After researching a bit, I'm not yet sure whether I want to do clinical research or basic research...so I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. :)
 
Changing from Biochem/Econ to Bio/Econ. Can't handle the added stress from Biochem 2, Cell, and Biochem lab :(
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Next unread thread

Similar threads

I
Psychology vs neuroscience major
Replies
3
Views
337
Mr.Smile12
Mr.Smile12
R
Double Major
Replies
3
Views
398
Angus Avagadro
Angus Avagadro
K
SDN Article: Choosing an Ideal Pre-Med Major
Replies
0
Views
559
Kachiu Lee, MD
K
kirvoyant
  • Question
Non-Major but Medical Related Class Impact on Application
Replies
20
Views
650
Mr.Smile12
Mr.Smile12
celestia0313
Diversity Essay: Double Major (IS + Biology)
Replies
8
Views
621
celestia0313
celestia0313
Top