Which would you choose?

[medicalpassion]

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[Espadaleader]

Thats way too vague.

 

[twizzlers713]

I can either major in something I will enjoy (ChemE)

Yay

 

[NickNaylor]

I love 1) that the 3.9 GPA is assumed and 2) the only difference is "lots of" vs. "good" ECs. Regardless, this is exactly what you should not do when it comes to picking what to study and making yourself a strong medical school applicant. Do what you want, do things you can talk about, and hope for the best.

 

[theseeker4]

Trying to decide between two very different paths:

1) Chemical engineering major, 3.9+ GPA, good ECs but not as diverse

2) Biology major, 3.9+ GPA, lots of ECs, internships, etc.

Which would make for a more successful applicant at top to mid-tier schools?

Basically, the way it is at my school, I can either major in something I will enjoy (ChemE), get a high GPA, but have less time for ECs or major in something that I like but don't love, get a high GPA and still have time for ECs.

Thoughts?

No offense, but the number of pre-meds coming in expecting to get a 3.9+ is >>>>>> the number of pre- meds who actually end up getting into med school, let alone the number who actually maintain their 3.9.....

With a 3.9, major will mean very little. Your MCAT, ECs, LORs, etc. will mean infinitely more than whether you were a bio or a chem engineering major. With a 3.9 and great items in the rest of the categories, you will be competitive anywhere. With a 3.9 but sparse accomplishments elsewhere, top schools will likely pass you over.

 

[twizzlers713]

If OP thinks pull a 3.9 in ChemE, who are we to provide a reality check?

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[Lollygag]

As long as you are able to maintain a balance and work efficiently, it is possible to be a ChemE major and still have great extracurriculars.

Granted I'm not a ChemE major so take that with a grain of salt, but I know several successful ChemE applicants and they just learned time management. If you suck at time management and know that you procrastinate etc.. then you should probably choose biology or maybe just regular chemistry.

 

[byaaaaaaah23]

OP, you shouldn't sell yourself short. Aim for the 4.0!

 

[medicalpassion]

Not sure why there is so much hostility but I guess that's the way it is when you have experienced SDNers.

I have already completely a significant amount of engineering classes and I have a 3.9+ right now, 4.0 sGPA. The reason I have been thinking about this is because I had two internship offers for the summer and had to turn them down to take summer classes since I have to fit in pre-med courses into an already heavy engineering course load. I have just been thinking about whether or not it would have been more beneficial to major in something I enjoy less than engineering, but DON'T HATE, and have the opportunity to do things like SURFs, Americorps VISTA, etc.

I am just going through a phase where I am trying to decide which is more important to me...majoring in something I love or being able to have experiences that really fit well with my interests.

Also, I would really appreciate it if people would stop throwing all pre-meds under the same umbrella of stereotypes.

 

[medicalpassion]

I love 1) that the 3.9 GPA is assumed and 2) the only difference is "lots of" vs. "good" ECs. Regardless, this is exactly what you should not do when it comes to picking what to study and making yourself a strong medical school applicant. Do what you want, do things you can talk about, and hope for the best.

How am I supposed to do what I want when I don't know what I want? That's the whole point of this thread. I want people's opinions based on their experiences. Like someone might say "I was kind of bored in some of my classes (ecology) but I had a lot of extra time to do things I enjoyed". Those are the kind of things I'm looking for

 

[tantacles]

How am I supposed to do what I want when I don't know what I want? That's the whole point of this thread. I want people's opinions based on their experiences. Like someone might say "I was kind of bored in some of my classes (ecology) but I had a lot of extra time to do things I enjoyed". Those are the kind of things I'm looking for

Right, but the level of intensity and excitement in particular courses is extremely school-specific and really, while those two degrees vary immensely, the fact that you're planning to go to med school means that the degrees will ultimately be pitched out of the window. Both majors will make you an equally successful applicant, and if all you're worried about is application fitness, you should do the major that will ensure you the highest possible GPA.

 

[DrSolus]

Right, but the level of intensity and excitement in particular courses is extremely school-specific and really, while those two degrees vary immensely, the fact that you're planning to go to med school means that the degrees will ultimately be pitched out of the window. Both majors will make you an equally successful applicant, and if all you're worried about is application fitness, you should do the major that will ensure you the highest possible GPA.

Sigh* STRONGLY disagree with the above post.

You should study what you're actually interested in so you can find what your passions are outside of medicine. If you find something you're passionate about, the good grades and excellent resumes will naturally follow.

So many misguided pre-froshes and pre-meds on this forum need to start looking at college outside of that narrow-minded pre-med lens!! It isn't just a pathway to a (medical) career - it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to study whatever you want to study, not just a time to pad resumes, superficially collect ECs, and gun for big GPAs. Being open-minded and honest produces the best kind of application, and will also make you a better doctor...

^ My 2 cents.

 

[NickNaylor]

Sigh* STRONGLY disagree with the above post.

You should study what you're actually interested in so you can find what your passions are outside of medicine. If you find something you're passionate about, the good grades and excellent resumes will naturally follow.

So many misguided pre-froshes and pre-meds on this forum need to start looking at college outside of that narrow-minded pre-med lens!! It isn't just a pathway to a (medical) career - it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to study whatever you want to study, not just a time to pad resumes, superficially collect ECs, and gun for big GPAs. Being open-minded and honest produces the best kind of application, and will also make you a better doctor...

^ My 2 cents.

I agree, though I think it's prudent to keep in mind the bigger picture (i. e., you will be applying to medical school). Not everything is appropriate for inclusion on your app, and there are definitely things that are more valuable to discuss than others. I don't mean that you should only do things in college that are "worthy" of inclusion on AMCAS; instead, I think we should dispel of the romantic idea that everyone just LOVES and is PASSIONATE about only productive and enriching experiences and recognize that you sometimes must do things "for your app" that you may not do otherwise. I played a lot of games and went to a lot of parties during college. Given a choice, that's probably all I would've done. Obviously I can't talk about that when applying to medical school.

Sent from my Nexus 7

 

[medicalpassion]

I am very intentional with the ECs I do and I actually have no cookie-cutter activities simply because I do not enjoy them (no pre-med clubs, etc). I do shadow, teach English, counsel victims of rape and things like that just because I enjoy them. They also have relevance to medicine which is a nice plus. I have recently found a common thread between all of my ECs and it is a very focused interest. But, on point with the original question, I would love to expand my experience but I'm not sure if this should happen by sacrificing some enjoyable classes. The best decision for me might be to just ChemE and then take a year or two off to do Teach for America/Peacecorps/Americorps to fulfill all my interests prior to beginning med school (and for Nick, who loves to point out everyone's assumptions on multiple threads, I already have an acceptance through a BS/MD)

 

[DrSolus]

Am I the only one who shuddered at the way you off-handedly read off "counseling victims of rape" as an EC item, right next to "teaching English" and "shadowing" and "things like that"?

maybe it's just me...but I would have just said "I enjoy counseling." The way you phrased it - I found it a bit unnerving. Anyways...I was more specifically talking about what you should major in...ECs, you should do whatever interests you. Best of luck...

 

[NickNaylor]

Am I the only one who shuddered at the way you off-handedly read off "counseling victims of rape" as an EC item, right next to "teaching English" and "shadowing" and "things like that"?

maybe it's just me...but I would have just said "I enjoy counseling." The way you phrased it - I found it a bit unnerving. Anyways...I was more specifically talking about what you should major in...ECs, you should do whatever interests you. Best of luck...