Hi I am currently a sophomore bio major in CC applying to UC schools thinking of changing to Spanish major. If I was a spanish major in Undergrad, would I have twice as much work trying to get the pre-requisites for med school done? I looked at the pre-reqs for UCLA Geffen School of Medicine and it states 1 yr English,1 yr Physics, Two years Chem, 1 yr Bio, and 1 yr Math. I have basically finished most the classes except the year of Physics. Would this mean in Undergrad I would just need to focus on Spanish major and Physics? What would the bio major students be doing?
When you are focusing on your Spanish major, the Bio majors would be focusing on their Bio majors.
No, non-science premed majors do not have twice the work. Why would you think that?
As you’ve indicated, you’ll be doing upper division Spanish Classes (3XX and 4XX classes). A Bio or Chem major would be doing Bio and Chem upper division classes.
So the bio major students would not get any sort of advantage on the material we need to know for medical school?
Look at the contents of the MCAT. Theoretically a bio major is daily immersed in some of the testing material – thus can have a natural advantage. But it’s not unheard of to take test prep and to study for months beforehand to get a killer MCAT.
“I have basically finished most the classes except the year of Physics. Would this mean in Undergrad I would just need to focus on Spanish major and Physics?”
I’m confused. You’re currently a sophomore but have completed 2 years of chem, including labs?
Very,very limited natural advantage as the bio courses you’ve taken are probably just garden variety bio courses and not geared toward MCAT. You’ll definitely need to pencil in MCAT prep if anything because of time gap between CC courses and potential MCAT date. And very little, if anything, you’ll learn in premed reqs will carry over or prepare you for med school
What’s your GPA in science courses you’ve already taken (specifically in math, chem, bio)? Depending on what this science GPA is, you may need to take some/ several UD science courses in addition to physics reqs you already still need to take. Even if you’ve done well at CC in science courses, some med schools may still want to see how you do in UD science courses (other than physics reqs) at UCLA.
You’d have to take statistics, biochemistry, neuroscience, psychology, sociology (1 semester each) in addition to your Spanish major, but, no, no advantage for the Bio majors. In fact humanities majors tended to perform better on the old MCAT, presumably because they developed two sets of skills (science and humanities).
What if you don’t do well in your Spanish major?
The university level upper division Spanish courses are nothing like your high school grammar courses. Are you sure you’ll do well with Spanish?
I’m taking Advanced Spanish Composition and doing extremely well. Spanish, although not my native language, is a big passion of mine.
yes, I have finished one year of general chemistry (with lab) and will have finished the organic chemistry by graduation from my cc. I have a 3.7 science GPA.
Would the biology students be only studying material related to their major that would not give them any technical advantage on the MCAT or as a med school student??
Correct. You only need the prereqs (including biochemistry, neuroscience, sociology, psychology, and statistics = those are newly “recommended” ie., required). If you love Spanish, go ahead. See if there’s a class titled “Spanish for the Health Professions”, too.