I’m a soon to be biology student and I’m trying to figure out what are good back up plans that can be obtained with a biology degree. While applying for med school would it be a good ideal to apply to pharmacy, dentistry, law, and optometry school also? I’m not interested in anything else really, I don’t want to teach or be a physicians assistant, or anything else that had been suggested. Also can I please not see the normal “worry about college first” comments because I’m a planner.
Bioengineering? PhD in Biology?
In all honesty, I’m of the belief you should start college, see how the pre-med classes go, see if you find other interests (you may be surprised) and then make a decision. Anything you consider now is premature.
Students who didn’t make it to a med school due to lower MCAT scores or GPA usually consider osteopathic program: http://www.osteopathic.org/inside-aoa/about/affiliates/Pages/osteopathic-medical-schools.aspx
Good back up is Osteopathic Medicine. Osteopathy as a good alternative to conventional medical school, if your M.C.A.T. scores are not high egnouph to make the cut for traditional medical schools. Students entering osteopathic schools last year scored on average, 27, compared to 31 for M.D. matriculants. Incoming M.D. students average a 3.69 grade-point average, versus 3.5 for D.O. matriculants.
Or search for jobs in the general BA/BS job market, like most college graduates in majors which do not have good major-specific job prospects.
No specific major is required for medical school.
Graduate school ?
I would give this time and see how your grades hold up in college (often better or worse than you think since high schools vary so much, work habits vary so much, colleges vary so much, and there are a lot of distractions). Also take a broad range of classes and see where your real interests lie. Do some medical ECs to see how much you really like the field.
The good thing about switching out of medicine is that you have already committed a lot of time and money to your future education, so there are lots of paths, some significantly easier, to a career you will enjoy.
I think biochemistry has a better job outlook than biology … there are probably also bio specialty fields with good job prospects.
Nursing and physician assistant careers are better than most people think. Starting salaries for top nursing programs are higher than a lot of other majors.
DMDs (Dentistry) is slightly easier than getting into Med School (anecdotal impression that is not data-driven).
Also some people go to medical school in the Caribbeans (St George, Ross University, American University of Caribbean e.t.c.) or Australia (University of Queensland).
Some of these med schools place decently well into US residency programs. I would point out that I have read that Caribbean schools are somewhat looked down on by U.S. educated doctors.
Biochemistry would have better career prospects, and a strong neuroscience major backed by research would be good for a PHD.
You could add a minor in CS, data science, or statistics, so that you can use it as a fallback.
You can also major in biology at one of the Critical Language Flagships, and use your professional-level critical language to enter federal agencies or industries that need those skills.
stay away from overseas med schools
My back up plan for med school is getting a Ph.D in Microbiology. I wouldn’t go to an overseas med school if you paid me.
Perhaps a career in public health, epidemiology, or health management of some kind.
IMO PAs and NPs have more in common with primary care doctors than anything else. They make rather a lot of money right out of school, too.
Epidemics often start in other countries (H1N1, Ebola, Zika) where knowledge of the language is a huge help.
Pharmaceutical research.
Anything government-related.
Google 'global health ’ 
Science + professional fluency in one language is always useful.
Even fluency in Spanish (or another language spoken in the US, such as Hmong, Haitian Creole…) is hugely useful for someone in led school.
@MYOS1634, thank you.
How would a CL (critical language) ability help in pharmaceutical research?
College sophomore DS just changed from majoring in biology to neuroscience. He does not attend a CL flagship but is pursuing a minor in one of the critical languages. He plans to apply to med school but has no back up plan. This thread is helpful.
^Because pharmaceutical research can take place anywherein the world (due to the pharmaceutical industry and brands being global), and resarch participants/subjects can/must be recruited in a variety of communities. Obviously that’s for the private sector and depends on what you’re doing.
Do you want to be a doctor or not? If you do, then do what it takes to get into med school. Many students (most at many med schools) work a few years first. Many many people have to apply more than once.
I can’t imagine pharmacy schools want people who would rather be doctors–they are very different fields. The closest thing to medicine is PA or NP–but you’ve eliminated those, making me think your desire is about prestige/money, not a true desire for medicine. I served on admissions committee for med school in the past–be careful how you come across because these sentiments would result in a quick rejection from my former school.
Best comment, Booajo.^Could not agree more!