Best Science Major for MCAT preparation???

Pre-Med & Medical School MCAT Prep
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<p>Hi guys,</p>

<p>If you have seen my previous posts, you would probably know by now that I am 100% sure I want to attend medical school after I graduate. That said, I would be an upcoming freshman this fall of 2010, and I am having a hard time choosing a major. I looked at a sample of the MCAT test, including physical sciences, biological sciences, and the verbal reasoning, and thought the verbal reasoning was nothing out of this world, however the biological sciences, especially the physical sciences scared the "expletive" out of me. I want to know which science major would prepare me the best for this two parts of the test(biological, physical sciences), but without hurting my GPA. I heard majors like biomedical enginneering, and in physical sciences are really tough, and might end up lowering your GPA. </p>

<p>What I had in mind was to major in Biomedical Sciences, and do a minor in physcology to improve my writing, commmunication, and critical thinking skills.</p>

<p>Suggestions on any majors???....minors???</p>

<p>Any suggestions about how to prepare, or what path to take to achieve my goal???</p>

<p>Thank you so much in advance for all your responses.</p>

<p>BTW: If I do make it yo med-school, I want to become a Pediatrician:)</p>

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<p>I’d probably not to Biomedical Sciences, it sounds like a flim-flam major. I might be wrong though, especially if you go to a top undergrad where some of them have fancy names for their degrees, so I would look into its course schedule and compare it to other science majors. I don’t recommend choosing a major based on your MCAT aspirations. It is quite possibly the most inefficient way to improve you chances because, after the general courses, the stuff you learn is only tangentially related to what is on the MCAT and only becomes more so. I’m also not confident that psych is going to improve your writing/communication/critical thinking skills any more than a science major will.</p>

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<p>[ quote=Lemaitre1]Do not major in something that will have no employment prospects or is not interesting to you if you do not get into medical school. Medical school admissions is very competitive and most people who apply to medical school are rejected by every school they apply to. In my case I applied to over 20 medical schools, had a 3.6 GPA, and a combined MCAT score of 32 and was accepted at only one medical school (Drexel). Fortunately for me you only need to get one acceptance. I majored in Astronomy which has no employment prospects if you only have a bachelors degree but it is a field that I find very interesting. I am a practicing physician now but I honestly do not know what I would have done if Drexel had not accepted me into their medical school [ /quote]</p>

<p>[ quote=Ky-anh Tran]Are Engineering majors considered “serious”?
Also, why are specialized health majors looked down upon? Can’t they take extra classes in science to show they are capable and “serious” (and to prepare for the MCAT)?
A health major will have significant clinical experience and contact with doctors, which should be a plus for an applicant to medical school. Besides, choosing nursing as a major can be a sign that you know and like to care for other people, a quality a doctor should have. That’s why I don’t understand why specialized health majors get a disadvantage.
Any clarifications are welcome! [ /quote]</p>

<p>[ quote=shades_children]If you chose nursing as a major… why are you applying to medical school? Choosing nursing means… you want to be a nurse. Choosing those specialized health majors generally means you’re interested in aspects of health care that are NOT MD/DO-based. Sure, you get all sorts of clinical experience and doctor contact, but you’re not displaying the interest in being a physician - you look like you want to be something else.</p>

<p>That’s why, I think. Maybe BDM can elaborate more. [ /quote]</p>

<p>[ quote=Ky-anh Tran]Well choosing to be a physic major does not mean you want to be a physicist either. Besides, wanting to be a physicist does not alter you ultimate will to become a doctor, so why would wanting to have skills in nursing alter your ultimate will to become a doctor?
I bet nursing gives you a better idea of what medecine involves than doing physics or biology. Perhaps choosing nursing does not illustrate a desire to become a physician, yet choosing biochemistry does not demonstrate anything except you like biochemistry. So I have come to the conclusion that nursing OUGHT to be considered equal to biochem (which is not the case, I assume)
Then, med schools claim not to take in account about the major of a person when selecting, so are they basically lying, or are they unconsciously looking condescendently toward nurses?
If they consider majoring in nursing is too easy, what prevents a nurse from taking quantum mechanics for fun?
I just don’t understand the reasonment med schools use because it seems a bit biased to me. [ /quote]</p>

<p>[ quote=bluedevilmike]I’ve never heard a medical school claim not to care about major. What we’ve deduced by looking at the math is that they don’t seem to – with the exception of vocational majors like nursing. [ /quote]</p>

<p>[ quote=Ky-anh Tran]So basically, they wan’t to prevent you from having a decent plan B if you don’t get accepted? Pretty cruel…</p>

<p>Besides, some premeds have EMTs license, so THAT should also put them at disadvantage, shouldn’t it?
If you get your EMT license, it means you want to be a paramedic, which does not involve the skills of a doctor.
But once again the reasonment fails because wanting to practice skills of a paramedic is not mutually exclusive from wanting to be a doctor.
It’s as if saying music majors should be disadvantaged because they want to play piano and not become a doctor (what if they want both?) [ /quote]</p>

<p>[ quote=bluedevilmike]If you were to ONLY have an EMT-license, yes, you would be at a disadvantage.</p>

<p>If you were to be a biology major – an academic major – and an EMT, then no, you would not be at a disadvantage.</p>

<p>And why do you have to be a vocational major to have a decent “plan B”? [ /quote]</p>

<p>[ quote=Ky-anh Tran]A vocational has on average better chance for employment (especially for health vocational majors like nursing)
Let’s say you love science and medecine, and get rejected, so you choose graduate school. In the best of cases, you get your PhD in the sciences, which will lead you to endless postdoctoral research before getting a decent and long term job and that’s in the best scenario possible.
As opposed to going to grad school, a vocational major can practice his profession pretty easily (like being a nurse) to pay back his undergrad debt, then apply again to med school.
On the other hand, being a bio major basically gives you the opportunity for :
Research (you have to be damn smart to succeed), labwork (not very appealing or lucrative), teaching (not lucrative, hard to get hired, but decent)
The opportunities seem just very narrow.</p>

<p>“If you were to ONLY have an EMT-license, yes, you would be at a disadvantage”=> What if the nurse undergoes the clinical experience of premeds also (shadowing, volunteering, research…) [ /quote]</p>

<p>[ quote=bluedevilmike]So major in economics and the backup plan is to go into management consulting. Or major in history and the backup plan is to be a journalist. Or major in biology and the backup plan is to get a master’s and work in a pharmaceutical company. Or major in math and go work for a hedge fund. Or major in physics and work for a private equity firm. Or major in public policy and write a book. Or…</p>

<p>I mean, in any case, getting a PA is usually a viable plan B anyway. [ /quote]</p>

<p>[ quote=Ky-anh Tran]What fraction of premeds bio majors who get rejected actually end up with a decent long term job (assuming they don’t change their career path)? How many public policy majors will get published? How many history majors would be able to become journalist?
Those are viable options, but the probability for success is also very low. It’s like saying “I like biology, so my ultimate goal is to become a university professor but I’m applying to med school as a backup plan if I don’t get into the PhD program I want to”
I’m not saying that those are not options, but simply that a plan B should have at least 85% chance for success. I really think a nurse will have a lot more chance to get employed at a hospital (because of the current demand) than a Bio major with a MS to get into a pharmaceutical company. [ /quote]</p>

<p>[ quote=bluedevilmike]Depends on what you mean by decent. Making the mean for college grads? Probably a pretty good proportion.</p>

<p>And in any case, an NP and a PA remain viable options. Very viable options. [ /quote]</p>

<p>Later on in the thread discussion…</p>

<p>[ quote=bluedevilmike]Well, having a backup plan is a virtue. Unfortunately, as NCG says, it’s hard to have your cake and eat it too. Most vocational majors – that is, those which provide good backup plans – are poor fits for medical school. Unfortunately you’re just going to have to choose. [ /quote]</p>

<p>What I’m trying to get with the above threads its maybe rephrase my question. After replies I have gotten from different forums, it seems like by just taking the required classes to enter med-school(prerequisites) would be enough to prepare me and cover all the material in the MCAT’S Biological and Physical Sciences. Even though I do not need to major in science, I want to major in science, just for the fact that it has always been a subject that has interested me.</p>

<p>So, my new question is:</p>

<p>Which undergraduate science major has the best job opportunities/prospects/salary?
Although, I am positive I can make it to med-school, I don’t want to end up working in a restaurant like a co-worker of mines, that has a major in science and could not find a job(he got his degree from UF, University of Florida).</p>

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<p>^^^ sorry, I tried to use the quoiting for the first time and failed. Hopefully you would not have a hard time reading it…</p>

<p>or, read form the link:</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/pre-med-topics/214387-what-should-premed-major-2.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/pre-med-topics/214387-what-should-premed-major-2.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>That’s something you can probably google, but I would guess bio/chemical engineering, chemistry, and biochem w/ pharm or med concentration. If you are positive you can get into medical school no need to worry about it though ;)</p>

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<p>Later on in the thread discussion…</p>

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<p>What I’m trying to get with the above threads its maybe rephrase my question. After replies I have gotten from different forums, it seems like by just taking the required classes to enter med-school(prerequisites) would be enough to prepare me and cover all the material in the MCAT’S Biological and Physical Sciences. Even though I do not need to major in science, I want to major in science, just for the fact that it has always been a subject that has interested me.</p>

<p>So, my new question is:</p>

<p>Which undergraduate science major has the best job opportunities/prospects/salary?
Although, I am positive I can make it to med-school, I don’t want to end up working in a restaurant like a co-worker of mines, that has a major in science and could not find a job(he got his degree from UF, University of Florida).</p>

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<p>^^^ i got it right this time… :)</p>

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<p>Well, I’m pretty sure that If I work hard I could get to med-school,…but…nothing is guaranteed in life. Imagine in 4 years form now I end up with kids, and a family to support, there might not be budget for any loans that come along with medical school. Most likely, this WON’T HAPPEN(Lol)…but you never know what life might throw at you. Just saying… :/</p>

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<p>It does not matter what major, take reguired classes in any major, prepare for MCAT and take MCAT. Score will all depend on how good you prepare. The best students with perfect GPA’s usually score very very low in first practice MCAT test before they start preparing. It just tells you that score is related to prep., not to major. However, assumption is that everybody is taking Med. School required classes and most pre-meds are well above average academically (one needs relatively high GPA to get to Med. School).</p>

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<p>I heard physics major got the highest average on the MCAT… just saying…</p>

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<p>Yes, you are saying that you heard that. ;)</p>

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<p>Learn the material in your prereqs and you’ll be fine. I’m a psychology major and I have been laughed at for having a “joke” major. I did fine on the MCAT. So in conclusion:</p>

<p><a href=“http://30.media.■■■■■■■■■■/tumblr_kyby7pa0J81qzxzwwo1_500.gif[/url]”>http://30.media.■■■■■■■■■■/tumblr_kyby7pa0J81qzxzwwo1_500.gif&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>darkspy123: highest avg. on MCAT are classics majors followed by economics.</p>

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<p>what are classic majors? sciences?</p>

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<p>Chemistry or Biology??Hmm…which is which…??Any suggestions?</p>

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<p>Neither - because it (your major) doesn’t matter.</p>

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<p>I posted a question on yahoo answer regarding which pre-med major will help me with the MCAT and a guy name PE2008 commented me with this:</p>

<p>"Microbiology Majors get less than the average MCAT score (~27.6 vs ~28.0).
Biochemistry Majors average ~29.3.
(Engineering and Physics Majors average ~31.0).</p>

<p>The standard advice is to choose a Major which both facilitates/overlaps pre-med/pre-dentistry courses AND offers good career prospects in case you don’t make it to Medical School.</p>

<p>Some good Majors that meet both criteria are:
Bioprocess Engineering
Biological Engineering
Chemical/Biochemical Engineering
Pharmaceutical Sciences
Chemistry (ACS-Certified degree only)
Materials Engineering (might be intriguing for Dental Schools)"</p>

<p>I’m an upcoming freshmen at UCSD and my intended major right now is Microbiology. Should i minor in some sort of physics or engineering science? like Biochemical engineering? Or Major in Biochemical engineering then minor in microbiology? Also, just out of curiosity, why are physics and engineering major more helpful for the MCAT?? I also intend to go to dental school, that is why he mentioned some of that.</p>

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<p>Caveat: for someone with a Latin username I find it amusing you aren’t aware of the Classics. The classics are a branch of the humanities that deals with the studies of Latin/Greek</p>

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<p>Chemistry, atleast at most schools, is pre-med plus a Physical Chemstry course.
So that is definitely the best for the MCAT. Especially because of the Biochem thats required. Biology would be the next best, but some of the classes like molec cell and cell bio wont really help much.</p>

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<p>This is sad. People selecting majors on the basis of what will help them on an admissions test…</p>