<p>Hey guys, I'm back again! I now definitely know that a science major is for me, but now I'm having some serious trouble deciding between majoring in Biomedical Engineering or Biology. </p>
<p>I do want to get into medical school and pursure a career in the medical field. However, when you hear that only 40% of medical school applicants are accepted, you start to get a bit nervous. I mean, the people applying to med school are all the smart kids in high school who got 2200+ SAT, and like a 4.0 UW GPA. If I don't get into medical school, will I be left with a useless biology BS degree? Or should I major in BME so that even if I still don't get into med school I will still have a chance at a good job? Or will majoring in BME hurt my GPA so irreparably that I can't get into med school? </p>
<p>God this much thinking is giving me a headache. I really would appreciate any amount of feedback. Thanks!</p>
<p>Are you a very strong math and physics student? (Best predictor of success in any engineering major.)</p>
<p>Did/are you taking AP Calc BC? AP Phys C? What were your scores? What is your math subscore on the SAT/ACT? (All also good predictors for success in engineering.)</p>
<p>And that 40%–that’s only out of all those who actually end up applying. If you look at freshmen pre-med numbers vs. successful matriculants, the number of failed pre meds is much, much higher. Considering those numbers (from incoming freshmen to successful matriculant), it’s closer to 90% of pre meds never make it into medical school.</p>
<p>Well, I believe I am proficient in math and science. I got 5 on the AP test for Chem and Calc BC. I got 700 on SAT Math. I got 800 on SAT Math II a year before that. Needless to say, I am planning to retake the SAT in the upcoming October test. I have yet to take physics at my high school and chose instead to take a physics 10 course at my local community college over the summer and got an A (not sure if this means anything). </p>
<p>I have done some research and found that only 1% of BME majors apply to med school, and 47% of Bio majors apply. Which leaves me asking the questions: Did the BME majors feel like they did not have sufficient GPA? Or did they already feel like they had landed a substantially paying job? Anyways, this has left me with a huge bag of questions.</p>
<p>Engineering really kills your GPA at most schools. At mine, engineers averaged a 2.7-2.8 GPA. Most classes were curved to a 2.7, so it was expected. And many of these people had already taken Calc 3 before entering as a freshman and the average SAT for matriculated students was in the mid 1400s out of 1600s. Engineering is far more time consuming than biology and more difficult. If you’re dead set on going to med school, don’t major in engineering. I wouldn’t major in biology either, as it’s unemployable. If you’re set on med school, major in another employable field and take the premed requirements.</p>
<p>General Biology is not as good as Biochemistry for premed. Don’t major in Biomedical Engineering unless you want to be an engineer. That is the primary focus of an engineering curriculum, not preparing for medical school. @Brian1 is correct, the heavy load in engineering can be detrimental to your GPA but I know a lot of engineers with good grades too.</p>
<p>As for Biomedical Engineers not applying to medical school, many start with that idea in mind but change later on. This is most likely because they decided that engineering would be a better profession than medicine for them.</p>
<p>My god man! My Dad just told me to major in biochemistry instead of bio too (although he didn’t know why). I’m still a senior in high school, so I am unawares of the difference in majoring in bio vs biochem. What different job opportunities are available to those with a biochem major? I’ve heard that a BS in biology is practically useless in today’s economy and job market. Please enlighten me as to the difference between majoring in bio vs. biochem. Does it take longer to major in biochem/do you have to take more courses?</p>
<p>Haha wow this has just changed from Biology vs Biomedical engineering to Biochem vs Bio. You guys have helped me so much in a confusing time of my life. Thank you all!</p>
<p>P.S. @Brian Yea, that’s true. My Dad is an engineer and he said his GPA at SJU was like around a 2.0.</p>
<p>@Brian1 I’m very interested to know what sort of major you would recommend. Thanks in advance. I certainly agree that a BS in Biology is unemployable since I’ve heard that around a lot. In fact, I know a friend’s sister who graduated from UCB with a BS in Biology, and did great EC’s for med (like shadowing doctors, volunteering at a hospital, etc. etc.). However, she couldn’t get into med school, so she started her own teaching business instead.</p>
<p>With the exception of econ, most all liberal arts majors, including bio, are unemployable. Yes, quant majors can do a little better than a Lit major, but not much.</p>
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<p>Typically, a major consists of ~10 required courses in a Dept. Science majors, however, also need prereqs, such as Gen Chem and Calc.</p>
<p>Accounting or finance and take the premed requirements. Math should overlap so you don’t have that many prereqs left. The material is easy so it shouldn’t kill your GPA. Every accounting/finance major I knew had a job out of college, and now a few years out, many are making 85k/90k+ as analysts or CPAs.</p>
More or less true, although on average quant majors make 20-30k more on their starting salaries than Lit majors do at some schools. Quant majors have more options in consulting and analyst jobs, and if you are good at mental math, you can work for a hedge fund and make more money than in any other profession. You will be working 100 hour weeks, but you only have to do it for a few years before you can retire and use the millions you earn to start your own business and do whatever you want. Depending on the school, degree, and how you do on their exams, you can get a hedge fund job straight out of college. You also have a greater shot at MBB since their skills are geared more towards quant majors, but it’s hard to get MBB straight out of college. It’s a rigorous admissions process and only 1 percent make it through.</p>
<p>@Brian1 I’m a little bit lost. Referring to an accounting major, you said that math should overlap. Does that mean I have to overload extra science courses on a sophmore/junior year? Also, what do you mean by “mental math”? I can do something like 374 * 52 in my head, since I learned abacus as a child. Is that what you mean? </p>
<p>Sorry if I seem like I’m asking a lot of questions. I’m still learning about college degrees and stuff. Thanks for sharing advice everyone!</p>
<p>He is not a pre-med, not interested in pre med, has no insight into the med school admissions process. He mostly here because he’s bored and has nothing better to do than google a few factoids and post in multiple threads.</p>
<p>The unemployment rate for college grads 25yo+ is currently about 4.5% and falling(below 3% for those with advanced degrees) The reason DOL doesn’t include those under 25 is because that data is very volatile, full of noise and basically meaningless to anyone who understands the subject. It is of interest only to tabloids and those trying to make cheap political points. </p>
<p>The hyperbole on this site is amazing. Grow up people.</p>
<p>@WayOutWestMom You said that a BS in biochemistry or biology both have the same job outcome. I really don’t want to be stuck in the position in which I am not accepted to medical school, and have a useless degree for jobs. What major do you think would have a good realistic shot in the job market, as well as a shot in entering medical field? Maybe, I’m just hoping for a rainbow unicorn major that doesn’t exist. Maybe, I can’t have the best of both worlds. If there are any majors you can think of with the “best of both worlds”, please suggest it in this thread.</p>
<p>With a 5, you can probably test out for your major req. Since you’re good at math, you could consider retaking Calc 1 and 2 for easy As to boost your GPA for med school apps. Depends on what your courseload is.</p>