Biomedical Sciences Major

<p>This major seems to be the best choice for me. I absolutely love science that has to do with the human body, so this was my first choice. My question is is this major really worth it? When I chose this major, I had to sacrifice the one most important thing, and that was the school that I wanted to attend. I HAVE to go to University of South Florida because this is the only school in the state of Florida that offers this major aside from FSCJ, and I refuse to leave Florida. Because of this, I question if this really is the best major for me.</p>

<p>There is nothing special or unique about the biomedical science major at USF. If you read the requirements for this major and do some comparisons with other schools, you will see that it pretty much consists of the typical pre-med (or, pre-health professions) requirements plus a concentration in one of biology, chemistry, or microbiology. </p>

<p>This major can be replicated at hundreds of colleges, but since you refuse to leave Florida, try the preprofessional track in the biology major at UF ([Pre-Professional</a> Track | The Biology Major | The University of Florida](<a href=“http://major.biology.ufl.edu/prepro_track.html]Pre-Professional”>http://major.biology.ufl.edu/prepro_track.html)) or the preprofessional health sciences track in the biology major at FSU ([FSU</a> Biology - Undergraduate Studies - Academic Tracks](<a href=“http://www.bio.fsu.edu/undergrad/tracks.php]FSU”>FSU - Biological Science)). You seem to be making a decision based solely on the title of this major, and you really haven’t done your homework.</p>

<p><em>my opinion of this major- others may disagree but I am going to be brutally honest</em></p>

<p>It is a major that is meant for pre-meds and not meant for any other end goal. If you don’t get to medical school, you will be hamstrung. The conglomeration of math, biology, chemistry, physics classes is not even enough in my opinion to give you the lable of “jack of all trades”. The name sounds enticing, and if I am reading you correctly, I would say that you have been fooled by the name of the major just like Zapfino said.</p>

<p>The aggie is correct. I would not just walk away from this, but RUN!</p>

<p>62% of all med school applicants do not get an acceptance anywhere (like me) It really is MCAT dependent and that score you will not know till you are able to take it. I can not tell you how many of my peers are completely screwed because they took majors like this that did not allow for a back up plan.</p>

<p>I was lucky and had a Humanities major and got my prereqs out of the way with a biology minor. When you have a 62% chance of not making it into school… and then factoring in all of the people that do not make it through med school… It is safe to have a real back up plan.</p>

<p>I read a statistic somewhere that people that don’t major in biology do better in MCATs. I don’t know if its correct, but i’m sure aggie is 100% correct.</p>

<p>I imagine that this would be useful also for pharmacy… so not so useless. Plus if you decide to just go on to do some further biomed science… which I guess is not so hot (but I like it). Not sure about job market or money but nice scientific adventure…</p>

<p>The 62% of applicants that are not accepted at any medical school actually greatly understates the number of people you will be competing for jobs with you who majored in Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry and similar subjects. Only half of the people who take the MCAT actually follow through with an application to any medical school and will graduate with Biology/Chemistry degrees with a BS and have to start looking for work. Worse still is the likelihood that the number of people who take the MCAT is only a fraction of the total number of students who started college as pre-med majors but by their junior or senior years, although committed to finishing their bachelors degree in Biology/Biochemistry/Chemistry, realize they do not have the GPA to be a competitive medical school applicant and do not even bother to take the MCAT.</p>

<p>The reality is that with a bachelors degree in Biomedical sciences you will be competing with the tens of thousands of students who recieve similar degrees every year, but do not make it to medical school, for a relatively small number of good jobs in the Chemistry and Life Sciences fields.</p>

<p>This situation is likely to persist as long as nearly every high school senior who graduates at or near the top of their HS class is convinced that they are so smart that medical school is a sure thing, while the reality is that only a small percentage of them will ever become doctors. Instead they will be working temporary jobs for $15/hour, without benefits, as laboratory technicians if they can find a job at all.</p>

<p>Biomedical Sciences will not be my only major though. I do want to double major in something else, but I just haven’t figured what it is yet. I have plenty of time because when school comes back I am only going to be a Junior in HS. So considering what everyone is saying on here, I should just drop the BS major for another one? I’m fine with that if it is better for my career.</p>

<p>if I were in your shoes, I wouldn’t do a double major and just steer clear of Biomedical Science. Sounds like you have time to decide.</p>

<p>Hey dude, don’t worry major in something you love. I want to go into medical school as well, but yeah it’s good to have a back up plan, mine is petroleum engineering. But now I’m thinking of changing my choice of major to what I really want to major in and have more passion for which is biomedical sciences as well. My point is go for it and if you don’t get accepted into med-school there is other professional schools you could go into: physical therapy, chiropractor, and etc. Or man up and ask what were your weaknesses and re-apply for med-school, “Nobody likes a quitter.”</p>