<p>So I want to major in psychology after transferring to UCLA from a community college. I am so determined to do this! </p>
<p>After I get a Bachelor's I want my first choice is to go on to graduate school. PhD is the dream</p>
<p>BUT I want to have med school and maybe law school as open options though. (All three probably equally challenging).</p>
<p>Should I worry about this now? I mean if I end up choosing medical school as my path can I just get a tutor and study study study for the mcat and be okay?</p>
<p>Or do I have to take certain classes at my comm. college? Like O-chem? I mean, I want experience but don't want to kill my GPA? Are any classes required? Recommended? I've heard you can major in anything and go to med school, so I'm confused.</p>
<p>Thanks people.</p>
<p>Med schools have very specific course requirements for admission (chemistry, OChem, bio, biochem, math, physics, writing). Without those classes you have zero chance of getting accepted.</p>
<p>You can major in anything, but you must complete the required coursework to be considered for med school admission.</p>
<p>Med schools will also expect that an applicant has participated in certain activities in addition to having a high GPA and a good MCAT score–like physician shadowing, hospital or other medical volunteering, community service, clinical or bench research, and will hold leadership positions in organizations or activities.</p>
<p>Also if you do take most or all of your required science coursework at a CC, medical schools will want to see that you’ve taken more advanced science coursework at a 4 year college. (To demonstrate that any strong CC grades are not just a result of easier CC grading.)</p>
<p>Wowmom is right.</p>
<p>For law school, it doesn’t matter what classes or major you do.</p>
<p>For med school, it doesn’t matter what you major in, BUT, you have to take the pre-med pre-reqs.</p>
<p>If OChem would ruin your GPA, then maybe med school isn’t the right path for you.</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>Maybe Ochem won’t kill me or my GPA. I’ve just heard it’s the hardest thing ever. It can’t hurt to try. I just want to have options when I graduate, even though a doctoral program for psychology is what I really really want to do.</p>
<p>I have to take a lot of classes to transfer anyway. I already need bio and chem. Maybe in my last semester or two I can squeeze in some calc and O-chem (UCLA med school requires some calc apparently). I could always get a tutor as well. Hmmm. </p>
<p>I’ll try to get my foot in the door for any internships as well.</p>
<p>Or should I just go full steam ahead for a clinical psych PhD and not look back?</p>
<p>Steam full ahead for a clinical psych.</p>
<p>Medicine (even psychiatry) and clinical psych are very different career fields which don’t really overlap much. The kinds of ECs required for psych are different than those required for med school. </p>
<p>And if you want medical school, you won’t be able to delay OChem and Calc until senior year–those need to be completed before you can take the MCAT. (And the MCAT needs to be completed before you can apply to med school–a process that takes a full year.)</p>
<p>BTW, UCLA is one of the most competitive admits in the country for med school. Don 't assume you’ll be a lock for it.</p>
<p>What about psychology/psychiatry appeal to you? They are pretty different fields so if you parse out the parts you like it should be pretty clear which one is for you.</p>
<p>I guess what appeals to me most is the salary for psychiatrists. It’s almost double than that of clinical psychologists! And (at least in the movies) they seem essentially the same. But apparently there are some big, big differences. </p>
<p>Hmmm. Maybe I’ll just go full steam ahead for that dream of a PhD. I’ll admit I’m not a math and science guy. I can get A’s no problem, but it takes some effort and to be honest I don’t enjoy it as much as a regular pre med might. I’ve always been better at reading and writing. Listening and communicating. </p>
<p>I’ll see how it goes. I tend get a bit apprehensive and overthink things. I’m only in my 3rd week of college and for now I just have to focus on transferring for a Bachelors. But I ain’t stopping there. PhD here I come.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone</p>
<p>OP-- </p>
<p>FYI, psych programs now are divided in two career paths.</p>
<p>PhD is for research-based/academic careers. (They don’t typically treat patients.)</p>
<p>PsyD is for those who want to go into patient-oriented clinical careers.</p>