<p>If I major in biology then would that mean that I would simultaneously fulfill the premed requirements? On the website I found this:</p>
<p>"The biology major can include all of the requirements for admission to medical school. The pre-medical requirements are: two semesters of biology with a lab, two semesters of general chemistry with a lab, two semesters of physics with a lab, two semesters of organic chemistry with a lab, calculus (for some medical schools), and a writing course (for some medical schools). Medical schools look favorably upon completing all the pre-medical requirements at your primary institution. You will be prepared to take the MCAT once you have completed all of the previously stated requirements. For more information, please see the Health Careers website at: <a href="http://www.career.cornell.edu/HealthCareers/">http://www.career.cornell.edu/HealthCareers/</a>."</p>
<p>So when I hear people saying that it might be beneficial to your GPA for majoring in psychology, it seems like the psychology majors would just be taking extra classes on top of the biology requirements, right? Someone please help me out. After people have been telling me how difficult it is to get A's at Cornell I've been rethinking my college strategy into medical school. And one more question: If I major in psychology (with the assumption that it is easier to get As) then how important is it to medical schools that I do research? Wouldn't I need to do biology related research? Please help. Thanks.</p>
<p>when you apply to med school, you basically have 2 gpas. One is your overall gpa with all classes factored in and the other gpa is your "pre-med" gpa which only includes your pre-med required courses. Of course, Med schools give your "pre-med" gpa more importance but your overall may play a factor if it is significantly lower.</p>
<p>But doesn't that still mean that psychology majors would need to take separate classes on top of the pre-med requirements, whereas the biology majors can just take biology requirements to fulfill pre-med requirements (like killing two birds with one stone)? So would a biology major's pre-med gpa be the same as his overall gpa since both requirements are fulfilled through the biology requirements? I feel like I'm misunderstanding something.</p>
<p>What is your major foodisgood? Are you planning on or currently doing pre-med?</p>
<p>You can major in anything and still be a premed. Premed courses count toward the major requirements for Biology majors. But if you major in something other than Bio than the premed courses can fulfill your major or elective or other science requirements.</p>
<p>I don't think medical school calculate your premed GPA separatly. Medical schools calculate your Science and Humanities GPAs separatly.
Science GPAs include all the science courses you take whether they are bio or chem or any other science. However as foodisgood mentioned medical schools put a lot of importance on your grades in the premed courses.</p>
<p>i'm planning to do pre-med (i'm a senior in high school). I also applied to a couple of BS/MD programs.</p>
<p>
[quote]
But doesn't that still mean that psychology majors would need to take separate classes on top of the pre-med requirements, whereas the biology majors can just take biology requirements to fulfill pre-med requirements (like killing two birds with one stone)? So would a biology major's pre-med gpa be the same as his overall gpa since both requirements are fulfilled through the biology requirements? I feel like I'm misunderstanding something.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>No, even if you majored in bio, your two gpas would be different. Keep in mind that pre-med courses ONLY consist of bio, chem, organic chem, etc.(the courses you listed in your first post) There are many more bio courses that you will do as a bio major, such as ecology, which DO NOT count in the pre-med gpa. </p>
<p>And biophilic, check out this website: <a href="http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forumdisplay.php?f=10%5B/url%5D">http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forumdisplay.php?f=10</a>. If you look at some of the students profiles, I believe that they list both an overall gpa and a BCPM gpa. I'm not sure what BCPM exactly stands for but I believe it is pre-med courses only.</p>
<p>Foodisgood: I am pretty sure BCMP GPA is not the premed GPA.
Currently i am a premed student and many of my friends have already applied to medical schools and i have not heard anything like this from them. But i will be glad to find out what BCMP means.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.radford.edu/%7Epremed/premed.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.radford.edu/~premed/premed.html</a></p>
<p>"We look hard at the 'BCPM' GPA. That's the Biology-Chemistry-Physics-Math GPA. A high overall GPA but a low BCPM GPA doesn't look good to us."</p>
<p><a href="http://web.mit.edu/career/www/preprof/amcasfaq.html%5B/url%5D">http://web.mit.edu/career/www/preprof/amcasfaq.html</a></p>
<p>"Q - Are engineering courses included in the BCPM (biology, chemistry, physics, math) GPA that is calculated by AMCAS?
A- Your engineering courses will not be included in the BCPM GPA unless you classify your engineering course as a biology, chemistry, physics, or math course. The MIT Careers Office can not determine whether your engineering course should be listed as a BCPM. If you are considering listing an engineering course as a BCPM speak with the appropriate academic department or registrars for guidance. In the end it is up to your judgment. AMCAS will accept what you list to be included in the BCPM GPA as long as the transcript doesn't conflict with your classification."</p>
<p>You already found out about it!</p>
<p>Ah, so we are both kind of right. BCPM gpa does not include humanities and the other gpa only includes humanities and does not include BCPM. I didnt know that all bio courses are included in the BCPM. Wouldn't that put non bio major students at a disadvantage?</p>
<p>Not really, for the first two years Premed Bio students and Premed non-bio students almost take the same courses. For example, in their first year almost all the premed students take these courses:BIO, CHEM, MATH, Writing Seminars:<br>
Howver, in the second and third year, students majoring in subjects which have higher median grades do get an advantage.</p>
<p>What you need to realize is that you will be taking many courses outside of your major anyway (whether you're a bio or psych major). You can easily major in psychology (or anything else) and still complete the med school requirements. Just make bio/gen chem/orgo/physics part of your electives.</p>
<p>Norcalguy: so basically I will need to take those few initially competitive classes like intro to bio in which I will need to compete with other premed students anyway? So there's really no huge boost in GPA even if I major in psychology.</p>
<p>Wrong.</p>
<p>Yes, you will have to compete with other premeds in intro bio, gen chem, orgo, and physics but THAT'S IT.</p>
<p>As a bio major, I have to compete with premeds in most of my classes. I have to take classes like evolutionary bio, genetics, etc. (classes you won't have to take as a pysch major) in which I have to compete with other bio majors (a good portion of whom are premeds). Thus, both your science and your overall GPA will be higher as a psych major than a bio major (assuming that psych is easier).</p>