Does this college path seem reasonable?

<p>I have thought about becoming a high school science teacher as an option over a doctor or biomedical engineer, much to my mother's dismay (she is pretty tough- tiger parent, wants me to be a doctor). I have such a passion for science, and I want a job where I can use my knowledge in the service for others, and help many different backgrounds. It's really funny actually, I didn't even notice the option of a teacher til recently, and it's been in front of me the whole time with the work in Science Fair I have done with my teacher, who I really look up to.</p>

<p>I love both biology and chemistry, but I'd figured there would be more demand for chemistry than biology. </p>

<p>But I have also heard other things, such as the economy being bad, bad salary, outlook not good. Money is not really an issue for me.</p>

<p>I have always had a love for neuroscience (from my concussion) since ninth grade, but it seems to be that the only option is to become a doctor. While this is still an option for me, I don't really want to be locked in such a rigid position. </p>

<p>What I've been thinking is a major in Chemistry geared towards secondary education, with a minor in Neuroscience, that way, I can still pursuse a deep interest of mine. </p>

<p>What would my mom think? Does this seem reasonable and possible?</p>

<p>It seems reasonable. However, think about what part of the country you want to be in when you work and find out if teachers are in demand.</p>

<p>Here it is a very hard job to get, even in math and science.</p>

<p>There are many jobs in industry you could get with a chemistry degree, especially with graduate work. </p>

<p>I think it is too early for you to be making these decisions. And medical school doesn’t require a particular degree, just a set of prereq courses, so you could always choose that later.</p>

<p>Well, if you major in biology, chemistry, neuroscience, or biomedical engineering, you will be taking most or all of the pre-med courses anyway. So you can tell your mother that you are taking the pre-med courses. Remember that most frosh who intend pre-med do not get into any medical schools, so the medical schools may make the decision for you even if you apply.</p>

<p>For a career in teaching high school, look up the teacher credentialing requirements in the area you want to teach.</p>

<p>For job and career prospects in general, you may want to see the <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/internships-careers-employment/1121619-university-graduate-career-surveys-5.html#post15975553[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/internships-careers-employment/1121619-university-graduate-career-surveys-5.html#post15975553&lt;/a&gt; . But they are not that good for biology, and probably only a little better for chemistry (i.e. still not that good), so live frugally.</p>

<p>You have a lot of conflicting thoughts here. Step one in college will be learning how to compile your ideas and express them more clearly and not use run-on sentences.</p>

<p>Are you asking about a pre med major, how to tell your parents you don’t want pre med, or what?</p>

<p>As for your final question:
A Chemistry major with the required pre med biology classes is a perfect pre Med major. However, academics alone typically aren’t enough to guarantee med school spots- you’ll need a good amount of extra curriculars and on campus involvement to absolutely guarantee a spot. I mention this because a lot of my friends with stereotypically Tiger parents seem to not understand this and think they’re wasting time if they arent in class.</p>

<p>If you follow this path and decide against med school after the end of undergrad, you can pick up a teaching certificate pretty easily in most states. However, be aware that teaching and nursing have a similar problem: You’ll always have a job, but it may not be in the area you want it to be. Most of the demand is in rural or sketchier areas. You did mention money is not a concern so you may be able to sub in the district you want and wait for a position which would alleviate this concern.</p>

<p>Noting the irony that I used a run-on sentence to tell someone not to use run-on sentences…</p>

<p>Hi Rexximus,</p>

<p>Thanks again - but I wasn’t asking for what I need to get into Med School. I was just asking people for honest opinions whether this option (Chemistry Education, minor in Neuroscience) would be a good idea. I know what medical schools are looking for. This is because of when that seriously was the path I wanted to go. It was that way for the past 5 years. It’s just that the more I think about medical school as an option, the more I grow to feel that it’s not the type of lifestyle that I want to commit to. </p>

<p>And yes, I am scared to tell my mom about my thoughts. Please note this is NOT my final decision - it’s just a strong option for me. </p>

<p>By the way, does this post have any run on sentences? Sorry I bothered you about that.</p>

<p>I’ve made some suggestions in your other threads. I’m going to PM you with the name of my daughter’s school, which specifically looks for STEM or STEM aware teachers of color with an interest in a small environment and out-of-the-box thinking. You should check it out and look for such a school where you plan to live or go to college. If you’re looking to do more than a “typical” teacher, a school like this might appeal to you. </p>

<p>I can’t say how your mom would react. If you follow the “would you pay for any major” thread, you’ll know that I would be proud to support you in your quest if you were my child. Teachers may not be doing brain surgery, but they affect hundreds, if not thousands of lives over their lifetimes. I can’t think of a downside to that. In some countries, teachers are revered. It’s sad that here they’re considered “those who can’t do” or aren’t good enough for other “real” jobs.</p>

<p>No your second post was perfect and concise! I’m just sensitive to them because I have the same problem; I use parentheses and hyphens to extend my thoughts in informal settings such as this.</p>

<p>If you go to college and act as though you will be Pre-Med, you won’t preclude yourself from the teaching profession. You may have to do some work to get a teaching certificate and pass the Praxis tests, but it won’t be much. Depends on the state you want to teach in.</p>

<p>I would recommend Chemistry over Biology as there are a lot of Biology graduates. I found med school fascinating and was heading that way myself as a kid until Anatomy in highschool. Just a frog was too much. Can you imagine a human knee? And then talking about lungs made my breathing feel so heavy and i got so uncomfortable.</p>