Currently equally passionate about biology and chemistry. Biology is less work for an A though. My path is pre-med but it’s not set in stone hence why I’m not a premed major- I love the idea of studying med more than the idea of being a GP. However which do you think is better as a major/minor combination or do you recommend I stick to my plan to double major in both?
There isn’t a “premed major.” To meet the prerequisites for medical school, you simply take the required classes, of which you’ll most likely take anyway as part of the biology major requirements.
I’m graduating with a double major in biology (technically, my college calls it “biological sciences” but it’s the same thing for all intents and purposes) and chemistry. It was fairly easy for me because many biology classes counted towards the chemistry major and vice versa. Plus the first few years are practically identical anyway since they both require you to take general chemistry, organic chemistry, calculus, and physics. Keep in mind that most chemistry programs require you to take calculus-based physics while most biology programs only require algebra-based physics - so plan on taking the calculus version if you want to do this.
Since both majors are pretty similar initially I would wait until sometime in your second year and make a decision then, since the first two years should be very similar regardless of which path you take. If you’re performing well in all of your classes then go ahead and double major. Otherwise major in the subject you’re doing better in (your interests might change at this point) and minor in the other subject if you want to.
That was SUPER helpful! Thank you! I’m leaning towards a double major, quite honestly. How did double majoring affect your free time to do extracurricular activities? I want to join the soccer team and do volunteering/internships but I’m willing to sacrifice soccer sniff if it comes down to it. Also, any tips from your experience that makes the process as smooth as possible?
My son is double majoring in 2 sciences while playing varsity soccer and working on campus about 10 hours a week. He is able to pull it off but does not have a lot of extra time, especially during his sports season. He only has time for internships during the summer. It really would depend on what level of soccer- D1, 2, or 3, or maybe club soccer- you are talking about. I agree with aldfig0’s suggestion to wait until your 2nd year to make a decision, but to be sure to look at GE requirements to be sure to take the more stringent ones of the majors you are considering.
Since you plan to go to medical school and that is another 4 years plus at least 3 years of residency and significant expenditure, don’t do a double major if it takes you an extra year of college. The second major has no impact on your ability to get into medical school and you just delay your studies by one year and have to pay for the extra year of college.
As @aldfig0 said, medical schools don’t really care about your major, just the course prerequisites.
@xraymancs Oh nooo. Wow, I hadn’t thought of delaying my graduation. My issue is that I can’t choose between Biology and Chemistry. I’ve been told those majors compliment each other in terms of requirements. I’ll talk more with my advisor to be certain. But would definitely not delay my graduation- I’d no sooner put both on pieces of paper in a hat and pick one as major/minor.
In last reported cycle, close to 60% of those who applied did not get into any med school. So it’s certainly good to have a plan B and, in that sense, maybe a double major is a better plan B than a single major like bio. Whether or not anyone can balance the time needed to pursue a double major and still find time for earning high grades, ECs, MCAT prep, secondaries, having social life, etc is dependent on individual. Some can balance a double major and still produce a competitive app. Most even pursing one major fail. If you believe you can, go for it. Good luck.
A B.S. plus and M.S. is always better than a double major so if medical school does not work out right away, you could go for a Masters and then either reapply or find a job. Lots of people go the M.S. route before reapplying to medical school. It really does increase your chances. My niece realized that she would not get into a medical school just after college but with the Masters under her belt was able to gain admission to more than one program.
It should be a lot easier to choose as you advance in both subjects. Double majoring is seldom worth it IMHO. Better to have electives to spend, and use them on what you love.