<p>I'm considering double majoring in Chinese and Spanish. Although it is not required to major in a science to attend medical school, med school is still a possibility for me. I have an avid interest in both of the languages, Chinese for its culture and Spanish for its applicability in living in such a state as Florida (Great Hispanic community). Is this a good idea? I don't mind the challenge, but I don't want to OVERLOAD myself. Is this a good idea, or should I consider an alternative?</p>
<p>I think it is a great idea! I don’t know how adept you are at learning languages, but Chinese and Spanish are in two totally different language families; however, Chinese is one of THE hardest languages to learn and Spanish is one of the easiest for an English speaker, so maybe you won’t overload yourself. Make sure that you have an interest in Spanish culture too; it will make learning the language more fun. Anyway, best of luck to you!</p>
<p>Double majoring in two unrelated languages PLUS meeting med school expectations as to science preparation (2 years of chemistry, one year each of physics and biology and math through calculus) might be a bit of an overload. </p>
<p>At Penn (at least when I was a student) a major consisted of 12 courses and typically a full time student took 4 courses per semester for a total of 32 (some fields required 36) over the full 4 years. So in your case you’d have had 24 language related courses (assuming no overlap possibilities), a minimum of 8 in the sciences (there’s 32 already), plus any additional math you might need and of course your school’s “core requirements” outside languages and science/math like History, English Composition, and so forth.</p>
<p>Finally, based on my experience at Penn, the upper level language courses you’ll be taking your junior and senior year will be disproportionately costly in terms of out of class preparation, particularly at mid-term and finals time. </p>
<p>If you’re a natural at language acquisition, by all means look into it, but balance your enthusiasm with the knowledge that med school admissions are incredibly competitive and the time you have available will be limited.</p>
<p>Bear in mind that you could just as well take a lot of courses in a second foreign language without meeting every last requirement for a second major, and no one except you would care.</p>
<p>This situation sort of applies to me, except that I’m a high school student with plans to double major in French and German before going on to law school. I already have a very solid background in French (in fact, I’m fluent) and am quickly gaining proficiency in German. Since I want to eventually have my work somewhat closely tied to Europe, and since German and French are, respectively, the 2nd and 3rd most widely spoken languages in the EU, I thought these majors would be quite useful. What are your opinions? My only concern is that in the event something happens and my family isn’t able to afford law school, would a French and German undergraduate double major be sufficient as stand-alone degrees, in terms of career choices?</p>
<p>Sorry in advance for hijacking this thread; I just decided to post since the thread title is precisely what I’m considering for college. Also to the OP - it’s not absolutely necessary for you to be a biology or chemistry major in order to be successful in med school admissions. I’ve even heard of cases where a student majored in something like Anthropology and got accepted to Harvard Medical School. As long as you’re adept at learning languages and have natural talent in this area, I don’t think you should have too much to worry about :)</p>
<p>The key to any double major is always time (particularly if you plan to graduate in 4 years) both in terms of the academic calendar and of the student’s ability to handle the work load. </p>
<p>Coming in with advanced standing only helps in that you won’t have to take the elementary and intermediate sequences (which don’t usually count toward a major anyway). Another factor will be the majors’ required courses which may be offered in a specific sequence - in effect you’re locked in to taking some courses that may only be offered once a year or even alternate years (this is surprisingly common, even at very large schools).</p>
<p>And of course, universities do have rules about double majors that may make things even more difficult so when you’re doing your school search you’ll want to talk to undergraduate advisors to be certain your plans are possible at each school you’re applying to.</p>
<p>So… it’s possible but it will be more work than you think!</p>
<p>In general, a modern language major is an excellent asset to have, but is rarely in itself enough to ensure a good employment outlook. You’ll very often find comments like this from the University of Missouri on departmental websites:</p>
<p>“It is especially recommended that students consider a double major or another discipline and a language. A language then becomes an asset that makes graduates more adaptable to the demands of international communication in their second major discipline and hence more competitive and marketable upon completion of the B.A. degree.”</p>