I’m a senior in high school and I’m really confused as to what major I should take. I really love education but I want to become a Pediatrician. I was wondering is Education a good pre-med major? If there’s a chance that I don’t get into med school I also want something I can fall back on.
It’s going to be difficult to combine an elementary education major with pre-med course requirements especially once you add in the required classroom observation experiences/practicums and student teaching.
If you’re interested in being a high school biology teacher, then pre-med becomes more feasible because at least you have some crossover with coursework requirements. Just makes sure the science classes you take are the same science courses that the science majors take. Also you’ll need to plan to apply to med school only after you graduate because your senior year will be entirely consumed by classroom practicums and student teaching. You won’t have time to apply to med school or do med school interviews.
However, if you want to be high school bio teacher, you don’t necessarily need to be a secondary ed major. You can major in bio (or chem or neuroscience or whatever) and----
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teach at a private or charter school–which do not require a state teaching certificate
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get a teaching job at public school on a certification waiver–which means you’re hired under the condition that you are or will be concurrently taking coursework towards fulfilling your state teaching certification while you are teaching
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enroll in a post-grad MAT program to earn your teaching certification AND your Master’s at the same time
You should also be aware that teacher certification is state-dependent. Just because you are certified in one state does not mean you’ll be certified in another. (It’s an issue. I held valid teaching certificates for NY, CA, TX , PA and IL and when I moved to where I live now, but my credentials didn’t meet the certification requirements of my new state. I had to take additional classes and retake some classes i had already taken. For example, I had a 2 credit “reading in the subject area” class but the state required a 3 credit “reading in the subject area” class. I also had to take a state history class, even though I was not a history teacher. )
Teacher certification is picky and detailed. Unless you attend a college in the same state where you end up teaching, you will almost always have to go back and take additional coursework to get certified.
You also need to be aware that there is huge glut of failed pre-meds who end up as high school bio and chemistry teachers so there are no guarantees that having a sec education degree with a bio/chem endorsement is going to get you a teaching job if you don’t get into med school.
P.S. If you want to major in a field that is more likely to get a you a teaching job–major in math or physics. There’s a enormous shortage of qualified middle and high school math teachers.
A kid I know just got a job in a local middle school. She had to stay with her parents because the starting salary is not high.
My advice is to try out premed requirements for a year or so in a State school where your parents are living. Just in case you need to execute your backup plan. Education majors need a lot of time classroom interns, you won’t have much time to work on premed once you are in the final stage of your major. And there is no need to go to HYP to be a teacher.