My daughter has been accepted into Emory U as well as Boston U. She wants to pursue medicine. Which college should she opt for? I am confused between Biology major at Emory vs Human Physiology major at Boston (sargent college).
@Chillidominica
Which one cost more?
Cost is almost the same. I am more concerned about the major, not sure which one is better?
Neither of these majors (or any other major) is better. Med schools require, in part, a BA/BS degree. One can major in pretty much anything (eg history, religion, geography, bio, etc,). Med schools do not require any particular major or care what one majors in, that’s up to the student. If you’re asking which one actually prepares D better for med school, the answer is neither as the premed courses required in these two majors are, in part, just basic science courses open to any student with an interest. Anything learned in either of these majors will probably be long forgotten or not go anywhere close to the depth and volume of material that a med student would encounter. Consideration should be given to picking a major that interests D as if she likes material she’ll tend to do better GPA wise which is something med schools will care, in part, a great deal about. Also as most premeds change their career goals and of those who actually apply 60 % fail to get any acceptance to any med school, D should consider a major with a Plan B in mind.
Questions to consider:
Which school has a higher percentage of students accepted into med schools and what were their majors and average GPA?
What is the strength of their pre professional advising program? Are recommendation letters offered through committee for only those with a set GPA?
How strong is their program to offer research in STEM setting to undergrads? What is the ability of the undergrad student to be involved in this research and to publish?
What are the opportunities for undergrad students to get hands on job experience in the medical field?
How happy would the student be and which university would meet her needs for a “Plan B” career or path if she decides not to continue to pursue admission to med school?
As noted in previous replies, the actual major usually does not matter as long as the student completes prerequisites for med school. Some undergrad programs have a higher percentage of students accepted into med school from the bio or chem major fields. The student must be in a place where they can attain their highest grades in those prerequisite courses, have a high score on MCAT, have practical experience in STEM settings. They must be well rounded with other interests and leadership positions.