<p>I am about to enter my senior year of high school and I've decided the career path I want to take is medicine. I currently have a 4.33 weighted and 3.8 unweighted GPA. My ACT score is a 26 from last December, but I've been studying hard since and taken prep class so I think it should go up to around a 28-29 when I retake it in September. After some research I'm quite confused about what to major in and what undergrad college should I should attend to best prepare me for med school. Also, many of the med schools I've researched accept mainly IS kids, so I was also wondering if I should leave California to do my undergrad. </p>
<p>Let me start off with pre-med majors. Most students believe that the only major that will get them to get accepted to medical school is biology. Biology does help you get into medical school. However, there are a wide variety of options. Actually, often med schools don’t care about your major. As long as you complete the classes that are required before med school, then you have a chance. You can be a history major and still can go to med school, but this is not your case.
If you want to go to med school, then do well in your pre-reg subjects, MCAT, and maintain a strong, solid GPA.
I’ll talk about some common majors that students take during for undergrad. Biology, biochemistry, chemistry, etc. Because these majors are common, you’ll not stand out because almost all of med school applicants have a degree in these majors. Additionally, these majors are very competitive so keeping a high GPA is harder.
Since you want to stick with the science route, choose a science degree that is less common so you can maintain a high GPA and be noticeable.
On to schools, with your high GPA, I think you should consider UCs such as LA, Berkeley, and SD . They’re all pretty good schools. Also, think about schools that are not in California. There are so many to choose from. UMich, Texas A&M, NYU??? There is a lot.<br>
I can’t tell you whether you should stay in California or leave because that is your choice.
Good Luck! </p>
<p>What to major in–</p>
<p>The short answer is that it really doesn’t matter. Medical schools do not have a preference about what you major in so long as you complete all the necessary pre-requisite classes. </p>
<p>2 semesters intro bio w/labs
2 semesters gen chem w/labs
2 semesters organic chem w/labs
1 semester biochem
2 semesters physics w/labs</p>
<p>2 semesters of mathematics (calc 1 & statistics)–some medical schools may required additional math classes</p>
<p>2 semesters of English or other writing intensive classes </p>
<p>1 semester intro psychology (required for the MCAT)
1 semester intro sociology (required for MCAT)</p>
<p>Many pre-meds major in biology, biochemistry or chemistry because these majors have the greatest overlap with med school requirements. </p>
<p>The general advice is to major in something you like because you tend to do better academically when you enjoy the material you’re studying. </p>
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<p>The name of the college on your diploma makes very little difference in your ability to get accepted to a med school. It’s all about what you achieve during your undergrad— your academics, your ECs and your MCAT score.</p>
<p>You should choose the college that offers you the best combination of fit, affordability and opportunity. There is very little FA for med school except for loans. Because of this, it’s generally recommended not to take on significant debt to pay for undergrad.</p>
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<p>State med schools mostly accept in-state students; private med schools do not have a strong preference for where you live. </p>
<p>Leaving California to do your undergrad will have zero bearing on your ability to get accepted to med school. CA has 6.5 times as many applicants as there are available med schools seats in CA. This means many well qualified applicants have to go OOS for med school and that admission stats for the CA public med schools are higher-to-much-higher than average. </p>
<p>Attending college in another state will not make you a resident of the state where your college is located. You will still be a CA resident. </p>