Brief introduction:
I’m an incoming freshman to TAMU Fall 2019. I intend to become a medical doctor and plan on pursuing a pre-med track. I am considering transferring to UT or Rice but must conduct more research first.
At the current moment, I face a dilemma: I’ve been admitted to bioengineering which is just general engineering for all freshman. I’m worried that with such vigorous courses, my GPA is gonna be affected and I’ll struggle to maintain a ‘premed worthy GPA’.
Am I hurting myself by choosing to major in engineering with the goal of medicine?
Here’s what led to this:
- Bioengineering, according to my parents, offers more ‘opportunities’ as in if I suddenly decided medicine isn’t for me, I’ll have a viable ‘fallback plan’. The problem, the way I see it, is that this ‘fallback plan’ may be a self-inducing prophecy, as now it’ll be (much?) harder for me to pursue a med track with a tough freshman year course.
- If I instead transfer to biology, will I be able to graduate with any useful skills if I decide not to pursue medicine?
Some other questions:
- Can I even transfer to biology before the school term starts? If so, I’m not exactly sure about where to start.
- Is it even possible to apply for honors biology at this point if I wish to transfer?
- Is it possible to get honors dorm at this time?
In the event that I stay in engineering rather than transferring:
- I have not yet applied for honors Engineering, but have started an application. Is it too late for that as well?
Thanks, any thoughts and advice, and answers are much appreciated!
Are you interested in engineering or more interested in straight sciences, for example? There are lots of majors that would let you take and get degree credit for the MCAT preparatory courses. My older son is majoring in computational biology at UT (B.S., Biology, Option 10). It is a very flexible degree that has allowed him to take all the pre-med sciences but also data analysis, computational biostatistics, some applied computer science, and several genetics courses (which is a big application area for computer work right now). He doesn’t have the GPA for med school, but we believe that computational biology has good job prospects these days, certainly hope so, and he has really enjoyed the courses, perhaps because he has had a lot of freedom to choose what interested him most among long lists of acceptable courses. Biomedical engineering at TAMU doesn’t have a full overlap with pre-med courses ( https://engineering.tamu.edu/biomedical/academics/courses/pre-med.html), but they show what additional courses would be required. TAMU has a computational biology specialization in the computer science and engineering dept. but not at the undergrad level. Could you do more soul searching about your real strengths and interests in addition to medicine? The first year engineering classes are mostly pretty general purpose courses, and engineering may be a good place to start. I have heard that biomedical engineering is too specialized to have the best post-undergraduate prospects among engineering majors, but that assessment is based on limited research. Lots of students go into med school after engineering studies.
You asked about whether a biology major might be easier. Again based on my son’s experience, many of his fellow biology students are pre-med students, and I would say the competition for grades in his classes has consequently been tough.
As far as engineering honors deadlines, this link indicates the incoming freshman deadline has passed, but you could apply next January as a current student: https://engineering.tamu.edu/academics/eh/admission.html.
As far as transfer to biology, I would contact that department right away and ask. Also, ask about honors programs in that department or at the college of science level, etc. I suspect honors deadlines have passed for this next year, but there will be some other opportunities. I hope other folks will help you more. It might be late, but you could start to plan your transfer. Explore this by talking with an advisor in your preferred major.
Getting good preparation in the material tested on the MCAT is generally the best way into med school. But a few med schools are getting away from required MCAT testing from what I’ve heard. The goal is to attract a wider group of applicants. You could research this and what other folks are doing.
You will probably need very good grades for your plan. There will be many other pre-professional students out there also competing for good grades in biology and biomedical engineering, for example, and some of them will take harder classes on a transfer basis or even Q-drop and retake to get a good grade. When my son, a National Merit student with 5 full prior years of chemistry, hit organic chem I, he still found it extremely demanding. UT (unlike TAMU) as a precious one time only last minute no-penalty drop, and students use it very strategically.
One of the young pre-med students represented on this forum is pursuing a psychology major, and some others are choosing biochemistry rather than biology, for example. I know that UT has a strong pre-professional track through computer science. Would a public health major work? You need to make up your mind that you will do well whatever you decide. You can do it!
Hi, thanks for the reply.
I believe (and hope) that the engineering honors was only a deadline for honors dorms.
Pardon my lack there, @Asiankid10. We all learn as we go.
Recommend you never hesitate to pick up the phone and ask any likely offices at TAMU if we don’t know something here (and then share). This is what we pay them for.