<p>Hey everybody, I know this is long but please take the time to read it, I would really appreciate any serious feedback/input/advice.</p>
<p>I'm having a big issue deciding on my major. I want to be a doctor for several reasons. Throughout my life I've seen many physicians (family pediatrician, dermatologist, general doctor, ect.) and I've always enjoyed the work environment and the interaction with people at a doctors office. I feel that I interact well with people and I've always liked helping people in every way I can as well. Obviously the salary is also very attractive as well. </p>
<p>My whole life I've been into business, I thought that I wanted to major in business but when I took my first macroeconomics class I quickly changed my major to psychology. I took interest in psychology because I've always been interested how the mind works, and I had several "experiences" in my life that led me to talk to social workers and counselors and I took a liking to the field. I also constantly talk to my friends about issues they are having and I feel that I can give good 'therapeutic' advice on many subjects. However, when I took psychology 101 I wasn't super intrigued by the material, and I just really didn't feel like I had a serious passion for the subject.</p>
<p>For the sake of transferring to a University I am keeping psychology as my major, but I am very open to changing it when I transfer. I know that Bio is a popular major among pre-meds, and again when I took general Bio the passion wasn't there. I've always been pretty good at chemistry and I have a liking for it, but again THE PASSION! Maybe I am just miserable and can't find a passion for anthing; but I don't think thats the case.</p>
<p>Some of you mite advise to stay at my community college for another year and find out what I truly want to do but I want to move from the city I live in very badly, so that is completely out of the question. Switching to Chem or Bio at my community college would also not be possible because that would mean I would have to do most of my premed prereqs at my CCC and the popular outlook on here is that Med schools don't like that. Another issue is that I want to transfer to either Berkeley, UCLA, or UCSD; If i transfer to Berkeley or UCLA I will not be able to change my major to econ because the major is impacted. If I transfer to UCSD all the science majors are impacted. </p>
<p>In order to get my premed prereqs out of the way I will probably be attending a UC for 3 years rather than 2, since I am only going to do my Bio prereq at my community college. I was thinking I will spend my first year doing some of the pre med stuff and dipping into other classes to try and figure out a major.</p>
<p>Thoughts?Suggestions? Input?</p>
<p>Thanks for taking the time to read. Hopefully I can return the favor some day.</p>
<p>Yeah dude, I know exactly what you mean. You don’t have to find a passion. It’s nice if you do, but not a must. I’m majoring in psychology…psychology 101 is boring with some interesting tidbits, but keep in mind it’s an intro class. I’m guessing it’ll get more interesting later on when it’s not an intro class…to tell you the truth, I think most people don’t have a passion, it just interests them…but I really do want to be a doctor.</p>
<p>You can major in whatever you want. I read an article that UPenn med school actually wants majors besides biology or chemistry b/c they are so common. But again, it’s up to you.</p>
<p>I agree, the passion is very very nice and convenient and helpful and useful, but not a must. Just make sure you choose a field geared towards your style of thinking and learning (e.g. do you like learning via working math problems or via reading/memorizing). This can help narrow a lot.</p>
<p>If you can handle the level of insight required, you can find the passion not in the type of coursework for the major but rather in the nature of the job and the job setting that you will obtain from the major. This is what you will really be living with anyhow.</p>
<p>Pick a major that you really enjoy, that allows you to excel in the upper division courses- not underwater basket weaving and apparently not kinesiology (which logically seems like it could be a good major for some one not hard core bio, but still interested in the body, but it gets a lot of disrespect on SDN from people in the know as well as student posters) but psych could be fine as could others, as long as you can take you premed prerequisites and also do very well in the upper div classes, get to know your profs, get good LORS, etc.</p>
<p>Mainly, the advice is that so many freshman premeds do not even end up applying to med school or don’t get in, so don’t do anything just to look good on an application; instead do things that happen to look good, but more importantly address your interests and leave your options open.</p>
<p>Even the need to volunteer & shadow should be viewed not as checking a box, but as checking your own true interest level in the everyday drudgery of medicine before locking yourself into something as rigourous and expensive as medical school.</p>
<p>Do what makes you an amazing person, then whether it is med school or something else, you will be an amazing applicant</p>
<p>If you like Psych, major in it. A lot of people don’t like intro bio, so don’t be concerned.</p>
<p>My other advice would be to try to stick to a four-year graduation plan if you can. (A good reason for not doing so would be that you have to work to support yourself.) But, a five year plan to string out the premed requirements or just to keep sampling courses looking for a major is not a good idea. Med school is extremely competitive, and many/most applicants will have graduated in four years – they are your competition.</p>
<p>Psych is a GREAT major for premed. Within psych there is the behavioral, as well as the neuroscience with lots of bio and chem. You get to do all your med school prereqs and put them all to use right away.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice guys, I definitely am leaning towards Psych or Econ. When I transfer I will probably take a course in each my first quarter and figure out what I want to do. Still lots of time.</p>
<p>Bluebayou- I’m a little concerned with what you said about the 5 year plan. On the UCSD website it says the average transfer takes 2.9 more years. I’m not specifically planning on taking 3 years just because of my major but because of the MCAT. Since I didn’t want to do my premed prereqs at a CCC since its advised against, I am only doing my bio prereqs at my CCC. That would mean that I would have to do physics, chem, ochem ect all in my first year when I transfer in order to take my MCAT at the end of my jr. year. I think this would be nearly impossible. What are your thoughts?</p>