<p>I know many pre-med students chose Biology as their major simply because they have to take a lot of Bio classes anyway. However, would I be at a disadvantage if I decided to major in Biology? I've heard that med schools are looking for diversity so I'm thinking that a major in Bio may be too common. </p>
<p>I plan to major in Chemistry but I am really interested in Bio too, so if by some chance I end up wanting to switch my major, Biology would be my second choice. </p>
<p>Any opinions on whether this choice of major would hurt/help my chances?</p>
<p>Just biology would be too normal, I’d say, though a fine mcat, gpa, experience, and i guess a good school would be very helpful as well.</p>
<p>Maybe a minor in psychology with a major in biology would be beneficial. or a double major in both. both options are tough with pre-med. it’s doable, but tough.</p>
<p>Won’t make a difference. My class has a huge variety of majors, ranging from bio, biochem, chem, and physics–to English, French, Classics, Creative Writing, and Literature–to mechanical engineering, neuroscience, and molecular biology. </p>
<p>The trick is finding something you like and you care about and you’re interested in learning, because those are probably the classes you’ll devote a good chunk of time to–which will probably pay off as better grades and GPA.</p>
<p>There are a ton of things that help you get into med school. There are a ton of things that keep you out of medical school. Your major falls into neither category.</p>
<p>If you like Chem, major in it. If you like Bio, take additional courses in it. Perhaps you may end up with enough credits for a bio minor, or even double major. If so, great (for you personally), but it won’t matter to professional schools (because they just don’t care). GAP+MCAT gets your foot in the door for an interview. Low numbers will keep your foot out.</p>
<p>* I’ve heard that med schools are looking for diversity*</p>
<p>I don’t think they care about THAT KIND of diversity. Diversity has to do with ethnic makeup…not a diverse group of Russian Lit, Accounting, and Engineering majors.</p>
<p>I would also venture that most pre-meds major in biology because they enjoy the topic (I don’t know if you noticed but biology and medicine are pretty similar), not because “they have to take a lot of biology anyway”</p>
<p>I assume the major really does not matter. College GPA, MCAT score and resoanable EC’s matter. Diversity could be acieved in many different ways. The most common topic of discussion during my D’s Med. School interviews were her Music minor and her unusual for pre-med but somewhat medically related EC. Here it was her diversity, although she could have mentioned (but did not) her 3 foreign languages also. Her EC’s and one foreign language make a difference at her Med. School currently. She was able to successfully pursue few opportunities related to her EC’s in UG.</p>
<p>From what we have been told so far from various pre-med advisers at the various schools our DD has toured, the major isn’t as important as what you do with your major, what you add to your application. Outside of a good GPA/MCAT they want volunteer work, and lots of it. So, if you love Biology, major in that, but then volunteer to help kids at the local elementary school with science projects, volunteer at the local food shelf, etc. as well. They have also said that med schools are turning away from “robots” and want more well rounded students, thus the reason for the increase in acceptance rates from kids with Philosophy majors, etc.</p>
<p>I couldn’t agree more. I find things in bio very interesting that have nothing to do with med school. The point is, MAJOR IN SOMETHING YOU LIKE !!!</p>
<p>I just read an article that said that biochem major tend to do the best on the mcat followed by biology… the top ten majors that did the best on the mcat were all science or science related majors. I dont know if this matters to you but I thought I should share. Choose which ever major you feel most comfortable with.</p>
<p>thats crazy i didnt know that. Do you know why they have the highest admission rates? Just curious I thought it would be biochem because of the mcat.</p>
<p>It’s a self-selecting group…those that are music majors AND pre-med. It’s not like just any music major applying to med school has a better chance. A similar stat may apply to Classics majors.</p>
<p>" music majors have one of the highest admission rates "</p>
<p>-Music kids can participate in fund raising shows. I do not know any other reason. When advisors at Med. School see music on application, the student is encouraged to participate. It is fun and great break from extreme challenges that grow from block to block. D. said that her current block is absolutely the hardest but she has couple very good books.</p>
<p>My humanities major daughter feels that the upside for the science majors coming to medical school is that they have had more passes at the basic science. It served them well during M1 and 2…not that the humanities majors were failing by any means. As D studies for Step 1 she has mentioned that she sometimes still feels like she is catching-up (though she has no regrets in her choice of undergrad major). </p>
<p>Clinical rotations seem to even the playing field, so to speak.</p>
<p>“It served them well during M1 and 2”
-Not sure about that…extremely challenging and getting more so with every block. D. said that everybody feels so and she has plenty of Ivy / Elite UG’s graduates and number of MS’s, and even PhD from Harvard.</p>
<p>D didn’t say that medical school isn’t challenging to everyone. Coming in having had more exposure to the basic science can be a plus in the short term. That’s all she was saying.</p>