<p>hey all,</p>
<p>I'm a freshman matriculating at Duke in the fall. I want to get a major in biology (concentration undecided) and potentially a major or minor in economics. however, i'm not sure-- i know double majors are very demanding. so make things more manageable I thought abut an econ minor, but that makes me wonder: exactly how useful is an econ minor (probably getting a BS)?</p>
<p>thanks!
i hope some one with experience can answer this question. :)</p>
<p>also–is the econ major worth much in the face of medical school admissions?</p>
<p>As an upperclassmen at Duke, the biggest piece of advice I can give you is to explore potential new interests and to follow your academic passions. I strongly advise against majoring/minoring in a subject for the sole purpose of boosting your resume. You will get much more out of your Duke education by doing what you enjoy. If you enjoy economics, take a class next semester and see if you would like it at Duke (Duke economics is no high school economics). But if you are doing it just to impress grad schools or employers, it’s a waste of your time. Plus, it’s not going to necessarily help your med school application; medical schools do not care what you major/minor in Relax and enjoy your summer. You have two years to decide which major/minor to declare, so there’s no need to rush, especially because you don’t even know how classes at Duke are like yet.</p>
<p>thanks! – i discovered that i do enjoy macroeconomics, but not so much microeconomics. you’re right though. i’ll definitely make a point to take an econ class and see how i like it.
thanks again :)</p>
<p>Yes, if you enjoy macroecon, I suggest taking a class at Duke to see how you like it. The intro class can be quite difficult though, so don’t load up too many hard courses your first semester.</p>
<p>Glad I could help.</p>
<p>No,medical school does not care. Your grades are what are going to matter the most regardless of what you take as long as you take the required premed courses. That and your MCAT scores. </p>
<p>If you want to take some econ courses, go on ahead. Yes, they can be valuable on the resume when looking for a job, especially if they are in areas specific to certain job fields. So can math, and accounting and a number of courses. However, whatever small benefit you may get with a minor in econ will be lost if your grades are sacrificed, and your med school as well as law and business school prospects could go down the drain as well. Better to focus on the grades.</p>
<p>As a Duke alumnus who completed undergraduate work almost 45 years ago, I suggest that slik nik is “spot on.” His advice stands the test of time. With respect, broseidonn, you really don’t know yet if you want to be a physician (although you believe you do). Your career goals are likely to change several times during the next few years. With a Duke education, you’re virtually assured of a rewarding, successful professional life. Since you are likely to devote HALF of your waking hours between now and age seventy pursuing work/professionally-related matters, PLEASE be certain you really enjoy the “trip,” and are not overly focused on the “destination” alone.</p>