<p>I could follow the premed track with a major in, say, finance, and still be fine?</p>
<p>We don't know anything about vocational majors, of which finance is one. We know health science vocationals do poorly, and that engineering -- which I think is technically vocational -- does okay. We don't know anything about business.</p>
<p>Yes, you can major in finance and get into medical school if you meet the pre-reqs. In fact, it may be helpful if you ever want to set up a private practice or go into health care administration.</p>
<p>Chedva is of course right: It is certainly possible. We're just not sure if it'll put you at a disadvantage.</p>
<p>You need to ask yourself WHY you want to major in finance if your goal is to practice medicine.</p>
<p>I can understand if you determine that medicine is your calling during your junior year in college and you end up with an unrelated major, but if you go in with a love for medicine and science then why wouldn't you want to major in a field that at least is in the same ball park?</p>
<p>red sox, it's not unusual to major in something other than science and go to medical school. Undergrad may be the last time a med student will have the opportunity to study something other than science and medicine.</p>
<p>I know doctors who graduated from undergrad with degrees in business, psychology, sociology, anthropology, English, history, dance, foreign languages, and other non-science majors</p>
<p>^I definitely agree with Chedva here. Although I want to major in Biology something, I understand the appeal in majoring in something else. A broader base of experience never hurts, and you should do what you're interested in.</p>
<p>I, for one, think it's a great idea to major in finance-- assuming you do the med pre-reqs. You'll probably never find a place in life where understanding how money works isn't a good thing.</p>
<p>Thanks for the input :)</p>
<p>From a personal standpoint, I'm not such a fan. Seems to me like undergraduate studies should be spent on a liberal arts discipline: sociology, anthropology, history, biology, chemistry. Studying finance means you'll come out with some basic technical skills, sure, but it robs you of the well-rounded education that serves as the foundation for the rest of your life's learning.</p>
<p>That's okay if you're just going into -- well, finance. But since that's not going to be your career, why not take a couple of the most important finance classes and branch out into a liberal arts discipline?</p>
<p>You can pick any of those, and we'll promise you you're at no disadvantage in admissions. We can't make you that promise in a technical major -- and I think you should want the most flexible, diverse education you can get anyway.</p>
<p>I'm going to argue that there's nothing stopping someone from having... a minor?</p>
<p>:p</p>
<p>So minor in finance.</p>
<p>
[quote]
red sox, it's not unusual to major in something other than science and go to medical school. Undergrad may be the last time a med student will have the opportunity to study something other than science and medicine.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Science majors are much more prevalent than any other individual major within medical schools. That isn't the point, though. I don't think that it's bad for an undergrad who wants to go to medical school to major in something other than biology, I just think the person should really ask themselves "why?" </p>
<p>If you love biology and want to study medicine than their NEEDS to be a reason for majoring in something other than biology. And no, the fact that undergrad is the last time someone can study something other than science and medicine is not a sufficient reason.</p>
<p>Just because you are a science major doesn't mean you can't receive a broad education. Like BDM said, you can pick classes that interest you and take them. </p>
<p>Everyone always says that you should major in what you love/are most passionate about. If this is science then you should major in it. If you are most passionate about finance then you should major in finance, but then ask yourself why is it that you don't want to work in a financial field? How do you justify doing something for a living (medicine) that is not your first passion? There are many ways to answer these questions and the many other questions that pertain to this topic, and they are all right as long as you can justify the answers to yourself.</p>
<p>^ Thanks for your perspective. I might just end up taking some finance electives to quench any thirst.</p>
<p>red sox, you're making a couple of unwarranted assumptions in your posts. First, you assume that all doctors love biology. Not true. Biology is required and one must study biological subjects to become a doctor, but one does not need to "love" biology; most of those who actually love biology become biologists rather than MDs.</p>
<p>Second, you assume that the study one does in undergraduate school to be a biology major has something to do with medicine. In most cases, that is also not true. Experimental biology that one learns as an undergraduate, that prepares one to study in biology programs in graduate school, has little to do with medicine, or indeed often with humans. Those people who want to go into medicine as a "healing art", dealing with people on a day to day basis, are frequently frustrated with a biology major.</p>
<p>Third, statistics from medical school admissions show that only a small percentage of admittees were biology majors.</p>
<p>
[quote]
First, you assume that all doctors love biology. Not true.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I don't make that claim. I just think that if you DO love biology then you should major in it over something else, if you want to become a doctor (or a biologist). I just think that if you know what path you want to take (med school) then you shouldn't be constantly diverging from the path and/or hedging your bets. </p>
<p>Again, I am not saying that any given pre-med should major in Biology or another natural science. I AM saying, however, that there needs to be a very good reason for not doing so, and that individual need to justify that reason for himself/herself.</p>
<p>So, if there's a very good reason for majoring in finance over biology and the individual is happy with their justification then I think that's fine. But he/she should ask themselves, amongst other questions, why do I want to major in something that is seemingly unrelated to medicine? How will it make me a better doctor? What skill sets will I be developing that will help with my career? etc... </p>
<p>
[quote]
Second, you assume that the study one does in undergraduate school to be a biology major has something to do with medicine.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Biology is still the most applicable major to medical school. Not only will you get some course overlap (degree of which depends on the electives that you take), but being a biology major makes it easier to engage in research and get involved in medicine related activities. Obviously it isn't impossible for a non-biology major to get involved in research or the other pertinent activities, but I know quite a few kids who initially missed out on some opportunities that were only being emailed to biology majors. </p>
<p>
[quote]
Third, statistics from medical school admissions show that only a small percentage of admittees were biology majors.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>That's not true.</p>
<p>Posted by BDM:</p>
<p>
[quote]
From MSAR 2005:
Applicants:
Math and Statistics (<1%)
Specialized Health Sciences (<4%)
Humanities (<4%)
Social Sciences (11.2%)
Physical Sciences (11.7%)
Other (11.8%)
Biological Sciences (57.6%)</p>
<p>Accepted Applicants:
Math and Statistics (<1%)
Specialized Health Sciences (<4%)
Humanities (<5%)
Social Sciences (11.9%)
Physical Sciences (12.9%)
Other (10.7%)
Biological Sciences (56.8%)
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Nearly 70% of those admitted to medical school were natural science majors of which 57% were biological.</p>
<p>Chedva, while one doesn't need to be a biology major in college, you at least need to like biology somewhat. Most of your courses in the first two years of med school will be biology courses (genetics, biochem, anatomy, cell biology, physiology, histology, etc.). Medicine of course is more than simply science but the scientific component is still very strong.</p>
<p>The third statement is just not true.</p>
<p>Now as a justification, if one wants to do an MD/PhD (in a bio related field, such as genetics, cancer, immuniology, pathology) degress, can they say that they find biology to be a bridge between the two fields. That research helps them to understand how a disease works and that in turn makes them better doctors because they can diagnose symptoms effectively and prescribe better medication, especially if they made a new discovery of a better medication than the ones on the market.</p>
<p>I agree with Chedva that you do not need to love biology to become a doctor. But if you hate biology or if you know that you do not do well in biology then you are not likely to enjoy or do well in medical school. </p>
<p>Incidentally as a group, doctors tend to be terrible with money so if you do have a background in finance you will be an exception in the profession.</p>
<p>My fianc</p>