Hello, I am currently a biotechnology major doing pre-med but I’ve heard a degree in nutritional sciences really helps when treating patients as a doctor.
So what are your opinions? should I change my major to human nutritional sciences or stay a biotechnology major?
thanks.
Not really. While a doctor may do some limited nutritional counseling, this is mostly handled by a dietitian or nutritionist.
Nutritional science is considered a vocational major and leads to a career as a dietitian.
Specialized health science majors (nutrition, exercise physiology, nursing, etc) tend to score lower on the MCAT and be admitted to med school at a lower rate than any other group of majors.
See:[MCAT and GPAs for Applicants and Matriculants to U.S. Medical Schools by Primary Undergraduate Major, 2016-2017](<a href="https://www.aamc.org/download/321496/data/factstablea17.pdf">https://www.aamc.org/download/321496/data/factstablea17.pdf</a>)
Because you are essentially training for a back-up career by majoring in a specialized health science, it may cause adcomms to doubt your sincerity when you say you want to be doctor (according to LizzyM).
Lastly, be aware that at many colleges the sciences taken by nutrition majors are not the same sciences required for bio and chem majors and thus do not fulfill the admission requirements for medical school.
TL;DR-- change majors if you want, but be aware you may be damaging your chances for med school admission.
“Because you are essentially training for a back-up career by majoring in a specialized health science, it may cause adcomms to doubt your sincerity when you say you want to be doctor (according to LizzyM).”
Are you talking about a degree in biotechnology or nutrition?
Okay so if you were in my shoes, what could you do? change the majors or no? (Taking into consideration of my previous posts).
Do you have a problem with the biotech program you are in right now? Do you have a problem to stay on the pre-med track and want to change majors? If you feel nutrition science is more suitable to your personality, then do the switch, if not why the change. You are asking a question that only you can answer, total strangers on the net can and will say anything to their believe and you do not have to take their advice.
One thing for sure, if the adcoms in med school think you change major because you want to take an easy way out, they will look down on these attempts.
LizzyM was specifically referring to a person who was a nutrition/dietetics major in her post. But it could also apply to other vocational/health science majors.
You have to make your own decision. It’s not something I or any other stranger on the internet can answer for you.
It appears you are struggling with your core science & math courses as a biotech major. A change of majors won’t fix that since still have to take those core science classes to fulfill med school admission requirements.
You need to make decision that is best for you. If you are not succeeding in your core science/math classes and you have sincerely put in your very best effort, gotten tutoring, gone to office hours–then it may be in your best interest to acknowledge that not everyone who wants to be a doctor has the ability/talent/skills to become one and move on.