Major Dilemma--Biochemistry or Biological Engineering?

College Majors Science Majors
1

hello all,

So I’m in a bit of a struggle. I’m pre-med, and I’m pretty much sure that I will go to medical school upon graduating, or at least apply. Currently, I am an undecided first-semester sophomore in the college of arts and sciences who is planning on transferring to CALS for biological engineering. I was very sure of this major until recently…

My backup plan if I do not go to medical school, or something that I would possibly like to do alongside clinical practice, is pharmaceuticals. I’ve always loved chemistry and experimenting, and the prospect of partaking in a project and experimenting with various substances with the goal and prospect of improving human health is fascinating to me and very exciting. I know that with a bioengineering degree you can do various things with biopharma, etc., but many of the people I’ve seen who have positions in pharma companies have biochem or chem degrees. I’m kind of scared of the major though, since it’s listed under biological sciences and bio majors are notoriously unmarketable these days, or so i’ve heard. also, there is the gpa element to consider… i’ve heard that engineering majors have low gpas and that might affect med school admissions since they don’t care what major you are (supposedly). however, i don’t know mine yet since this is my first semester taking a full engineering curriculum. What would you guys recommend based on what you’ve read about my career aspirations and current status? Any and all advice is appreciated! Thank you in advance!!

2

Bio-/biomedical engineering are oversold IMHO. Starting salaries are less good than you’d think and you still need an advanced degree to make real money. I’d do some serious research rather than taking my word for it if you’re serious about this, but I think you’ll find what I’m saying to be generally true. So you’re basically still in the same boat as biochem, marketability-wise. On top of that, there’s the GPA issue. Unless you have a real passion for engineering, I’d stick with what you love and what gives you a better shot at medical school.

3

Thank you!

4

Not “supposedly”, med schools DO NOT care about what one majors in. Pick a major for you, not for them. Hopefully you’ll pick a major out of interest as if you are interested in material you’re more likely to do well GPA wise which is something med schools will care about a great deal in their initial review of an app. And as you seem to understand picking a major with a Plan B in mind is always a good idea for any premed. Good luck.