Major for Pre-Med

<p>I am accepted into an accelerated medical program and so i'm basically guaranteed a spot in medical school. Now, sould I pursue a major in biology like almost every other pre-med does or should I look for math, chemistry, and or physics.</p>

<p>The problem is that while bio interests me it doesn't have the math and calculation factor which attracts me. In chemistry there is a balance of memorizing and calculating but i heard that chemistry is extremely difficult and organic chem can be quite boring.</p>

<p>And then i have math which I like a lot but won't benefit me if I'm pursuing a career in medicine. What would you guys recommend?</p>

<p>Pick the major that you like the best.</p>

<p>Because you are in an accelerated med program, you just need to achieve the 3.5 (or lower in some programs) so grades shouldn't be too difficult.</p>

<p>As for being prepared in med school, most med schools blow over undergrad work in about twenty minutes. Even if you are at a disadvantage in majoring in something like math, it will be very very very slight.</p>

<p>I have a question.
Ok, my sister said that medical schools sometimes like to accept people who arent so run-of-the-mill.
Sorry i dont really know how to say what i'm trying to say.
Like, would someone who is not a pre-med major have a better chance of getting in, just b/c colleges want something different?
i dont know if that makes sense or not.</p>

<p>Yes, humanities majors do have a higher acceptance rate than biology majors into med schools. This is not to say that if you love biology, you shouldn't major in bio. But you are certainly not penalized for majoring in a non-science field and probably even rewarded a little.</p>

<p>Alex450, just about no one majors in "Pre-med" because very very few schools offer it as a major. What you do is you take "pre-med" courses which are just Bio, Chem, Organic Chem, and Physics. If you take those classes with the intent of going to medical school you are considered, "pre-med." But notice its only a few classes to be considered "pre-med." This means you can major in anything you want. All you have to do is keep up a high GPA and high MCATs and your all set.</p>

<p>This is more a topic for Dr P to address, but for those of you who want to go to a top research school and are very much interested in research medicine should be taking courses in the area of said research in my opinion. Kind of hard to sell your love for biochemical research when you are an art history major and have only take the one required Bio course. My D and niece both wanted to be doctors but did not care about whether they would get into a research hospital or program, so they were premed majors, something their school does offer.</p>

<p>If I want to major in something totally different, then do I have to take more than simply the pre-med required courses? Will they look down on me as just being minimally committed if i only took the minimal bio courses, say?</p>

<p>Also, if I want to major in psychology... is that as common as a bio major?</p>

<p>No, everyone who applies to med schools are only required to have taken the basic pre-med requirements, generally its a year each of bio, chem, physics, and organic chem. Some schools might have a little more like some require a year of math or a third semester of biology, but those schools are few and far between. If you want to know about a specific school check their website. They will not look at you as minimally committed, over half the applicants aren't bio majors. There is no pre-med major at the vast majority of schools, because it isnt even enough coursework for a major and there's no specific interest involved. I don't even understand what else the pre-med major at whatever school has it could consist of aside from the courses I mentioned. It's just a broad base of courses used to prepare you for the mcat and give you a basic foundation for med school. Med schools understand that majoring in college is about getting a degree in whatever you wish to.</p>

<p>Plenty of psychology majors are pre-med and apply to medical school. After biology and maybe chemistry, it is probably one of the more common pre-med majors.</p>

<p>How about nursing?
Is it true that if I am a nursing major, I have a better chance of entering medical school than a biology major?</p>

<p>thanks ndhawk. that was very helpful!</p>