<p>Hi! I'm currently a high school senior and next year I will be majoring in microbiology and molecular biology! I plan to go to medical school and I was if anyone knows what this major usually entails? For example is it really research orientated? I love science so I'm not taking the major just for medical school lol Any help will be appreciated!</p>
<p>I want to go to medical school to become a neonatalogist if that helps with answering the question thanks</p>
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<li>You're a high school senior; you don't know what you want to do. It's especially silly to talk about a medical specialty at this point.</li>
<li>What a specific major entails will depend on the school, so look at department websites and course listings to figure that one out. Much more efficient than asking CC. Expect lots of quality time pipetting and setting up agar plates in your lab classes. That's pretty universal. Some schools will require research, some won't. You can generally do research if you really want to, even if it's not required. Also, orientated isn't a word.</li>
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<p>What on earth is your real question here?</p>
<p>I have already looked at the school web sites I was just trying to get an opinion from the people on here. And just because I'm a senior doesn't mean I don't know what I want to do. Thanks for your help.</p>
<p>I have to agree with Pseudonym; there's no way for any of us to tell since it really depends on the school. Yes, I think all universities will have labs, but as for research, that's probably up to you. Ask your professors once you're there if you can help out. If you're lucky enough to get something your first year, don't expect amazing research control; you're still learning the basics and will probably just get to observe and help with the more minor parts. Experience builds up though, and maybe you could get some great research later in college.</p>
<p>Actually, just because you're a high school senior most likely does mean you don't know what you want to do, especially when it comes to something as specific as neonatology of all things. Keeping the med school option open is a good idea, but you'll do yourself a disservice if you become one of the all-too-many med school applicants who have never seriously considered anything else. There are so many careers you don't even know about as a high school student, it's ridiculous for most people to think they have it figured out. Not to mention in all likelihood you know very little about how the day-to-day of various medical specialties compare to one another, let alone what you'll be good at. Everyone I know who's done or is in medical, nursing, or PA school has been surprised at what they enjoyed and what they didn't. Some circled back around to what they thought they'd do, but most ended up in something else, and all discovered aptitudes and interests in fields they didn't think they'd like at all.</p>
<p>All we can tell you without knowing the school is that a molecular biology major will involve a lot of biology, some of which will be molecular biology. There will be labs and there will be lecture courses. You'll have to take chemistry, likely through orgo and possibly including biochem.</p>
<p>For the love of god, if you're considering medical school take a good bioethics class, and explore other possible fields of interest your first year so if you decide to do a non-biology major you won't be trapped. Medical sociology can also be an eye-opener, as can women's studies courses on medical issues and reproduction. My school has an undergrad maternal-fetal medicine class that's pretty interesting... it's listed in the women's studies department, but it's taught by a professor from the med school, and there are a lot of guest lecturers who give a variety of perspectives.</p>
<p>Ok. Thanks for the information =]. I have considered and looked at other medical fields, neonatalogy is just something I have interest in. I have shadowed doctors and other medical professionals to get my opinion. But I know how important keeping my mind and options open for other medical careers is, so thanks for that advice as well. Also I had never thought about taking a bioethics class, thanks for the suggestion =]. And about the research, I know its a little difficult without knowing a particular university, but the details you guys have given me is helpful about what to expect. The colleges I'm looking at are in FL, GA or TX.</p>
<p>Read the course descriptions for majors at universities you want to apply to. Talk to some professors. That will help you get a better idea. And you should have ECs to back what you say. You can't just go in and say "oh hey I want to major in X!" because someone else will say the same and actually have evidence to show that they have pursued the interest.
You still have some time though. So start doing that research! :)</p>