<p>Hi everyone! So I have hopes of going to med school some day. I'm applying to schools now, and my top choice school is known for rather difficult grading/workload. Am I setting myself up for failure? I'm ready to work hard, I just know how difficult it is to get a good GPA at a tough college. Additionally, neuroscience fascinates me, and I think I want to major in it. Is it a more difficult major than say, biology? I also plan on minoring in music.</p>
<p>What can I say? D2 graduated with a double BS in neuroscience and mathematics from a Top 30 undergrad with a reputation for grade deflation and whose neuroscience dept is known for being tough. She finished with a 3.8 GPA and 3.83 sGPA.</p>
<p>Although, as her mother, I would like to claim she’s a genius of the first order–I know she’s not. Alas!</p>
<p>So I know it’s possible to graduate with a strong GPA as a neuro major if you’re willing to put the time & effort into it.</p>
<p>If you like neuro–go for it. </p>
<p>I wouldn’t say neuro is more difficult than micro or biochem–that’s all a matter of opinion and perspective. I will say neuro at many schools has more required classes than do most other bio majors.</p>
<p>Thank you. This is very encouraging. I’m sure your daughter is very intelligent 
She is doing so well! I’m a strong student looking at competitive schools, but by no means a science brainiac! so I’m a little bit worried. But I’m ready to work hard. Did she have a hard time with the workload?</p>
<p>Somebody has to get the As in the classes - might as well be you. You have to be prepared for a rigorous courseload and to put in the work, but it’s possible. I had an RA last year - I work at Columbia. He got into several top medical schools, including Harvard and Stanford. He’s at Stanford Med now. There are many great pre-med students who go to great medical schools from here and other top schools every year - but they were willing to put in the time. You can do it too.</p>
<p>Sara…
Have a back up plan. If you see that you’re not doing as well as you like in a particular major, then be prepared to change. As you said, don’t set yourself up for favor…so also don’t leave yourself in a situation that will lead to failure (meaning failure to have the grades for a SOM).</p>
<p>At the undergrad level, neuro generally falls into three areas of emphasis: bio-focused, psych-focused, and comp sci/math focused. Which is offered depends on the college. </p>
<p>Neuro is great for a premed, if you like the material.</p>
<p>The only issue with Neuro and a second major/minor is the number of courses that Neuro typically requires to graduate. If the college has a Core curriculum, adding a minor can be difficult unless you bring a lot of APs which fulfill some of the Core requirements.</p>
<p>Take a look at a couple of course catalogs to find the college’s Neuro focus and course requirements.</p>
<p>thanks everyone juillet, your message is very encouraging. I LOVE neuroscience. I’m that nerdy kid that reads about neuroscience on the weekends… haha. I’m hoping to have a music minor, but if it’s not possible I don’t mind. I have lots of AP credit though so that should help.</p>
<p>I’m also a Neuroscience major at a pretty rigorous school. All it takes is hard work. If neuroscience fascinates you, you’re already ahead of the game. Good luck!</p>
<p>Re: rigorous school and hard work.</p>
<p>I heard that at many med schools, many or even most students were hard workers from rigorous schools when they were premeds.</p>
<p>Some of DS’s current peer students (MS2) study like 13 hours a day (even when the grades do not count.) Do they even have enough time to sleep or to unwind sometimes?! So, it is better to get used to hard work sooner than later. In the end, it is all about work ethics if you really want to pursue this “high stress” career path when you are young. Another high stress path may be i-banking, which may work you so hard that you are almost guaranteed to burn out in a few years. (BTW, the suicide rate of MDs is higher than that of the general population. There is always something to give; you can not have the cake and eat it too. Being “study/test smart” can only get you as far as getting good enough scores on SAT and/or MCAT scores, but not much further beyond this.)</p>
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<p>I completely agree. Sure, the concepts are tough–but really, they’re not more than a step or two deeper than upper-level undergrad classes. Sure, the rote memorization is annoying, but (at least with my program) there’s not a wicked amount of that. The toughest part, without question in my mind, is keeping up with the volume and the pace.</p>
<p>Work ethic and stamina are absolutely critical to med school success. You will undoubtedly work harder than you’ve ever worked before. So, if you can train yourself by taking the most challenging undergrad courses out there, I would definitely recommend it.</p>
<p>Thank you everyone! So… if this whole med school thing pans out, looks like it’ll be a tough 8 years. I am a very hard worker, but am sure that it will only get more difficult to keep up!</p>