<p>Ok so if anyone would mind responding to this post it would be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>In short, I want to Major in Neuroscience and Minor in Psychology(Or even Double Major) while also completing the classes required to qualify for Pre-Med. </p>
<p>First, would that be possible here?
Second, how would the workload be?</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>There is no actual neuroscience major at UChicago- to focus in neuroscience, you get a biological sciences degree with a specialization in neuroscience, which basically has a set of requirements beyond the normal courses required for the biology major (physics, chemistry, and a 5-cours introductory biology sequence for majors) that focus in neuroscience. The psychology minor (or, actually, the psychology major) have a lot of interesting classes, and actually the psychology major is one of the smallest in terms of number of courses required for the major, so is definitely an option for double-majoring. There are also cross-application classes, like biological psychology (took it this past quarter and it kicked my butt!) that are difficult, but very interesting.
Majoring in biology takes care of most of your pre-med requirements- many of the courses suggested for med school entry are part of the biological sciences major requirements. Pre-med at Chicago is not easy, nor is majoring in biology, but both are definitely doable. General chemistry effectively a “weeder” class for both, in that it’s a very difficult course and is not necessarily very fun, but that if you get through it, you’re on track. Most people who start out in biology or as pre-meds are a bit surprised by the grades they might get in gen chem, but it is very possible to pass the class, and if you get over the fact that you might get a C and work hard while keeping your goals in sight, you’ll be fine.</p>
<p>There are several posts up now about Chicago and going on to professional school. In short, if you want to attend Chicago but you ALSO are all ready quite focused on a specific career (law, medicine, etc.) my advice as an alum would be to think very, very carefully about your decision.</p>
<p>Many of my friends went the pre-med route, and all I can say is, if you want perhaps the premier liberal arts education available, along with a very good shot at acceptance to A medical school, Chicago is a wonderful opportunity. You’ll be pushed and challenged in your classes, you’ll learn a lot, and the academic atmosphere is second to none. </p>
<p>On the other hand, if your key goal in college is acceptance at a TOP medical school (and not just A medical school), and you hope to use college as a vehicle to achieve this goal, I would strongly advise AGAINST attending the U of C. I may be mistaken on this front, but I would think that Chicago’s med school placement stats rank BELOW every single one of Chicago’s peers. Sciences at Chicago are difficult, and many students going the pre-med route end up with a C or two on than transcript. </p>
<p>Please keep in mind, this transcript will certainly not preclude you from attending a reputable state medical school. Given the fact that the average GPA at the very top med schools (Harvard, Hopkins, Wash U etc.) is probably 3.85+, you are effectively shut out after a couple quarters of getting used to the Chicago rigor. If you really really just want acceptance to a very highly ranked medical school, I do not think Chicago will helpfully facilitate this in any tangible way. Go to a school where you can maximize your GPA (the honors college of your state U, or schools with lots of grade inflation, like Brown or Dartmouth).</p>
<p>To give you a sense of numbers, I did my grad work at UPenn, and knew some students at Penn Med (an excellent med school). On average, Princeton would send maybe 8-10 students to Penn Med a year. Chicago would send MAYBE 2 students a year to Penn Med. I don’t think the premeds at Princeton are FIVE times as accomplished as their counterparts at Chicago, but I think the Princeton curriculum is structured to facilitate grad school acceptance success, and the Chicago curriculum is structured to challenge and really probe a student’s abilities.</p>
<p>I completely agree with Cue7.</p>
<p>I love Chicago with all of my heart, but even through my first two quarters there I’ve had to re-evaluate my life and wonder if med school is a possibility for me - and I really, REALLY want to be a physician :-/</p>
<p>Cue7 got it exactly right- couldn’t have said it better. Thanks for providing a well-thought and accurate extra bit of description to my original reply!</p>
<p>LouieCope - just by gaining acceptance to Chicago, you have shown strong qualities that directly translate to acceptance to a medical school. If you are around the average for an accepted Chicago student (1430+ on your SAT, great grades across the board in AP classes, etc.) you certainly have the fortitude and mental acuity to do well in the med school app game. </p>
<p>A couple rough quarters may preclude you from going to say Hopkins or Harvard, but definitely do NOT lose all hope here. Plenty of my friends struggled mightily during their time at Chicago, didn’t end up with the greatest GPAs (maybe around a 3.1-3.2?) and all of them who wanted to ended up at a US med school. If your dream is to be a physician, don’t give this up after just a couple quarters of struggle. Consider taking electives that will boost your overall GPA. Consider taking O-chem at a state school over the summer where it’s much easier. Consider looking into internships or research opportunities that will really bolster your application. There’s a lot you can do - DON’T give up hope if this is your dream!</p>
<p>Final point, given the rigors present in the sciences at Chicago, ALL of my pre-med friends really wondered whether they could get into med school. All Chicago pre-meds seem to be filled with this self-doubt, and it WILL pass. Keep working hard, and be SAVVY about your future course choices and decisions. You CERTAINLY CAN make up a couple bad quarters, just be smart about it. </p>
<p>Best of luck!</p>
<p>Wow, thanks for all your responses.</p>
<p>Not to hijack this thread…but, well, I’m going to hijack this thread. Apologies in advance!</p>
<p>Cue7:
In your last post, you said that “iif you want to attend Chicago but you ALSO are all ready quite focused on a specific career (law, medicine, etc.) my advice as an alum would be to think very, very carefully about your decision.”</p>
<p>I will be the first to admit that I am the definition of undecided; there are a number of directions I could go with my life and my eventual college degree, but I have yet to determine what. However, in my admittedly vague idea of the future, I’ve considered law school. I’m not a person who is married to stats and rankings, but I do like academic intensity and rigor (obviously…or I would be applying to U of C!). With this in mind, will it be difficult for me to get into a decent law school if I attend Chicago? Assuming, of course I maintain an average GPA, etc.</p>