Hi all, prospective pre-med here. I’ve been set on majoring in neuroscience for a while, but suddenly I realized (a bit late) that undergrad for pre-med is all 'bout that GPA. And getting a super high GPA in bio is a ton easier than getting a super high GPA in neuroscience. So, how much more would you recommend a bio major for pre-meds? Several of the schools I’m applying to ask me to declare my major. I do love neuroscience, but I also know that I can delve into it far deeper if I choose to in residency, etc. Plus I could minor in neuro. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance!
I would make sure that you have a backup plan. The dropoff between the number of high school seniors that say they are going to Medical School and the number that actually enroll is huge. If you are considering med school, make sure that you understand the requirements (they are pretty standard for all med schools). Then pick any major and fit in the pre req’s. I had a friend that was an Econ major that went to med school. My rule of thumb is that you shouldn’t even tell people that you are considering med school until after you complete organic chem in college. It saves a lot of embarrassing questions afterwhile.
Why are you assuming that getting a high GPA in biology is easier than getting a high GPA in neuroscience? Neuroscience is an interdisciplinary major that involves a lot of biology (of the brain and nervous system) as well as other classes like psychology. I don’t think it’s inherently harder or easier than biology.
Also, there is the point that Eeyore makes above. Half of all students who apply to medical school don’t get in, and that’s not counting the very large group who decide not to apply to medical school before they even make it to senior year because they change their minds or something else. Which major will you be happy with having picked in te case that you don’t go to medical school?
Whether you major/minor/or just take a few courses in neuroscience, unless you take course(s) in probably the last year, more likely the last semester of college before you start med school, you’ll probably have forgotten most of what you learned (or material may be outdated) by time med school rolls around, certainly by residency. Take it in whatever form you like (ie major/minor/or a few courses), just do well. Agreeing with above, no matter what major you choose, what’s your plan B should you change your mind about med school. I don’t need an answer, something you should consider. Good luck.
D is a neuroscience major and I agree that neuroscience is no more difficult than Bio. Basically neuroscience is a bio major with a different concentration. I also believe neither neuroscience or bio is a good Plan B for premed, you will not be able to find a decent job upon graduation in either subject. In general, you need a Phd in any bio related discipline, neuroscience included, to be able to get a decent job, Phd takes as many years as going through med school. As an undergraduate, you can only get a lab assistant at the bast and it pays more less minimum wage. A lot of premed kids I know of failed to get into a med school are selling stuff in retail stores.
Also, be sure about what the colleges are asking you to “declare”: for most universities, the ‘major’ you say on your application is just an indicator, that helps them allocate advisors to incoming students, and you don’t formally “declare” your major until sometime late in the first or early in the second year. There are obvious exceptions (as in, applying directly to the engineering school within a university, and sometimes computer science), but for biological sciences it is not usual for what you put on your application to be a formal, final commitment.
Neuroscience vs bio makes no difference
I don’t think it matters which major you indicate at this point,but once you are actually in college, you do need to nail your intro science classes cold. Then you can decide which science to major in, or whether to major in any science at all. A science major is not required; what is required is that you learn introductory-level chem, ochem, bio, physics & calc VERY thoroughly so that you can attain a very high GPA in those classes.
Above: “A lot of premed kids I know of failed to get into a med school are selling stuff in retail stores.”
I’m curious as to why this is the case. Why can’t they get in to dental, podiatry, or pharmacy programs, or even physician assisting?
^
Off the top of my head: dropped out as premed during first/second year realizing that they didn’t like all that science stuff or have needed GPAs or discovered that med school/residency/fellowship is a very long slog and changed career pathways; actually applied and got zero acceptances and changed career pathways; no interest in anything else health related-always fantasized they’d be a MD just like on TV/movies, never considered other options…
“Why can’t they get in to dental, podiatry, or pharmacy programs, or even physician assisting?”
I was referring to those had completed a bio degree and could not get admitted to Med School. The reason why they can not apply to some other health related profession is that Med School requirements are different from Dentistry, Pharmacy, PT and PA. Its not more difficult but just different.
For PA, for example, not only they require different UG pre-requisites, but also different PA related ECs and shadowing, in addition, they require GRE not Mcat.
http://www.pace.edu/college-health-professions/academic-prerequisites
http://www.pace.edu/college-health-professions/admissions-requirements
Another reason the med school applicants are focused in medical schools, they think physician is above all the other health professions. So, they will try to reapply again and again for med schools, after different enhancements, including post bacc, SMP, EC, shadowing and retake Mcat etc. Some extremes even move to those remote counties in Arkansas to increase their chances. In the interim, very few can get a decent job with their bio degree from UG, retail, including stores and restaurants are the easiest place to find a job to sustain themselves.
I think working retail or waiting table are just one of the many interim jobs that they are doing. Many are working as scribe or clinical research@hospital during gap years. These are the low-pay, high turn-over jobs they are easier to get into. Nothing wrong with waiting table, wasn’t Jennifer Aniston also waiting table in NYC before she got famous in Friends? A bio undergrad degree won’t get many jobs like CS or finance/business. Even teaching bio in high school requires grad degrees.