<p>I am a second-year pre-medical student who needs to decide by the middle of next quarter (the latest) my major and stick with it. Currently I am pre-psychobiology so I barely taken any psychobiology classes to know for sure that it clicks more (or less) than neuroscience. Also, my science GPA is a 2.9 (very significant drop from fall quarter--a major bloop in personal issues) but I still want to go to medical school. </p>
<p>I was suggested to choose neuroscience because there are more opportunities to take courses that medical schools consider "science" than psychobiology classes. However, everyone says that neuroscience is SO HARD. Should I risk my science GPA and go for neuroscience OR just graduate a year later to take easy science courses for my interest (and to boost GPA)? </p>
<p>I might want to minor in public health or society in genetics. The latter requirements are found here </p>
<p>med schools dont care about how many “science” classes you take as long as you meet all of their prereqs. meaning the basic chem, LS, math, physics, etc. people apply to med school with like english and history majors and stuff…thats even less “science” than psychobio</p>
<p>ouch, a 2.9 will not cut it if you want to apply for med school</p>
<p>seeing as how a lot of the psychobio classes are in the “psych” department, they will NOT count towards your science gpa. Neuroscience classes DO count towards your science gpa. Id recommend neuroscience simply because it’s clear you’re interested in neuro-type classes and it’s clear you need science classes to get that 2.9 up.</p>
<p>also, the difficulty of neuro is exaggerated</p>
<p>Psychobio is probably the easiest life science major (outside of maybe EEB and other LS1 types majors). There are 10 upper div classes you need to take and yes NOT ALL WILL COUNT AS SCIENCE CLASSES. However some will such as Psych 100A (basically stats), Psych 115 and Psych 116 (basically neuroscience classes). Since 115 and 116 are part of the required 6 core classes thats 2/6 that i know for sure count as science classes. The other 4 classes (16 units worth) are electives and here is where you can really boost that GPA. Take whatever easy science electives you can, such as EEB 100, etc. You don’t even have to take biochem 153A as a psychobiology major. Assuming you take all your electives as science classes you got 6/10 classes contributing to your science GPA, and possibly more I just haven’t checked.</p>
<p>^assuming that those psych classes do count towards your science gpa, then psychobio may not be too bad of a choice either. just make DOUBLE/TRIPLE sure that AMCAS will accept those as science classes when you apply</p>
<p>in neuroscience you take a minimum of 8 science classes (upper div) and a maximum of 12</p>
<p>I don’t know much about med school applications, but I know that in the primary review, the applicant is pretty much a number (MCAT score + GPA). Is that GPA they initially look at before the first cutoff the general GPA or the science GPA??</p>
<p>Stick with physchobio and meet med school requirements. Friend is in neuroscience and it is the hardest science major there according to her. Very competive and she studies all the time. Not much time for fun. I do know for sure Med schools do not care what field you graduate from so long as you meet academic requirements, have a good GPA and MCAT score. Have friends who got into med school as engineering major and history major so you don’t need a science major. It is good for the MCAT but there are other ways of mastering that. You will need to raise that GPA to a minimum of a 3.4-3.5 though for med school unless you score extremely well on the MCAT.</p>
<p>I’m so very interested in neuroscience! It’s my favorite thing in the world. I take notes on it at home for fun and I’m an A anatomy student, but (relating with your “bloop…personal issues” I’ve had the same thing happen this year. I’m a Junior in high school, and I’m failing miserably, and I don’t know how to pull myself out. I’ve got so many questions.</p>
<p>1) How should I pull myself up/make up my credits?!
2) If I switch to a tech. diploma type, will I still be able to go to a medical school? Pre-med?
3) Do I go to pre-med school as soon as I graduate?</p>
<p>Gosh, I need someone to talk to!
Thanks everyone, if you reply.</p>
<p>i mean, my OVERALL gpa is about a 3.3 but my SCIENCE gpa is about a 2.9…</p>
<p>it’s either choosing neuroscience to have more opportunities to boost the SCIENCE gpa it OR choosing psychobio and not taking any risks on my SCIENCE gpa.</p>
<p>in the primary application, do the med schools calculate your science gpa independently and you send in just your overall? </p>
<p>*after i take my GEs and finish up a humanities minor, my overall gpa will be okay…i hope.</p>