<p>Hi guys. Recently, I've been contemplating majoring in physics. I am currently in high school, and let me make it abundantly clear that physics is not my strong suit. I'm better at biology and chemistry, to be completely honest, but I'm very interested in astrophysics. I would, therefore, like to major in physics in college while completing my pre-med courses so that I can enter a MD/PhD program to get both my MD and a PhD in astrophysics. For medical school applications, however, a high GPA is crucial; I have heard that physics is a GPA killer. I would love to major in physics, but I'm worried it would mess up my GPA and screw my med school chances up, especially compounded with the fact that I'm not inherently good at physics. (I see people in competitions like the Intel Science Talent Search who have done work in quantum entanglement and here I am struggling with this magnetism problem.) Is a decent GPA (4.7+/5.0 for MIT; 3.8+/4.0 for other places) a feasible goal with a physics major? </p>
<p>bump
10char</p>
<p>Well, you’ll also need a high GPA in your physics classes in order to be admitted to the PhD part of an MD/PhD program – if anything, the standards for MD/PhD admissions are higher than the standards for MD-only or PhD-only admissions.</p>
<p>I would caution against deciding prematurely that you want to pursue a PhD in physics, especially as part of an MD/PhD dual-degree program. An MD/PhD is a tough row to hoe, and it should really only be a consideration if you’re seriously contemplating a career in academia or academic medicine. Finding a subject very interesting is enough of a justification to pursue an undergraduate degree, but not a PhD.</p>
<p>@molliebatmit:
Even if I don’t pursue a PhD in physics, I’d like to still get a BS in it so that I can at least learn a lot about an area that I’m really interested in. I also think majoring in physics would help me with medical school and my MCATs, since I’d be learning how to problem solve/critically think. My main concern at this point is the GPA prospects; I have heard that physics will cause your GPA to plummet. For medical school applications, a low GPA is very detrimental; other than the GPA thing, I have no qualms about majoring in physics. </p>
<p>If I don’t get a PhD in physics (specifically, astrophysics) but I do get into medical school, I’ll just go on to become a doctor while pursuing astronomy as a hobby; that is, my physics BS will give me enough knowledge to pursue “amateur astronomy.” I’ve heard of amateur astronomers contributing to research papers written by “professional” astronomers, and some amateur astronomers carry out their own professional level research if they can secure funding. That’s ultimately what I want to do; I don’t care about turning it into a career, per se; I just want to learn as much as I can about the universe while contributing something to the knowledge base. </p>
<p>
This is not true in a general fashion – after all, physics PhD program admission is GPA-dependent to a higher degree than many other science programs, so there must be plenty of high-GPA applicants among which to choose. The trouble is that it’s difficult to say in advance whether you will be one of the people who is capable of getting a high GPA in your physics courses. It’s especially difficult to say because you yourself claim not to be very good at physics.</p>
<p>For the record, I think it’s important to remember that conventional wisdom about what is “hard” and what is a “GPA-killer” for medical school admissions comes from the middle-to-low end of the pre-med pack. There are a large number of students across the country who consider themselves pre-med, but who are not all that naturally intelligent, and they drive the discussion about GPA protection, because they have to obsess and memorize material and take the easiest courses available. The upper eschelon of pre-meds, the people who are naturally smarter, don’t worry about this stuff to such a great degree, because they don’t have to. </p>
<p>@molliebatmit: I see what you’re saying about GPA and the people who discuss “GPA protection.” I consider myself at least average in terms of intelligence, and I’m willing to work hard (and I absolutely hate memorization; deriving/understanding concepts is much better and easier, imo), and I was just wondering if working hard would be enough for a good GPA in physics. Even if it isn’t, I’ll probably still major in physics, idk. </p>
<p>Is MIT good for pre-meds, even though it’s not really medically focused?</p>
<p>You don’t need to discuss this in theory; you can do an experiment. The first 3 MIT physics courses are on MIT’s OpenCourseWare. Watch the lectures up to the first test, do the problem sets, and give yourself a limited time to study (you’ll be busy at MIT). Take the test. Did you do well? Do the same thing in a chemistry course or intro bio.</p>
<p>If you don’t get A’s, don’t think you are going to do better when you get to MIT. Choose another school which is more likely to make your dream of going to medical school after studying physics undergrad come true. On the other hand, maybe you’ll demonstrate to yourself that A’s in physics at MIT are likely. Then you can proceed with confidence. </p>