Pre-Med or Economics

College Search & Selection
1

Hi. Sorry to disturb everyone! I will be a high school senior next year. I go to a private, all girls high school in Ohio. For most of high school, I thought I would do a pre-med program, but I’ve realized that my academic strengths are in math and English, rather than science. My dad told me that economics would be a good career for me, but I still have to take AP Econ. If I do medicine, I heard it’s best to go to a state school where I can get a good GPA and prepare me for the MCATs. However, if I go into Economics which sounds increasingly more appealing, I can go to a more competitive school. My parents say that they will pay for four years of college whether UG or med school, but otherwise I will have to take loans. They are worried about the distance and want me to stay in Ohio. I prefer to stay in the mid-west but am happy wherever I go.

Here is my college resume:

  1. GPA: 4.48 (weighted and including fine arts and religion credits)
  2. 7 AP classes and 1 AP online
  3. PSAT: 220 (most likely qualifies me for NMF)
  4. ACT: still getting my results but should be in the 30s, but I will keep on taking it until I get a super score at least 34
  5. SAT: 1410 (retaking it)
  6. Extracurriculars: 2 after school choirs. 1 play through a club per year, service once per week after school
  7. Leadership: member of Writing Center, NHS, NSHS, club leader, leader in diversity organization,
  8. Class awards in math, religion, and English
  9. Book award from Case Western
  10. Letters of Recommendation from math and English teachers who have given me the awards
  11. 20 job shadowing hours of doctors
2

You can major in economics and still take the pre reqs for med school. Look into Ohio State.

3

You can keep your options open and do both.

Premed isn’t a major. And you don’t even have to major in science to be premed.

There are math premeds, there are English premeds, there are music premeds, and so forth.

So, you could major in Math, English or Econ and take the premed prereqs and see if that path works for you.

As a NMF (which you will likely be) there are some great scholarships that you can get as an undergrad, so if your parents will let you have the money for grad or med school, then you’d have little/no debt.

when you say that sciences aren’t your strengths, do you mean that you struggle for grades or that you don’t 'love science"?

(yay for all girls high schools! I went to one, too!)

4

Thanks for answering! I mean that my best grades are in math and I love writing and English, but my only B-plus was in Honors Physics. I did love chemistry and like Biology.

5

Then, if you want to keep med school aspirations open, then you could major in math or English (or econ or chem) and do the premed prereqs.

I wouldn’t suggest majoring in math as a premed, because while you may like calculus, you may not love upper division math, and you wouldn’t want a few B’s to bring down your BCMP GPA.

Some univs have econ in TWO depts…some have it in the B-school, some have it in Arts & Sciences. Some schools offer it in BOTH! I’m guessing that Econ in A&S might be easier to include premed prereqs.