<p>I have been accepted to UMass Amherst with my major as Pre-Medical Studies. Somewhere, I read that my current major is not optimal for admission to med school. I was hoping someone could offer some insight into this topic, and possibly help me decide whether or not to switch majors. </p>
<p>As for background, I get mostly As and Bs, I've volunteered at a center for the metally retarded (141.5 hours in Junior year), and work at least 30 hours per week at the family restaurant. I was hoping to land an anesthesia tech aid over the summer, but i wanted to ask people with experience if anything clinical and voluntary was sufficient (in general).</p>
<p>Thank you in advance for your help. I have learned a great deal just reading so far.</p>
<p>Agreed, it’s not a good major. In fact, it’s pretty useless and doesn’t prepare you any better for medical school. If you decide to switch or don’t get in, you are left with a totally useless major that doesn’t have any strong job opportunities. At least with a generic pre-med major like biology you have options in research, conservation, bioethics, policy, teaching, etc. Medical schools also don’t like it because it shows a lack of outside interests of dimensionality and, once again, doesn’t really prepare you better for medical school. This is why so many schools have phased out the pre-med major. There aren’t any pre-med majors in my medical school that I am aware of, though I did meet one on the interview trail.</p>
<p>Thank you, McDowe!</p>
<p>My next question would be what major would be non-“generic”? Afterwards, the following question would be when can I change my major?</p>
<p>Thanks again!</p>
<p>Anybody willing to answer? I feel that this is a very important question…</p>
<p>a non generic major would be comp. sci. Actually its not a bad idea and many ppl do it because they are interested in engineering but don’t want to kill their gpa, so they do comp sci which is similar but easier.</p>
<p>Pretty much anything other than science would be “non-generic”, but don’t choose a major for that reason. If you don’t want to go into the field you’re majoring in, then don’t major in it. Bio/chem/biochem would be fine if it is what interests you and what you do well in. Your major isn’t the only way you can show outside interests, so do what you like in everything you do in and out of the classroom.</p>
<p>You can major in English, or Philosophy, or Chinese or whatever. Just research premed requirements, and take those courses as your distribution requirements.As I remember, it was 4 semesters of chem, 2 of physics, 4 of bio, and some schools require other courses. I majored in Physics, but that was my passion at the time.
You absolutely don’t have to have a major in science. Just be sure to get As and Bs in all your courses, especially Organic Chem, and get experience so you can say you know what you’re getting into.</p>
<p>I’d pick a major that you’d be interested in. ANY MAJOR.</p>
<p>FYI, Comp Sci is not easier than Biochemistry @ UMass. I was a double major in both at one point (I dropped CS in favor of BMB in the end for time reasons) and would say that the caliber of students in both majors at the junior year level (beyond weed out intro courses) were similar and highly motivated. Good luck!</p>