<p>I was thinking about becoming a psychiatrist, which would require medical school and a science-related undergrad major. I thought about chemistry because I've always found it interesting. However, I haven't taken chem since honors chem freshman year. I had the option of AP Chem this year but I took AP Physics instead because the chem teacher is a poor teacher and the physics teacher is much better. I am doing well in physics, particularly particle physics and electricity. I am just worried that I will be behind in college because most of the other students will have already taken AP Chem. </p>
<p>Also, how difficult is it as a major? Is it worth the trouble in terms of employment opportunities? I'm kind of torn between that or a biology degree, but the aspects of biology that I like are the body system functions, whereas I don't like many aspects of bio like ecosystems and nature. I took AP Bio and have credits for that though. I figure that either would help for psychiatry and in my schools that I am looking at, the premed path requires classes included in either major. </p>
<p>If you want to go to med school you should consider a major where it’s likely you’ll get a good GPA - unfortunately, differences in major difficulty aren’t taken into consideration as much by admissions people as they should IMO. A science major isn’t required for med school - as long as you take all the prerequisite classes you’ll be fine.</p>
<p>Note that the things you learn as a chemistry major are quite a bit different than what you learn in typical high schools. Biology majors learn essentially the same things as they do in AP Biology but in more detail - if you can get through a recent edition of Campbell you’ll know what to expect. However as a chemistry major you won’t have any detailed classes on topics like stoichiometry and dimensional analysis, you’ll abandon topics like rules for lewis structures for more modern theories (molecular orbital theory will run your life), you’ll learn completely new ways of looking at molecules (as in here: <a href=“http://chemwiki.ucdavis.edu/Physical_Chemistry/Symmetry/Group_Theory%3A_Theory”>http://chemwiki.ucdavis.edu/Physical_Chemistry/Symmetry/Group_Theory%3A_Theory</a>) and completely new ways of rationalizing the behavior of molecules (like here <a href=“Electronic effect - Wikipedia”>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_effect</a>). I’m not saying it’s bad or not interesting, but many people who liked chemistry in high school find the experience is quite different if you major in it.</p>