Should I switch my major?

Pre-Med & Medical School Pre-Med Topics
1

HI! So I’m currently majoring in Criminal Justice. I am only a month into school and i really want to switch my major to pre-med however no one I know has ever made the switch. Can someone tell me the pros and cons of both? Also take into account that I am a freshman this year

2

Pre-med is an intention and not any specific major. You can major in any academic subject and still go to med school.

Many pre-meds major in biology or chemistry because there is a good deal of overlap with med school pre-reqs. But a bio or chem major isn’t required for med school admission.

The pre-reqs are:

2 semesters bio w/labs
2 semesters gen chem w/labs
2 semesters ochem w/labs
2 semesters physics w/labs
1 semester biochem

1 semester “college level math” (some school specifically require Calc 1)
1 semester statistics or biostatistics

2 semesters of writing or other “writing intensive” classes

needed for the MCAT and required at some med schools:

1 semester psych
1 semester intro sociology

I don’t have a list of pros for either pre-med or criminal justice, but I do have some cons—

  1. the job outlook for bio and chem majors isn’t terrific. There are tons of pre-meds who don’t get into med school and are out in the employment market.

  2. the job outlook for criminal justice isn’t great either. There are tons of CJ majors who can’t find employment in law enforcement fields. Non-field positions often require special skills or a graduate degree.

  3. pre-med is intensely competitive. 2/3rd of freshman pre-meds never even apply to medical school. Only 40% of those who do apply to med school, get an acceptance.

  4. being a successful pre-med requires jumping thru a zillion hoops, and developing a a portfolio of ECs needed for an eventual med school application.


Some things to think about:

Why medicine? Do you have a reason why you think you want to go to medical school? A reason besides wanting to help people, that is…. (Necessary but not sufficient. Just about job you name helps people.) 

Do you like science and mathematics? Are you good at sciences and math?  (Necessary to do well in the pre med coursework and be successful in med school.)

Have you done any job shadowing of people who work in various medical professions? There are hundreds of different health profession jobs that do NOT involve going to medical school.

What shadowing of people who work in the criminal justice system and law enforcement have you done? Are you considering law school? A graduate degree in forensic psychology or forensic sciences? Do want to work in the field as a member of the local or state police, USCIS, CBP, FBI or other law enforcement agency? Or are you more of an office type?

Are you fluent in languages other than English? (Helps to be multi-lingual if you want to work in law enforcement or intelligence.) 

What are your long-term career goals? A lot of people pick pre med or criminal justice because they think it's a cool job. But neither career is at all like what you see on TV.
3

don’t do premed, it is not a degree program just take prerequisites as stated above