<p>So I wanna take the prerequisites and eventually apply to med school, and I've heard that GPA is the biggest thing. Like someone with a high GPA in easy classes will have a higher chance than someone with a low GPA in harder classes. </p>
<p>The choice to do pre med is mine, but I feel like my parents will want me to to major in something science related like biology or biochem. I really enjoy biology, but I'm not sure if it would be the best route to take because I feel like I wouldn't get as high of a GPA majoring in that as if I majored in something else.</p>
<p>So what should I do?</p>
<p>Why do they want you to major in biology or biochemistry?</p>
<p>Where are your strengths? What subjects interest you the most?</p>
<p>What are your test scores and GPA? </p>
<p>Majoring in Bio or Biochem are not necessary for med school.</p>
<p>edit…got your background…</p>
<p>*Academics:
UW GPA: around 3.6, 3.7
ACT: 32 (gonna take it again)
SAT: Probably above 2200, haven’t gotten scores yet
Will be NMSF (PSAT score of 219 in OH)</p>
<p>ECs:
Model UN, School Newspaper, Tennis, Cultural Club, Academic Team</p>
<p>Other:
I have quite a bit of volunteering hours at a hospital, I will volunteer more in the summer before senior year. I will also shadow some doctors and do research somewhere over the summer before senior year. I spent a few summers taking 3 week courses at Northwestern University. I also picked up a few volunteering hours in a hospital while I was in India, although I don’t know if this matters much as it wasn’t much time at all.</p>
<p>Chance me for these places:
Case Western
NYU
University of Rochester
University of Michigan Ann Arbor
UCLA
USC
UC Davis
OSU
Emory
Wash U
University of Miami
Boston College
Penn State
UVA
Wake Forest
Notre Dame
Carnegie Mellon*</p>
<p>looks like you’ll be a NMSF</p>
<p>what state are you in?
Have your parents said how much they’ll pay? If not, ask them.</p>
<p>If you are sure you want to be a doctor your stats qualify you for programs where you are guaranteed admission to medical school right out of high school. Quite a few medical schools have these programs if you are interested.</p>
<p>As far as major goes I wouldn’t pick a major because of your parents. What are you interested in? Any science major is fine for pre-med and even non-science is fine if you don’t mind taking the prereqs additionally.</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>His stats “might” qualify him for admission for a BS/MD program. More likely his stats aren’t high enough. An ACT 32 would be rather borderline without some hook (URM). BS/MD programs are highly competitive…many apps for a few seats. Accepted students usually have to have very high test scores so that the school can assume that the student would do well on the MCAT.</p>
<p>UCLA
UC Davis</p>
<p>He probably should take those schools off his list. An OOS student at a UC would be mistake as a pre-med student. He may be thinking that going to those schools as an undergrad would help with their SOM admissions…likely not. </p>
<p>And, unless his parents will pay full OOS cost for schools like UMich, he probably should take all OOS publics off unless he’s certain for decent merit.</p>
<p>I don’t think my stats are good enough for those BS/MD programs. I mean my GPA really isn’t where it should be (it’s probably closer to 3.6 than 3.7). My ACT is 32 and SAT is 2160, but I’m gonna take them again with goals of 34 and 2250. But could I get into a BS/MD program with a 3.6? I’ve heard they’re extremely competitive and accepted students were in the top 5-10% of their high school class. A 3.6 really isn’t great.</p>
<p>a 3.6 isn’t likely high enough for BS/MD without a significant hook…like male URM.</p>
<p>Yeah that’s why I’m gonna take the undergrad route. I’ll still apply to some combined programs just to give it a shot but I doubt I would get in with not that strong of an academic record.</p>
<p>Looks like (from #3) the OP is in Ohio.</p>
<p>Obvious choices are Ohio publics, the schools with <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-14.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-14.html</a> , and (depending on National Merit status) the schools with good <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/649276-nmf-scholarships-updated-compilation.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/649276-nmf-scholarships-updated-compilation.html</a> , in order to save money for medical school. Of course, the OP can try for a BA/BS->MD program now, but should not get hopes up too high.</p>
<p>No specific major is required to do pre-med. Indeed, if the OP has other interests, majoring in something of those interests may be enjoyable to the point that getting a medical-school-acceptable GPA is easier in such a major. (Of course, the pre-med courses still need to be taken.)</p>
<p>Note that biology and biochemistry majors who do not get into medical school have poor job prospects at the bachelor’s degree level, according to the <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/internships-careers-employment/1121619-university-graduate-career-surveys-4.html#post15425078[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/internships-careers-employment/1121619-university-graduate-career-surveys-4.html#post15425078</a> .</p>
<p>Major in what you like. Period. You will enjoy your time in college more and will get a higher GPA. Any major can get you into med school.</p>
<p>As for your list, I’d remove:</p>
<p>NYU
University of Michigan Ann Arbor
UCLA
USC
UC Davis
Penn State</p>
<p>These are not likely to give you much money and you’ll want to keep your undergrad inexpensive in order to pay for med school. All of the others could be fine, but I’d still be deciding once final financial packages came in. Within a few grand, pick. More than 5 - 10 grand difference (per year) is too much of a difference IMO unless your folks can easily pay for both undergrad and med school.</p>
<p>I find it doubtful that you’d qualify for BS/MD unless you were to look at lower level undergrads that offer it - schools like Elizabethtown or Shepherd - neither are the same undergrad caliber of the schools you listed, but some who really want BS/MD try for them and are successful even with lower stats. Undoubtedly there are others. Those are just two students have told me about.</p>
<p>"I’ve heard that GPA is the biggest thing. Like someone with a high GPA in easy classes will have a higher chance than someone with a low GPA in harder classes. "
-GPA is one thing, MCAT is another. To do well on MCAT, it is advisable taking upper level Bio classes. Cell, physiology, genetics,…none of them are easy at all. Normally Physics and Orgo are not easy either, they are pre-reqs. Gen. Chem. was easy for my D., but it is not the case at other schools as far as I know. I am not sure I understand the point above. What easy classes? Well, if you have some easy minor, they will provide R&R for you. It was the case with my D’s minor in Music. However, 3 classes in her minor have lowered her GPA because she had to sing with Music majors and she did not have previous vocal training like most of them, so she got three A-, all in her minor in easy classes. Well, 2 classes was really easy: Honors English and Paper making. These very easy classes were also couple of the most time consuming classes. I knew it about any art class, they are time consuming, but D. wanted to take at least something art related, and she almost feel sorry afterwards, you still got to get this A, even in paper making class. English required ton of reading of novels that was not interesting to her at all. Writing has never been a problem, so in terms of writing papers, it was an easy A, but she wasted ton of time reading the books that she did not enjoy at all.
So, Be careful what you wish for when looking for “easy” classes, that is if you end up having time taking them. Having minor(s) require great time management skills.</p>