<p>Any tips on how to do well in premed-biology major? A lot of people are trying to talk me out of it saying its very hard and competitive so if anyone of you has any kind of tip/advice please DO NOT hesitate im freaking out!!!</p>
<p>Do not major in biology just to go to med school. The two most important things for med school are your GPA and MCAT scores. There is no premed major, and medical schools don’t care what you major in. I majored in French and have been a Cardiologist for 13 years. I hated biology and still cringe when I see stuff on photosynthesis and taxonomy, which do not help one bit in medical school. But that is just me. Take it easy and breathe. Just study what makes you the happiest.</p>
<p>The med school application process is very competitive and the coursework can be challenging. But if this is what you want to do–then follow your heart. </p>
<p>However, also be aware that “pre-med” has a enormous fall-out rate between the freshman and senior years of college. Somewhere around 2/3 to 3/4 of freshmen “pre meds” never actually apply to medical school. Some drop after receiving less than ideal grades in their pre-reqs; some drop after discovering other careers they find more appealing; some get tired of all the hoops pre meds need to jump thru and say “Bah! Humbug!”</p>
<p>Don’t choose a major to make yourself “attractive” to med school. Med schools don’t care what your major is. Pick something because you enjoy the field and want to study it.</p>
<p>My advice to any college freshman is this:</p>
<p>1) **Go to class<a href=“This%20sounds%20like%20a%20gimme,%20but%20I’m%20serious.%20Get%20up%20and%20get%20your%20buns%20into%20the%20lecture%20hall.%20EVERY%20SINGLE%20DAY.%20No%20matter%20what.%20Even%20if%20it’s%20an%208am%20class.”>/b</a></p>
<p>2) **Read assigned material ahead of lecture<a href=“So%20you%20can%20follow%20the%20ideas%20presented%20better.”>/b</a></p>
<p>3) **Do your homework well before the due date, preferrably as soon as it’s assigned.<a href=“In%20case%20you%20have%20questions/problems%20with%20the%20assignment,%20you%20then%20have%20time%20to%20get%20help.%20Also%20in%20case%20the%20college’s%20computer%20system%20locks%20up%20right%20before%20it’s%20due.%20The%20latter%20happens%20more%20often%20than%20you’d%20think.”>/b</a></p>
<p>4)** Attend recitation.** cf #1 above (Your TA is there to help you. Use this valuable resource.)</p>
<p>5)** Be aware that copying homework solutions [from a friend, from a text’s solution manual, off the internet] is considered PLAGARISM.** Don’t do it! Also you learn nothing by copying someone else’s answers.</p>
<p>6)** Try not to do too much all at once.** College takes some adjustment, both in learning to manage your new freedoms and in the amount of work expected for a single class. Once you’re confident you can handle extra stuff, only then should you: find a job or volunteer position, seek a lab to work in, run for student office, rush a frat/sorority, take extra coursework, etc.</p>
<p>Now, stop freaking out. It’s counter-productive and only serves to make you crazy.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t major in biology either. BORING (sorry to all those bio majors out there…lol). There’s just too much in bio that will be useless for you. Not only that, if you don’t end up going to med school, there’s little you can do with that major and there’s too many grads with that major.</p>
<p>Bio isn’t “really hard and competitive”. Getting into med school is very hard and competitive.</p>
<p>Is there anything else you like? </p>
<p>BTW…stop freaking out. If this freaks you out, then you’ll have a heart attack in med school.</p>
<p>Psychodad10 thank you but people are telling me that the best major for med school is biology because pretty much all the premed courses are already included. What i was thinking is maybe doing a “medical laboratory science program” as a major (they do have that in the college im applying) but im scared by the idea of having parallel premed courses and that could be a heavy load… since i also have to study for the mcat and do many other things i dont think the best thing is to take summer courses to stay on track. That’s what i was thinking i’m so confused.
(and btw i am french educated and currently in my french baccalaureate year… Ur “i majored in french” caught my attention lol )</p>
<p>FYI, “Medical Laboratory Science” will train you to be a medical lab technologist–and it’s considered to be a vocational major. Vocational majors are frowned upon by med school adcomms.</p>
<p>Mom2college hahahahaha i am the kind of person who freaks out a lot! i actually really like biology and right now its the only subject that i like. Yes that’s what they tell me that biology is boring and a lot of the stuff i take is pretty much useless but i really have no idea what to do. The only thing certain of is that i want to go to med school but im lost between all the majors! and another thing that freaks me out is the new mcat2015 (i know its still early lol) i mean how are supposed to practice in advance for the mcat if there isnt any practice tests?! Haha …</p>
<p>Wayoutwestmom so i shouldn’t major in medical lab?! now im lost even more!!! WHAT TO DO</p>
<p>*but people are telling me that the best major for med school is biology because pretty much all the premed courses are already included. *</p>
<p>I’m not sure that’s true. there are other majors that have nearly all the prereqs as well. My son majored in ChemEngineering and all the premed prereqs were req’d except for one semester of Bio. </p>
<p>Who are these “people” that you’re talking to?</p>
<p>The new sections/questions are already being piloted. (This year’s test-takers are playing guinea pig…) </p>
<p>AMCAS already has a list of what kinds of topics that MCAT 2015 will include. Detailed information about those topics has been released. (It’s on AMCAS’ website under “MCAT 2015” information. There is a list of topics plus sample questions.)</p>
<p>AMCAS has already provided even more detailed info about the new content to the prep companies. The prep companies will have review books/materials available fall 2014 for MCAT 2015 test-takers.</p>
<p>I would suggest that you not major in medical lab science if you’re serious about med school. </p>
<p>Major in anything you’d like. D1 is in med school. Her major–physics and mathematics. D2 will apply this summer. Her major-- neuroscience and mathematics. (Although D2’s neuro major was a biology sub-field degree, she said very little of what she actually learned in neuro was included on the MCAT. She majored in neuro because she loves brains and thinks maybe she wants to be a neurologist. Right now she’s working for engineering-psychiatry research group.)</p>
<p>For both kids, it’s the math degree that made them employable after undergrad.</p>
<p>Mom2collegekids yes but if i have to chose between biology and chemistry i’d chose biology. I spoke to my highschool counselor and that’s what she told me about the courses and i spoke to my friends that are now majoring in bio (1st year) but they all said that its super hard and detailed. I am now not living in the states(i do have the us nationality) but i’m planning to do my medical school there so i’m not really familiar with how the system works. However, my friend is now majoring in medical lab and planning to continue in medicine and goes to the same college i will be going to next year… So everything confuses me… In your opinion what is the best major for me? (Ps i already said that i really like bio but im just scared of how hard it might become next year)</p>
<p>Mom2collegekids sorry i did not see your second post. Actually the college im attending does not provide a very wide variety of majors. What i mean by this is i’ll have to chose between :bio, chem,physics, maths,history,psych etc… Not molecular biology for example provided in us colleges</p>
<p>Mom2collegekids no im not a big fan of maths lol</p>
<p>Any major can be hard and challenging. It all depends on where your strengths and weaknesses lie. </p>
<p>Some people would rather do 1000 math problems than write a philosophy term paper. Some people break out into a sweat at the though taking a math test.</p>
<p>If you want to major in bio–go ahead, but aware that should you not get into med school, unless you have been assiduous about taking internships and preparing youreslf for another career track, you may have difficulty finding a job.</p>
<p>Mom2collegekids no im not a big fan of maths lol</p>
<p>???</p>
<p>Are you an international? Internationals call math “maths”.</p>
<p>OP is attending high school in France, but is a US citizen.</p>
<p>Mom2collegekids haha yes i am french educated we do call math maths… thank you for ur help i really really appreciate it! I think the best thing is to major in biology at first and see how it goes then if i see that’s its not the right major for me i’ll change it. One more thing, i’ve been told that i can change majors as many times as i want is that true? Or i should stay in a specific major for at least 2 years before graduating ?</p>
<p>Wayoutwestmom i am a us citizen and attending highschool in lebanon in a french school. But i am planning on coming to the states for medical school… i appreciate your help!</p>
<p>Each college has its own rules. At most colleges you cannot officially declare a major until the latter half of your sophomore year.</p>
<p>You can change majors at any time, but you must fulfill any and all requirements that major has to earn your degree in it. A major usually requires 8-14 courses in the specific subject. Some majors have co-requisites (other required courses that are not in the major field but are closely allied to it) that also must be completed. For example, a bio major will have required courses in chemistry and physics and sometimes mathematics beside the bio coursework.</p>
<p>Furthermore, most colleges have additional requirements, called general education (GE) requirements which all students must take to graduate. These are to help diversify and broaden your education and make you a well-rounded individual.</p>
<p>Unless you’ve already taken a substantial number of courses in a field, it will very difficult to complete a major in less than 2 years.</p>