Switching from Engineering to PreMed. A few concerns.

Pre-Med & Medical School Pre-Med Topics
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<p>Hi, I am currently in my third semester at the University of Colorado, and I am declared as a Mechanical Engineering major. However, I've been putting a lot of thought into it for the past 6 months or so, and I realized that I no longer want to pursue engineering (it does not interest me like I thought it would) and want to focus my time and effort on getting into Medical School.</p>

<p>I have a few questions:
For the engineering classes that I have taken that would are not needed for PreMed (Such as linear algebra, differential equations, etc.) If I received a poor grade, let's say in DiffEq, will Med Schools hold this against me? I received a C in differential equations, however every other grade I've made is either an A or A- (with the exception of a B+ in calc based physics). I know my grades have to be top notch for the Med Schools I want to attend, so I'm asking if engineering credits will hurt me when applying to med school?</p>

<p>Thanks in advance (:</p>

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<p>For medical school admission, two different GPAs are calculated: science GPA and a cumulative GPA. Medical schools look at both.</p>

<p>For the sGPA, all courses in biology, chemistry, physics and math are included. That means that the C in DiffEq will be included when calculating your sGPA.</p>

<p>Engineering courses will be included in your cumulative GPA, but not your sGPA. </p>

<p>AMCAS official course classification guide:
<a href=“AMCAS® Course Classification Guide | Students & Residents”>https://www.aamc.org/students/download/181694/data/amcas_course_classification_guide.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Will a single C keep you out of med school? No, assuming that that the C doesn’t have a bunch of other Cs keeping it company. But it will ding your sGPA. How bad depends on the rest of your BCPM grades.</p>

<p>~~~~</p>

<p>Medical school admission is very competitive. Be sure you have a back-up plan. (This is not a knock on you–it’s just common sense advice I give to all pre-meds since only 40% of applicants gain an acceptance.)</p>

<p>Also before you commit yourself to this path, make sure you do some physician shadowing and clinical volunteering. (Both are required for med school admission….) This will help clarify your decision. Many students love the idea of being a doctor, but the reality of the medical profession often doesn’t live up to the ideal.</p>

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<p>Thank you, this was extremely helpful!</p>