<p>So currently I'm an english major but I want to go premed and go into integrative bio.
I've applied for transfer this year, but I just want acceptance to UCB, so I'm going to stay another year at my cc and boost up the gpa more.</p>
<p>But I know I wouldn't have a chance of getting into UCB if I start taking my bio prereqs at my cc now, so since I'm already done with my english prereqs and I would just be taking fun classes next year at my cc to boost up my gpa, and then I'm hoping if I get into UCB next year as english major and that I'll be able to switch my major once I'm there to integrative bio and take my prereqs there. </p>
<p>Can I do that???? I believe it's perfectly fine as long as the major is still under letters and science and as long as it's not impacted, right? And then would I be at UCB for two years or three years?</p>
<p>I think it’s okay since Integrative Bio isn’t a capped major but it will take you longer to graduate since you have to take the lower division science classes starting your junior year. You know you don’t have to be a bio major to apply to med school right? Why don’t you just do the english major and just take the pre-reqs at the same time? It’ll save you a lot of time because to get your degree in Bio you have to do a lot of upper division classes and if you don’t have the prerequisites to take those classes, you’ll have to start from scratch. A lot of people after they graduate under a major other than science, take the pre reqs at a CC which is okay for medical schools as well.</p>
<p>@JonnyL91-Cool so at least I know it’s possible! And yeah I know it’ll take longer, but my fear is that if I don’t major in a science major and just do the prereqs for med school while doing English as well, then if and when I do get into a med school, all the other students will be so far ahead of me cause they majored in a science major…</p>
<p>And I also heard that med school don’t like their prereqs taken at cc’s. Isn’t that true? Like it’s not bad, but they don’t look at it very highly…</p>
<p>Don’t worry about being behind in Medical school because you learn everything you need to know there anyway. A lot of people who go to medical school didn’t start off in a science profession. If you look on the Student Doctor Network forums (a site and forum dedicated to students who want to go into a health profession) many med students who post there weren’t science majors (one of them was a dance major I believe) and they are doing fine. </p>
<p>And as far as taking prereqs at a CC, a lot of schools take CC credits – Stanford and a small number of others are the only ones I know of that don’t. There isn’t a big of a stigma toward people who did their prereqs at a CC than you think. Many people get in to med school after starting from a CC. Medical School Admission officers understand there are certain circumstances in which a student has to take the med-school prereqs at a CC-- it could financial reasons, transfer related (for example, the prereqs to transfer to UCLA bio major IS the med school prereqs), emergency related, etc. They won’t hold that against you as long as you 1. Do well in the prereq classes 2. Do well on your MCAT 3. Get a high GPA 4. Have great ECs and LOR. If you do all those that I mentioned, what evidence does the Medical School admission officers have against you that say you’re not qualified?
There’s a guy who went to my CC who is now attending Harvard Medical School and will be giving a seminar in a few weeks. That’s pretty much proof coming from a CC doesn’t make it impossible to go to med school.</p>
<p>So I guess my advice to you is, if you like English, stick with it instead of changing to Bio just for the sake of possibly gaining an edge in Medical School because everyone starts from scratch once they get there.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that Berkeley gives transfer students only 2 years to graduate and won’t let them stay another semester or two unless they get clearance from a dean (which rarely is approved). Try to take most of your lower division med school pre-reqs at CC so it will be easier to switch your major and you won’t have to jam pack the other pre-reqs like organic chemistry along with your upper division english classes at Berkeley.</p>
<p>Also, although most medical schools prefer to see the pre-reqs taken at 4 year colleges, if you decide to take all of them at Berkeley, you will have a smaller time frame to complete them and at the same time, taking upper division english classes. Seems best to take some of them at CC.</p>
<p>You can switch into IB once you get here…you can even switch into capped majors surprisingly (if you meet the GPA requirement i.e. 3.2+)…just not majors outside of your college.</p>
<p>Don’t switch majors! Transfer as an English major, and complete the pre-reqs along with your upper division english work. You’re fears of being behind your other classmates are unfounded, the amount of information you’re expected to learn in medical school will overwelm everyone. Also, being an english major will help you on the verbal section of the MCAT, which is often one of the harder sections to do well in.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone for all your help! I really do love English, and if I didn’t get into med-school, I would hate to go into another profession under a bio major. So thanks for all your advice. Still don’t know what I’m doing yet. Can’t wait to hear back from schools in April!</p>