I was accepted to USC for my first choice major, BME, but I am thinking about switching to Biochemistry before I enrol this year. I love science, especially Chemistry and Biology, and plan to go to med school after graduating. I am afraid I would be bad at BME because it is an engineering major and I am really bad at design and art. What should I do?
Your first year course work should overlap considerably between biomedical engineering and biochemistry.
http://chem.usc.edu/undergraduate/bsbiochem.html
http://catalogue.usc.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=2&poid=1444&returnto=429
Here are some overlapping courses for these majors (which also apply to pre-med course requirements). Presumably, you will be taking some of them in your first year, so you can keep your options open between the majors.
MATH 125, 126, 226
CHEM 105a or 115a, 322a
BISC 120, 220
PHYS 151, 152
@chatkj99 There is no rush to do this. You can easily change at orientation or after classes start, or anytime. Changing is easy at USC. @ucbalumnus kindly laid out overlap, (man he is good and fast at finding this stuff every time it comes up regardless of school)! you will pretty much fill up first semester with math, chem or physics, maybe a writing course or GE. If you are definitely not doing engineering, you would just not take the intro to engineering course that gives overview of all engineering majors - but then again, I really think you should to be sure you are switching majors as an informed student - most 17-18 year olds don’t really understand what is involved and the outcome of the specific engineering majors. I would learn more about BME before you bail. That engineering class can always be elective credit if you don’t go engineering, but the knowledge of each field could be good for you going forward.
It’s very easy to transfer out of Viterbi, not so easy to transfer in. You might want to wait and think it over the first year as most of your classes are overlapping. Take the freshman engineering course. It’s a pretty easy grade and will help you determine whether engineering is for you.
Our S was a Viterbi grad and also found the intro engineering course helpful. Congrats on being accepted into Viterbi! I agree there’s no harm in waiting to swap majors–easier getting OUT than IN for Viterbi. Some of the BME kids are also pre-med and interested in making medical devices.
@chatkj99 agree with others. Viterbi to Dornsife is easier than the other way. You might burn one course if you change after 1st semester (into to engineering) but otherwise it’s a wash and staying in Viterbi gives you a bit of insurance.
I would not worry about the design/art side of it too much. I don’t think there are going to be a lot of Kenji Ekuan’s in your classes (and if there are, get them on your project team!)