<p>So I've been browsing around the forum, and so far it has been an information goldmine. I've been able to answer the majority of my questions from around the board, but alas, some still remain.</p>
<p>First, if its true you can apply to med school with any undergraduate major and have the same chances as everyone else, then why is it 50-60% of med school applicants major in biology? If you can major in something you enjoy and have the same chances at med school, plus a far better plan B than a biology major can provide, then why not do that? Why are so many pre-med students taking biology, when you can apply with any undergraduate degree as long as you take the additional med school prerequisites?</p>
<p>My second question depends on the answer to the first. I would like to apply to med school doing a computer science undergraduate degree (+ the medschool prerequisites), as that's what I enjoy most. I don't pursue an actual career in computer science, as the wages are a tad low for my taste, and I am told there is a significant risk they will drop even lower due to globalization.</p>
<p>My worry is that med schools will not consider computer science a "serious" undergrad. Will they consider computer science to be rigorous enough to compete against the biology major applicants?</p>
<p>I'm a bit of an all-rounder, and I feel I wouldn't struggle too much with a biology undergraduate if I had to take it, its just, why take biology when I could take something I'm much more interested in?</p>
<p>any help would be appreciated,</p>
<p>Solairis</p>
<p>In my son’s case it’s because of his passion for the subject. He is not thinking of Plan B, only Plan A which is medical school. I would think that would be true with most Bio majors.</p>
<p>I’m not a biology major either pre-med and honestly I think the idea scares some people. Other applicants look at me like a leper when I say I’m not a biology major (I’m a chemistry and psychology double major). I just think they really don’t understand that as long as you are doing well in the prerequisites, you could major in music or basket-weaving for all medical school admissions care.</p>
<p>I hear enough of them complain about how much they can’t stand biology so I don’t think they are as passionate about biology as they’d like people to think.</p>
<p>then why is it 50-60% of med school applicants major in biology?</p>
<p>Some do so since many of the pre-med pre-reqs are already included in the major, especially if the school offers some kind of pre-health track in Bio.</p>
<p>Biology is also the closest subject to medicine so it makes sense that most kids interested in medicine would want to study biology.</p>
<p>RE: with the increasingly reliance on analytic software, computerized testing protocols and electronic records, there has been some discussion of requiring all pre-meds to take a semester of computer literacy/basic computer skills. </p>
<p>I don’t think a compsci major will get looked down on, but you may have to work harder (with your ECs and communications skills) to convinced adcomms you’re serious about medicine.</p>
<p>My worry is that med schools will not consider computer science a “serious” undergrad. Will they consider computer science to be rigorous enough to compete against the biology major applicants?</p>
<p>A CS degree is arguably more difficult than a bio degree, so rigor won’t be an issue. As long as you keep your grades up. you should be fine. Being a CS major won’t be looked at differently than an eng’g major.</p>
<p>the only “concern” over being a CS major would be if you spent your summers doing CS style internships instead of doing something medical. Now doing bioinformatics research, or structural research or some computer science heavy biomedical stuff is fine.</p>
<p>
Do you honestly believe all these students are that misinformed? :o</p>
<p>I’m a med student. I majored in biology (went to state flagship). I chose bio because a) I wanted a science major b) biology is far and away my favorite discipline c) when I looked at upper level bio classes, all of them sounded wonderful (contrast this to any other department–not so) d) I knew medicine and biology were related, and med school has always been my goal e) it was very convenient that the med school prereqs were also a part of my major, which allowed me to get a “fun” minor (leadership and public service)</p>
<p>I don’t know for sure, but I would bet that most aspiring med students are at least fundamentally interested in biology–I don’t think many of them choose bio simply to get into med school, without having any real interest in it.</p>
<p>(That’s not to imply that med students are only interested in biology. I have many friends who majored in something other than biology. It just so happens that those friends also like biology, other science classes, medicine, etc etc.)</p>