So basically, I am very interested in the pre-med track, and want to become a pathologist in the future. However, I know that getting into med school is really difficult, so I was wondering what major would leave my options open in the case that I did not get into med school, while leaving med school as a real viable option?
I was thinking along the lines of engineering, but those are extremely difficult to maintain a high GPA, and other majors, like psychology, do not have much value without a PhD.
How about Neuroscience, any of the Bio sub-categories including Bioinformatics, or straight Chem.?
Consider something like Econ, but work out if you can meet requirements of that major and pre-med requirements within four years and without an overload.
Anything around Bio or Chem isn’t great for employment without a PhD.
^^^* or a Business degree. May be harder to fit in the prerequisites. Many MDs end out in a private practice and have no idea how to run a business.
I was thinking about Econ, but I heard the coursework tends to be really hard, so I was worried about my GPA dropping
Math or statistics, if you like those subjects. Possible major-related career directions include data science, bioinformatics, high school math teaching, finance/actuarial. Computer science may also be a possibility, but that is more doable if at a college where it is not engineering-based (engineering-based CS majors tend to have extra requirements that make fitting pre-med courses into the schedule more difficult).
Yes, some business-type courses could be helpful if going into an area of medicine where you would run a private or small group practice.
A double-major in computer-science and accounting, while enrolled at an Ivy League college known as a feeder to Wall Street 
I’m being facetious. The point is doors start closing as you get older. It isn’t impossible to change direction but the more time that goes by the more difficult it gets.
So lets start at the beginning. What is it that let you decide at age 17 this is the best career for you? I don’t think it is thru volunteer experience, so what other exposure to the field and what it entails do you have?
Second, you’ll find out your 1st year in college how well you’re doing in the premed classes. If you aren’t doing well in chem, math, etc. then getting admitted to med school starts to become improbable, so you’ll know well in time to switch to another field. Engineering might not be possible at most schools (hard to change into that major) but then again if you’re not doing well in basic math/science its probably not a good fit anyway.
A student good at math and physics, but not so good at biology and chemistry may find some types of engineering to be a much better fit than pre-med.
Well, I have always had a huge interest in biology in general (took AP Bio) and I saw the work of pathologists and it really seems to intrigue me. I am decent at math, nothing great but I can get problems done if I study enough, I have not taken any physics courses yet (will take it this upcoming year) and I was pretty good at bio and chem.
Accounting/Finance was something I had not really considered, but I’ve never really been interested in that either (more of a STEM guy). What classes do you normally have to take for accounting?
Everyone I have talked to said that CS was insanely difficult, so thats kinda been driving me away from it.
I would consider engineering if you are interested…the Chem, Physics and Calculus classes overlap.
Nursing is a good practical degree, but you may need to take a few extra classes to get all the prerequisites to medical school. If you don’t get in the first round, you have a good job out of college, and you would be an even stronger candidate for round 2, because you have practical medical experience.
Any major that interests you, as long as you get in all the premed required courses.
Why pathology? If it’s an interest in disease and mortality factors, how about public health? It’s also a great career path, lots of options how to use it.
Biomedical engineering seems to be popular among pre-meds due to overlap between major courses and pre-med courses (other kinds of engineering may not have enough free electives to fit in courses like organic chemistry, biology, and biochemistry), but biomedical engineering tends to have weaker bachelor’s degree level job prospects than many other kinds of engineering.
Also, the heavily prescribed curriculum of most engineering majors tend to allow for fewer elective opportunities that can be used for GPA boosting.
Engineering can be looked as being applied physics. If you don’t like physics (and more importantly aren’t good at it), you will be miserable in engineering. Also every engineering class you take will be math-intensive so if it takes you a long time to grind out the math that may be a consideration.
What about clinical laboratory science/medical technology/forensic sciences if you like pathology?
You could work in a state crime lab or medical examiner’s office and would be eligible to become an autopsy assistant with a BS in one of those fields.
My son was chemical engineering. It can be a very hard major for a premed, though.
What are your favorite subjects that you excel in?
I tend to do very well in most of the STEM subjects, usually getting As in every STEM class I have taken. I really enjoy chem and bio, and perform decently in math. I am somewhat hesitant to do engineering, as it can be really math intensive, and I am not a math genius. I usually study hard enough to get a good grade, but I really need to work hard to get the concept, it usually doesnt come very easily.
Public health and clinical lab science are similar to psychology though right? Like it is difficult to have a successful job with just that degree.
CLS is a in-demand degree with excellent job prospects right out of college.
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/medical-and-clinical-laboratory-technologists-and-technicians.htm
Public Health has better employment prospects than psych, but entry level jobs tend to be fairly low paying. PH grads work with community, government and charitable organizations. An MPH will be required for career advancement in most fields.
I would second the suggestion to look at CLS as a backup. If you like and are good at Chemistry and Biology, but only pretty good at Math, this would be a better degree for keeping a high GPA than Engineering. My undergraduate degree was a BS in Medical Technology (back in the day, Clinical Laboratory Technologists were called Medical Technologists), and this would also align with your interest in pathology. Though most work in hospital clinical labs, the lab skills are valued in other areas. In addition to hospital labs, I worked at the American Red Cross and in a dairy microbiology lab at a state Department of Agriculture. Two of the med techs I worked with went on to medical school - and one did her residency in Pathology. She even continued to work as a med tech one weekend a month while in med school.
If you love science that applies to humans, if you love working with people, if you love the idea of being a doctor, then do it. Commit to it. It doesn’t matter what your major is; there are pros and cons to being a science major. For instance, I was an English major, which was a great preparation for being a doctor as I understood how to interpret my patients’ stories, had better communication skills than my peers, and understood people better than many science majors did who had little exposure to a wide array of people. Even though you are interested in pathology, medical training is focused on live, walking, talking people, and having people skills is essential to survival. Graduation from any MD or DO school is fine. No point in even applying to “elite” schools, as they are actually worse environments for medical students than those that focus on primary care or are located in decentralized campuses, as you would get much more hands on experiences with patients at these “lesser” schools. If you don’t get into medical school, then you have time to try something else. You will be young, and there are many options, such as school for pharmacy, lab technicians, anatomy, or teaching, to name but a few. And if you are still determined to go to medical school, it doesn’t hurt to work at something else for a while before re-applying. Many med schools appreciate students who are older, have life experience, and are more mature.
Yea CLS actually seems like a really good idea. And I agree with the fact that I should commit fully, because the more I think about it, the more I am determined to become a doctor. Thanks a bunch!