What is the difference in the Public Health Policy major vs Public Health Sciences major at UCI for a student desiring a degree in medicine?
I think you can major in anything for medicine - but you need the med school pre-reqs. So there are English majors or History majors who become doctors, an example. I would look at the course curriculum for each to see which is better for you - one will be more social science vs. science.
For med school, pre reqs will include (regardless of major):
- Biology – 2 semesters with lab
- Physics – 2 semesters with lab
- General chemistry – 2 semesters with lab
- Organic chemistry – 2 semesters with lab
- Biochemistry – 1 semester
- English – 2 semesters
- Math – 2 semesters
Many schools also require statistics, psychology, and writing.
Policy
he BA in Public Health Policy degree program trains students in multidisciplinary approaches to public health practice and research. The degree explores both quantitative and qualitative aspects of public health at all levels of analysis. The B.A. curriculum focuses on determinants of health status, social and behavioral health science, and health policy and management.
Students who are interested in pursuing a premedical program should note that additional courses will be needed beyond the requirements of the public health degrees to fulfill requirements for medical school.
Science
The Bachelor of Science (BS) in Public Health Sciences degree program trains students in multidisciplinary approaches to public health practice and research. The degree explores both quantitative and qualitative aspects of public health at all levels of analysis. The BS program draws on disciplines related to the biological aspects of public health, including epidemiology, genetics, environmental/global health sciences, infectious diseases, and chronic diseases.
Students who are interested in pursuing a premedical program should note that additional courses will be needed beyond the requirements of the public health degrees to fulfill requirements for medical school.
Poke around on the UCI Pre-Health Advising website. They have requirement pages that list which UCI courses meet the requirements for different professional schools.
The policy major has more social science elements. The policy major will need to take pre-med requirements in addition to their major requirements. Major requirements can be found here.
The science major is more closely aligned with med school requirements. Notice the lower division biology, chemistry and calculus requirements here. A student would still need to take additional professional school pre-reqs in addition to their major requirements.
When my student was applying to UCI, they made it clear that, if you weren’t in the College of Bio Sci and a course wasn’t required for your major, it was very difficult to enroll in pre-med courses. Priority is given to students in College of Bio Sci. Things may have changed, so ask yourself.
Really not a huge difference between the two majors. Medical schools will accept any major really, as long as the pre-reqs are fulfilled.
But given the few English or Theatre majors that apply to medical school, they often have an easier time standing out. Loads of Bio, Biochem, Chem majors apply to medical school.
Also consider a major that will be employable in case med school doesn’t work out. A bachelors degree in public health is a good start, but probably won’t be able to get any jobs on its own (typically needing masters level degree).
Not a difference for med school admissions but a difference in the content.
I put the UCI descriptions for each in my post above - which highlight the main differences.
This topic was automatically closed 180 days after the last reply. If you’d like to reply, please flag the thread for moderator attention.