So I’m gonna be a chemistry major in the fall with an emphasis on pre-health/pre-med, and hope to apply to med school for graduate school. I’m registering for classes next week and that’s where I’ll be declaring my major and minor. I’ve done some research online and the majority of what I found was “minors are pointless, no use in doing one, etc” and I know it doesn’t get you a degree or anything, but I still want to choose a minor thoughtfully. Right now, I’m stuck between having a minor in Spanish or having one in Political Science. Spanish might be practical and might give me more opportunities for jobs in places like California, but political science is what I’m actually interested in. Which should I do?
Nobody can really answer your question for you. You really have to decide what you want out of your college experience. Minors (or majors) are not important to med schools. You certainly should consider taking whatever courses you are interested in AND, as a premed, do well in them GPA wise. Generally not having to meet a minor’s preqs/reqs allows more flexibility in scheduling, thus allowing students to create tighter schedules to minimize their time on campus, to free up time for work, free up time for a college life, participate in needed premed ECs, explore a broader range of topics, etc.
Do you really have to declare a minor when you register? Consider taking a course or two in each area before declaring a minor. Since I assume you’re starting college, if anything, go slow first semester in order to acclimate yourself to college life. Good luck.