Will an Anthropology Major hurt my chances in Medical School?

College Majors
1

<p>I'm hoping to go to medical school after college and become an Ophthalmologist, but I also have a strong passion for history, archeology, and anthropology.</p>

<p>Several people have advised me to major in a math or science such as chemistry or biology.
Other people have advised me to major in a liberal arts because I will get all the math and science that I need in medical school.</p>

<p>With these two contradicting ideas I was wondering what you lovely folks on CC had to say.</p>

2

<p>Probably most pre-med students major in biology or chemistry, but you can major in any field as long as you fulfill the pre-med course requirements (typically, 2 semesters each of calculus, general physics, general chemistry, organic chemistry, and English, though some medical schools require or recommended additional courses, e.g., biochemistry). Your GPA, MCAT scores, interviews, and recommendations will be much more important for med school admission than your major.</p>

<p>Since you have interests outside the natural sciences, you will have fewer opportunities to pursue them as a biology or chemistry major or, later, if you are admitted to medical school.</p>

<p>Certain areas of anthropology also are a good background for medical school, e.g., medical anthropology/global health, forensic anthropology, human population genetics, “evolutionary medicine”, etc. and physicians in our health care system regularly encounter patients from a range of cultural backgrounds. Your pre-med biology and chemistry courses will be relevant supplements to students in certain areas of biological anthropology and archaeology. While an anthropology background probably is less directly relevant to a would-be ophthalmologist, you are a long way from a residency and you can’t predict other specialties or medical career options might capture your interest.</p>

<p>Finally, a revised MCAT (which goes into effect in 2015) will include more questions from the social and behavioral sciences.
<a href=“https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat/mcat2015/[/url]”>https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat/mcat2015/&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“https://www.aamc.org/newsroom/reporter/march2012/276588/mcat2015.html[/url]”>https://www.aamc.org/newsroom/reporter/march2012/276588/mcat2015.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;