Kinesiology - Page 2

tk21769 · 11-01-2009, 05:32 AM

My kid's LAC has a department of "Sport Science", which might sound like a lightweight jock major. Otherwise, the school's curriculum is strictly liberal arts so this one sorta sticks out. The program consists of bio, chem, math, physics, etc., with some special departmental courses such as Surgical Anatomy, which does cadaver dissections apparently from an orthopedic surgeon's perspective. It appears to be a fairly rigorous major, very similar to a pre-med program.

As I recall, Mathlegend concluded this college was not a good fit for him. I bring up the Sports Science department to suggest "Kinesiology" might be hiding behind a different label at some schools. Or, you could put together your own interdisciplinary focus within a conventional Bio program. You don't necessarily need to seek out a school with a certifiably serious department labeled "Kinesiology". Just find one that otherwise fits you, with strong science programs and the flexibility to let you develop your interests. My 2 cents.

rrah · 11-01-2009, 08:27 AM

Several months ago my D had a visit with her cardiologist. As they chatted about my D's plans in college (a very likely English or Spanish major) the Dr. asked about her grades. They are strong. He suggested she look into doing the premed course work along with her English/Spanish major. He stated that med schools like students with non science majors as they bring diversity to the schools and can often better relate to patients. (I suppose his ability to talk with his patients is why we waited 3 hours that day) His own college major was not a science major and neither was that of his son or brother, also doctors. Few of the doctors he knew had majored in the sciences. This brief conversation led me to do a little bit of googling on the subject of college majors and medical school.

A couple of research based conclusions (in other words not just an opinion): non science majors perform as well in medical school as science majors. Effect of Undergraduate College Major on Performance in Medical School.

The acceptance rate to medical school is not that different for science versus nonscience majors: Acceptence to Medical School by Major | Knox College

My advice to you and all those students that think they want to be a doctor is to major in something you like and to take the required courses for medical school admission. Work hard in those courses and maintain excellent grades. Prepare for the MCATs. Many students think they want to be a doctor or lawyer or whatever as freshman and find that they really are interested in something else. You also need to have a "back up" plan in case you are not admitted to medical school.

You might also investigate the kineseology program at Indiana University. The graduate program is ranked seventh in the nation. The exercise science major requires coursework in anatomy, chemistry, physics, etc. Here is an overview of that major:

: Department of Kinesiology: School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation: Indiana University

IU will be easier to get into than Michigan and the program is well respected. IU also offers some nice automatic scholarships for good stats.

mathlegend · 11-01-2009, 11:22 AM

tk, which school are you talking about? Did I conclude this school is not a good fit for me? And btw, I'm a girl!

rrah: Thats good to hear! (all of it pretty much) Thanks, I will look into the program at IU.

tk21769 · 11-01-2009, 01:14 PM

>> tk, which school are you talking about? Did I conclude this school is not a good fit for me? And btw, I'm a girl!

Sorry! ... I may be confusing you with another poster, ml.
The school is Colorado College. I thought we had discussed it and you decided the one-course-at-a-time "block plan" was not right for you. If that's not the case ... I do often recommend it to good students who are looking for an outdoorsy liberal arts college (similar in that way to Middlebury or Dartmouth). Here's a description of the "Sports Science" course I mentioned:

Quote:

302 Surgical Anatomy. A cadaver dissection course with matched surgical observation. Taught in conjunction with orthopedic surgeons and physical therapists. Taught as a yearlong extended format course with focused half-block commitment. Expectations/projects include outreach teaching to select AP high school biology students, multiple format computer/media presentations, scientific writing and patient-based research projects. Course limit 5 to 10 students depending on availability of cadaveric specimens. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor and BY/SC 207 and BY/SC 321 and Junior standing. 1 unit — Kola

One advantage of the block plan is that it does facilitate field work or intensive courses like this, where maybe you would not want to be limited to 60 or 90 minute classes.

The school tends to attract very athletic kids; it has a couple of D1 teams in addition to high participation in D3, intramural, and outdoor recreational sports. If you're interested in learning how to set broken bones, Colorado probably is the ideal state for that

mathlegend · 11-01-2009, 04:00 PM

No problem. And yea, Colorado College's schedule is very unique, but I think I'd be better off with a normal semester or quarter schedule. That surgical anatomy class does seem to be freaking awesome!

tk21769 · 11-01-2009, 05:18 PM

Yep, you are way ahead of the game if you know yourself well enough to understand that a certain system works better for you.

Colorado College makes sort of a big deal of providing cadavers to their students. (Isn't this a great Halloween topic?) But at a large-ish university, I bet you could find some similar course; you may just need to be a little pushy to get into it.

mathlegend · 11-01-2009, 11:02 PM

Yay cadavers! I'll probably ask the departments as I look into the schools.

tk21769 · 11-02-2009, 04:46 AM

Yes, do some digging.

mom2collegekids · 11-02-2009, 09:29 AM

ewww

cadavers and digging

Actually, there are probably cadavers in all the anatomy classes. I remember having to work with one in such classes...the smell bothered me.

mathlegend · 11-02-2009, 06:26 PM

Digging is fun...sometimes. The cadavers don't smell that bad to me...I went to bother a friend during the summer when she was on break from her anatomy class. It wasn't that bad

Hanna · 11-02-2009, 06:50 PM

"there's no way that a decent med school is going to view a Bio, Chem, or Engineering major equal to a French, English, communications, education, music, dance, or art major."

I think it's a mistake to put liberal arts like French and English in the same category as education and communications. Top med schools do not want 100% science majors; they also want top graduates of humanities and social science programs who excelled in their premed requirements. Education and communications (like music and dance performance, and kinesiology) are pre-professional majors and not viewed as providing the intellectual and analytic background that liberal arts do. Some of that attitude is justified, and some is snobbery, but regardless, that's the lay of the land.

mathlegend · 11-02-2009, 09:06 PM

Why is kinesiology part of communications?

Hanna · 11-03-2009, 11:08 AM

It's not part of communications. It's LIKE communications -- in that it's a pre-professional major that elite med schools will likely view as less than rigorous.

bluebayou · 11-03-2009, 12:56 PM

I would disagree about music majors, however. From what little I have seen, music majors tend to be disproportionately successful in professional school admissions, including med & law (although their numbers are really small). Like science majors who live in the lab, music majors tend to live in the studio; thus, the major a huge time commitment. Add in A's in the required premed sciences, and a music major can stand out in the app pool to med school, IMO.

sunnyflorida · 11-03-2009, 01:02 PM

Many colleges and U's are changing kinesiology majors to Movement Science or Exercise Science majors. The exercise science major at my D's flagship state U includes required courses in organic chemistry and biochemistry, physics, anatomy and physiology with lab I and II just to name a few. It is a tough major and loaded with premed students (D is interested in a DPT not an MD).

The last athlete that graduated with this major at her school last spring was a football player, and a Rhodes Scholar with aspirations towards neurosurgery. So it depends on the university.