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Majors for Pre-med

Isaiah919Isaiah919 10 replies11 threads Junior Member
in College Majors
So I’ve been thinking in the back of my head about pursuing medicine (psych) for awhile now. The length of schooling always deterred me. But after speaking with a psychiatrist, I’m 115% sure it’s what I’d like to do now. I decided engineering and a lot of other things I sorted through over the past few years weren’t for me.

Now that I’ve decided to move in a different direction for the time being. I have the question of what should I major in during undergrad? I heard it does not matter at all as long as your med school requirements are done. I was thinking between French and fine arts. What do you guys think?
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Replies to: Majors for Pre-med

  • parentologistparentologist 184 replies17 threads Junior Member
    YES!!!! Major in whatever your heart desires, what you love, and what you will do well in. Just take the premed courses in whatever sequence is easiest for you, never doubling up. You need to get A grades, if at all possible, in the science classes. Remember, it may be easier for you to take a science class intensively in the summer at a less competitive state school near home - and if you get an A in it, the med school won't look too badly on it, as long as your MCATs are good. You can also take a science course (or even all of them) after you finish your BA, too. Just as long as when you apply, you have all the required courses, a BA or will have one by the time med school begins, and high MCAT scores (which if you had high SATs and study very hard for, you will do well on).

    Med schools LOVE people with majors other than science. They want caring human beings who will become caring, humane physicians. They can teach an automaton the science of medicine, but they cannot teach them to become humane, caring, communicative physicians.

    If you're thinking about psychiatry, you might want to take some psychology courses in college, too. Spending a semester in France would be a good idea, to get your French fluent. Doing a medical volunteer trip to a French speaking country in Africa, or maybe in Haiti, with a group like Doctors Without Borders would be the icing on the cake for your application.
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  • ucbalumnusucbalumnus 80911 replies726 threads Senior Member
    parentologist wrote:
    Remember, it may be easier for you to take a science class intensively in the summer at a less competitive state school near home - and if you get an A in it, the med school won't look too badly on it,

    In the pre-med forum section, isn't this specifically advised against, due to medical school admission readers feeling that it is grade grubbing or avoiding competition?
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  • MWolfMWolf 2182 replies14 threads Senior Member
    You'll need a strong biology background - most pre-meds are bio majors, but many aren't. If you decide on a humanities major, you should still have a strong set of courses in natural sciences. I agree with @ucbalumnus regarding taking science courses at an easier school. You're tricking nobody - you'll be competing with people with identical resumes, but whose science courses are from the competitive schools in which they got their undergrad.

    Otherwise, @parentologist's advice looks good.
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  • Jugulator20Jugulator20 1549 replies19 threads Senior Member
    Med schools require, in part, a bachelor’s degree and premed reqs. The major is up to the student, med schools do not care what one majors in. You should consider a major that you are interested in as you are more likely to do well GPA wise if you like material. As most who start premed change their minds and of those that apply, 60% will not start at any med school; take into consideration what you might do with your degree with a major in French, fine arts, or whatever. You need a Plan B.
    Just take the premed courses in whatever sequence is easiest for you, never doubling up
    The med school application process takes a year. For example if you plan to apply after you graduate, in 4 years, you will need to apply during summer after your junior year. You should have completed premed reqs before MCAT and will probably spend a couple of months prepping for MCAT. As such, you will probably have to double up in some premed courses to be able to submit an application after junior year.
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