<p>sabrina,</p>
<p>I don’t want to hijack this thread away from the SCUBA club but let me briefly offer up some information. There is no pre-med major at Miami. As with most colleges “going pre-med” is about majoring in one of the basic sciences (Biology, Chemistry or Physics) and scoring well on your MCATs. That said, the Marine Sciences major at RSMAS requires that students also double major in one of biology, chemistry, physics, geology or computer science. If you were to follow the Marine Sciences/Biology track you could get very close to majoring in Chemistry as well. So being a Marine Sciences major certainly will allow you to meet any med school requirements.</p>
<p>Being part of RSMAS has the added benefit of being able to get involved in research as a freshman. There are numerous opportunities to volunteer in labs; among the most famous is the National Resource for Aplysia, which provides specimens for research into diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. I think the opportunities are available to any Miami undergrad major, though Marine Sciences and basic science majors may get first chance. </p>
<p>Finally, it’s important to remember that the research diver certification prepares you for underwater fieldwork. For every surprise encounter with dolphins, 6 foot moray eels or being serenaded by whale songs there are countless hours spent collecting and cataloging samples.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/academics/undergraduate/about/[/url]”>http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/academics/undergraduate/about/</a></p>
<p>So ends my sales pitch for RSMAS.</p>