<p>Hey everyone. I was accepted to Columbia through the early decision program. I just have some questions. I am going to be studying BME and be pre-med as well. I have been hearing a lot about the difficulty of the material, and that it is very difficult to do well/get into medical school after BME. Any opinions/experiences with this matter? Also, do you think that studying BME does fair well with medical school admissions officers? I have heard that some don’t look at the name of the school or the major, but use GPA as a primary filter. Any truth to this? If I do choose to change my major, how hard is it to transfer to Columbia College? Further, I was accepted as a C. Prescott Davis scholar. What are the benefits of this? I am interested in starting research as soon as I step onto the campus (or, even this summer, for that matter), so what should I do to guarantee a spot at a lab? Should I be contacting faculty? Is there anything else research-wise I should be doing before next year? Any other general tips for a rising freshman? :)</p>
<p>Hey, I’m a freshman and BME also, but at RPI. It is difficult to get into medical school with an engineering major because engineering is among the most difficult and time consuming majors and the average GPA is probably around a 3 and even in the high 2’s. For medical school you need a GPA of about, at least, a 3.6 to have a shot. Engineering also helps because it teaches you to think critically and stresses problem solving. Yes, your major really does not matter for medical school, however, and the GPA and MCAT are the primary filter. As for research, I would imagine Columbia has plenty of opportunities, but it may be a bit difficult for you as a freshman because some professors may not take freshman without research experience and/or taking college lab classes. However, I would look up what different professors are doing for research and send out mass emails (somewhat generic, but make sure it’s specific for each professor). I sent out about 20 at my school, ~18 replied, 16 said no and 2 said yes and I took both positions. As a davis scholar, I believe you get some benefits such as loans waived for grants and research opportunities.</p>