A few random questions.

[dustyy]

I've recently decided on entering the healthcare field. I'm entering this field because I want to help people and I think the field is interesting.
I'm a senior in high school with 3.8 and 29 ACT. I've only been browsing these forums the past 5 or 10 minutes, so sorry if these are over-asked questions or something.

What woould be the best undergrad major? Biology? Chemistry? Biochemistry?

How hard is it to get into med school? What would you say would be the minimum MCAT's or GPA?

What is normally done for a backup plan with an undergad science major? Becoming a science teacher?

Based on my high school performance, do I show potential for receiving an MD or similar degree? I didn't put my full effort into high school and probably could have done a little better. However, I have grown up and have come to realize and accept the workload ahead of me.


Tips? Comments? Suggestions?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[236116]

High school performance, undergrad institution, and your major have no bearing on medical school, unless you pick an occupational major like nursing or rad tech and do not have 15 years of practice behind you when you apply. Aside from that, major in what ever you like and will do well in, just schedule the pre-reqs in somewhere before you take the MCAT.

It is extremely difficult to get into med school. Except in special cases, you need at least a 3.5 GPA and 26 MCAT.

Science backup: lab, industry, Master's/PhD, if you get a teaching cred you can teach. Science isn't an occupational major, you can do whatever with it.

 

[Crazyday]

Adding onto what was stated above, your grades and performance in high school have no bearing whatsoever on getting into a medical school. Medical schools don't look at anything from high school usually (probably criminal records). Your performance in medical school cannot be extrapolated from your performance in high school or college at any degree. Medical school is a completely different beast.

Majorwise, do whatever interests you most. Med schools do not care what major you do, although doing excellent in a difficult major might shine a bit more nicely but probably not (engineering, etc). And if you get a poor GPA doing something like engineering when you could have had a high GPA doing something less rigorous, well that's too bad.

That doesn't mean just take an easy major and coast through, but major in something you like and can do well in. Majoring in science won't make you any more likely to get in than majoring in something completely different.

As far as GPA and MCAT scores go, just do your best really. The better the scores are the higher your chances, and the lower the worse. 3.4-3.5 is probably about as low as you can go and still have some hope without having to apply DO or do post-bacc work.

 

[seelee]

I've recently decided on entering the healthcare field. I'm entering this field because I want to help people and I think the field is interesting.
I'm a senior in high school with 3.8 and 29 ACT. I've only been browsing these forums the past 5 or 10 minutes, so sorry if these are over-asked questions or something.

What woould be the best undergrad major? Biology? Chemistry? Biochemistry?

How hard is it to get into med school? What would you say would be the minimum MCAT's or GPA?

What is normally done for a backup plan with an undergad science major? Becoming a science teacher?

Based on my high school performance, do I show potential for receiving an MD or similar degree? I didn't put my full effort into high school and probably could have done a little better. However, I have grown up and have come to realize and accept the workload ahead of me.


Tips? Comments? Suggestions?

Ditto to the above posts. I'll just add, I majored in chemistry, not because I thought it would help me, but because I found the subject fascinating. That being said I took several bio courses (Mol Bio, Anat, Phys, etc), and I minored in Philosophy. The nice thing about a science major is that the prereqs are integrated into your coursework. That means that you get to finish up faster. However, science degrees are usually harder and longer.

Regarding plan B's chemistry and biochemistry have alot of options. Usually you need to have an advanced degree to get anywhere, but Grad school is nowhere near as hard to get into as Med School is. As far as job opportunities go, let me put it this way, any company that makes anything needs a chemist. Only about 20% of chemists work in Academia, the rest work in industry (where the money is better actually).

I am not an expert, but I don't see as many job opportunities that a bio grad could do that a chemistry or biochemistry major could not.

I specifically picked chem over bio because I saw more "plan b" opportunities with chem.

 

[tennisball80]

Also, feel free to read this thread

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=541966

Welcome to SDN

 

[CScull]

Hey Dustyy, welcome to SDN!

I would say major in whatever interests you; many people who get into med school have majors that aren't directly related to the medical field, like English or Political Science. You really need to keep your grades up and do well on the MCAT though, and get some volunteer hours in at your local hospital and shadow some doctors.

I think I'm going to major in Biology; but that's only because it's my favorite subject.

You'll have a better idea of your chances of getting into Med School once your into college; it's a ton of hard work, but it pays off in the end.

 

[xnfs93hy]

Ditto to the above posts. I'll just add, I majored in chemistry, not because I thought it would help me, but because I found the subject fascinating. That being said I took several bio courses (Mol Bio, Anat, Phys, etc), and I minored in Philosophy. The nice thing about a science major is that the prereqs are integrated into your coursework. That means that you get to finish up faster. However, science degrees are usually harder and longer.

Regarding plan B's chemistry and biochemistry have alot of options. Usually you need to have an advanced degree to get anywhere, but Grad school is nowhere near as hard to get into as Med School is. As far as job opportunities go, let me put it this way, any company that makes anything needs a chemist. Only about 20% of chemists work in Academia, the rest work in industry (where the money is better actually).

I am not an expert, but I don't see as many job opportunities that a bio grad could do that a chemistry or biochemistry major could not.

I specifically picked chem over bio because I saw more "plan b" opportunities with chem.

Exactly. You don't want to pick a major and get a degree in something that has absolutely no marketability at all. Physics is also a good choice from what I hear. And Bio not so much, as you stated.

 

[xnfs93hy]

I've recently decided on entering the healthcare field. I'm entering this field because I want to help people and I think the field is interesting.
I'm a senior in high school with 3.8 and 29 ACT. I've only been browsing these forums the past 5 or 10 minutes, so sorry if these are over-asked questions or something.

What woould be the best undergrad major? Biology? Chemistry? Biochemistry?

How hard is it to get into med school? What would you say would be the minimum MCAT's or GPA?

What is normally done for a backup plan with an undergad science major? Becoming a science teacher?

Based on my high school performance, do I show potential for receiving an MD or similar degree? I didn't put my full effort into high school and probably could have done a little better. However, I have grown up and have come to realize and accept the workload ahead of me.


Tips? Comments? Suggestions?

-It is up to you. However, I would say Chem is hands down the best major of the three that you mentioned.

-MCAT, maybe 26-27. 30+ will make you look competitive. GPA, 3.0 seems to be the unofficial cutoff, 3.5 is what you want, and 3.7-4.0 will make you look competitive.

-Absolutely not, although, I guess you could be science teacher if you wanted but if you want to go to medical school you would probably pick something like...working in a lab.

-Judging by your grades, you are set for college. I doubt you will have much trouble. Keep it up.

-Regardless, high school means nothing. Just because you did well in HS doesn't mean medical school will be a breeze. I do not think you will have much trouble in college but the pre med classes may be a challenge especially if you are a science major.

 

[Dr Lyss]

Exactly. You don't want to pick a major and get a degree in something that has absolutely no marketability at all. Physics is also a good choice from what I hear. And Bio not so much, as you stated.

now a days very few undergrad majors are "marketable"- with the exception of nursing and finance. You need a masters. Pick a major you enjoy and worry about prereqs and GPA as you go along. Your major won't matter if you hate school and course work so much that you do horrible.

 

[Dr Lyss]

-It is up to you. However, I would say Chem is hands down the best major of the three that you mentioned.

-MCAT, maybe 26-27. 30+ will make you look competitive. GPA, 3.0 seems to be the unofficial cutoff, 3.5 is what you want, and 3.7-4.0 will make you look competitive.

1. the best major is the one you do well in and find interesting. I couldn't take 10 chem classes if you paid me - but that's just me. Some of my friends hate biology. Some of my friends hate science all together. In the end it doesn't matter. No one really cares about your major. They only care that you got a degree (unless its a job specific major like nursing or finance).

2. Who told you this? I would not shoot for a 26-27 unless you want to go to the caribbean. Right now 30 is average and 34+ makes you competitive for top schools. By the time you guys apply to med school lord knows what it will be. And very few people get into US med schools with a 3.0 gpa. 3.5 is the average gpa and a 3.8+ would make you more competitive. Again, this is right now. It will change over the years.

 

[MilkmanAl]

Gotta go with DRLyss on this one. A 27 on the MCAT will not make you competitive for MD schools, regardless of what else you've done. Aim for at least a 30 (31.2 was the matriculant average last year), and keep your grades as high as possible (average was a 3.67, if I recall).

Choose something you enjoy for your major. You can take the pre-reqs no matter what you do, so make sure you're taking classes you like.

 

[seelee]

1. the best major is the one you do well in and find interesting. I couldn't take 10 chem classes if you paid me - but that's just me. Some of my friends hate biology. Some of my friends hate science all together. In the end it doesn't matter. No one really cares about your major. They only care that you got a degree (unless its a job specific major like nursing or finance).

2. Who told you this? I would not shoot for a 26-27 unless you want to go to the caribbean. Right now 30 is average and 34+ makes you competitive for top schools. By the time you guys apply to med school lord knows what it will be. And very few people get into US med schools with a 3.0 gpa. 3.5 is the average gpa and a 3.8+ would make you more competitive. Again, this is right now. It will change over the years.

Maybe it is just me, but I would think that someone who absolutely hates science would suffer in medical school.