Finance major for med school?

[fahid]

Hey, everyone. High school senior here who will be attending college next fall. The title says it all. I have intentions to go to med school but not the commitment to major in a traditional pre-med school major i.e. biology, biochemistry since I need a back up plan, which in this case would be finance. I do know that adcoms couldn't care less about your major so long as your GPA and MCAT is favorably high.

My question is: would being a finance major impede my skills and knowledge in order to be a competitive applicant? Would being a non-science major hurt my performance on the MCAT since I won't be taking a lot of the classes that the test covers with the exception of the general med school pre-requisites. Also, I do realize that shadowing and volunteer is necessary, but how exactly will that work if I'm a business major? Will doctors even give me a chance to shadow because they probably won't take me seriously since I'm not pre-med? And finally, does being a finance major present me to the adcoms as someone who is indecisive in his future career goals? Would they think "Oh, look. Here's a kid who can't decide whether he wants to be an investment banker or a physician. Must be in it only for himself." Really, I just need a backup plan because being a rejected med student with a biology degree will probably result me in working at Starbucks.

Sorry with these absurd questions. I'm just really worried about what I want to do with my future! Thank you for any advice given!

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[Goro]

We don't care about your major or minor, only that you do well.

 

[fahid]

We don't care about your major or minor, only that you do well.

Right, I understand, but can you answer my other questions as well?

 

[Goro]

My question is: would being a finance major impede my skills and knowledge in order to be a competitive applicant?
No


Would being a non-science major hurt my performance on the MCAT since I won't be taking a lot of the classes that the test covers with the exception of the general med school pre-requisites.
This is impossible to answer as it's 100% on you to prepare adequately for MCAT. Non-science majors DO get into med school. One of my school's Valedictorians one year was a Psych major.


Also, I do realize that shadowing and volunteer is necessary, but how exactly will that work if I'm a business major?
They don't care what your major is, either.


Will doctors even give me a chance to shadow because they probably won't take me seriously since I'm not pre-med?
See above


And finally, does being a finance major present me to the adcoms as someone who is indecisive in his future career goals? Would they think "Oh, look. Here's a kid who can't decide whether he wants to be an investment banker or a physician. Must be in it only for himself." Really, I just need a backup plan because being a rejected med student with a biology degree will probably result me in working at Starbucks.

A) It's always smart to have a backup plan
B) What do think we require shadowing, volunteering and patient contact experience for??????

 

[fahid]

My question is: would being a finance major impede my skills and knowledge in order to be a competitive applicant?
No


Would being a non-science major hurt my performance on the MCAT since I won't be taking a lot of the classes that the test covers with the exception of the general med school pre-requisites.
This is impossible to answer as it's 100% on you to prepare adequately for MCAT. Non-science majors DO get into med school. One of my school's Valedictorians one year was a Psych major.


Also, I do realize that shadowing and volunteer is necessary, but how exactly will that work if I'm a business major?
They don't care what your major is, either.


Will doctors even give me a chance to shadow because they probably won't take me seriously since I'm not pre-med?
See above


And finally, does being a finance major present me to the adcoms as someone who is indecisive in his future career goals? Would they think "Oh, look. Here's a kid who can't decide whether he wants to be an investment banker or a physician. Must be in it only for himself." Really, I just need a backup plan because being a rejected med student with a biology degree will probably result me in working at Starbucks.

A) It's always smart to have a backup plan
B) What do think we require shadowing, volunteering and patient contact experience for??????

Thanks for the reply. I understand all of this a whole lot better now. Another question: how would I be able to fulfill the pre-reqs? Take the required courses with any remaining credits, if any? I'm also aware that there's a post-bacc program but I don't think I'll have time for that if I'll be busy working.

 

[kbac13]

Thanks for the reply. I understand all of this a whole lot better now. Another question: how would I be able to fulfill the pre-reqs? Take the required courses with any remaining credits, if any? I'm also aware that there's a post-bacc program but I don't think I'll have time for that if I'll be busy working.

Idk how your UG does it, but some allow flexibility (NYU Stern for example) within the finance major to allow you to simultaneously take the required premed classes. In fact, I know a handful of Stern-premeds who applied to medical school and were successful, often with the intention to apply MD/MBA if that is something you're interested in. Consult with your advisor to see how you can fit in the coursework.

 

[Goro]

Thanks for the reply. I understand all of this a whole lot better now. Another question: how would I be able to fulfill the pre-reqs? Take the required courses with any remaining credits, if any? I'm also aware that there's a post-bacc program but I don't think I'll have time for that if I'll be busy working.

Your college schedule will allow for non-finance coursework.

I was a Biology major, with 30 hrs required for the major, plus 6 hrs math, 16 hrs Chemistry, and 8 hrs Physics. Out of 120 hrs required for my BS degree, that left ~60 hrs of non-science credit hours.

Hence, you should have plenty of time left over to take the pre-reqs.

Read this book, too:
Med School Rx: Getting In, Getting Through, and Getting On with Doctoring
by Walter Hartwig
ISBN-13: 978-1607140627
ISBN-10: 1607140624

 

[fahid]

Your college schedule will allow for non-finance coursework.

I was a Biology major, with 30 hrs required for the major, plus 6 hrs math, 16 hrs Chemistry, and 8 hrs Physics. Out of 120 hrs required for my BS degree, that left ~60 hrs of non-science credit hours.

Hence, you should have plenty of time left over to take the pre-reqs.

Read this book, too:
Med School Rx: Getting In, Getting Through, and Getting On with Doctoring
by Walter Hartwig
ISBN-13: 978-1607140627
ISBN-10: 1607140624

Thanks again! I really appreciate the advice! I'll be sure to contact you again if I have any more questions.

 

[allantois]

You need to major in something which gives you plenty of room to take science prerequisites. It might have to be something less specific than Finance, let's say Business.

 

[fahid]

You need to major in something which gives you plenty of room to take science prerequisites. It might have to be something less specific than Finance, let's say Business.

Right. Space for credits is a valid concern of mine but the colleges I'll be applying to require that I have a concentration in a general business degree, which in this case will be finance.

I'm going in with several AP credits. Will being exempted from those introductory college classes give me a chance to take those pre-req classes? Or is this not feasible?

Could another potential way to take these classes be takin summer courses?

 

[allantois]

Right. Space for credits is a valid concern of mine but the colleges I'll be applying to require that I have a concentration in a general business degree, which in this case will be finance.

I'm going in with several AP credits. Will being exempted from those introductory college classes give me a chance to take those pre-req classes? Or is this not feasible?

Could another potential way to take these classes be takin summer courses?

Some schools don't take AP, anyways medical schools need to evaluate your science GPA and since you are not going to major in science, you really need to take those prereqs.

You need: Gen Chem I and II, Bio I and II, Physics I and II, Orgo I and II all with labs and Biochem. That's quite a lot of classes and I don't think you could squeeze all of them in during summers only.

 

[fahid]

Some schools don't take AP, anyways medical schools need to evaluate your science GPA and since you are not going to major in science, you really need to take those prereqs.

You need: Gen Chem I and II, Bio I and II, Physics I and II, Orgo I and II all with labs and Biochem. That's quite a lot of classes and I don't think you could squeeze all of them in during summers only.

Sorry, maybe I should've been more clear, but I meant using those AP credits to get the introductory courses out of the way ex. American government and replacing those with the pre-req classes.

And I thought the pre-reqs only required English I, Biology I, General Chemistry I, Organic Chemistry I, and Physics I? And I haven't seen many schools require Biochemistry I?

 

[allantois]

You def need both I and II and labs for everything except Biochem, which is a new requirement due to MCAT. Some schools may not have added it yet, but new MCAT is very Biochem heavy. I suppose getting out of general education courses with AP would be helpful.

Not only that, but Chemistry courses are sequential, so you def want to get started on Gen Chem I right away.

 

[FinancingMedicine]

Sorry, maybe I should've been more clear, but I meant using those AP credits to get the introductory courses out of the way ex. American government and replacing those with the pre-req classes.

And I thought the pre-reqs only required English I, Biology I, General Chemistry I, Organic Chemistry I, and Physics I? And I haven't seen many schools require Biochemistry I?

Hey Fahid, I am a senior pre-med finance major at Baylor. It is very difficult to squeeze in all of your hours being both pre-med and finance at almost all schools (apparently not NYU.) I did it through this program at Baylor called Business Fellows. It basically axes a year's worth of the more basic business requirements to allow people to study other things (e.g. finance pre-med or 5 majors and 2 minors etc.)

Finance is an outstanding major to pick. Generally, business majors are good because they give you a lot of skills you will actually need in practice unlike some of the really high level sciences. Economics, IMO, is not as good though because it doesn't include hardly any accounting (like finance does) if you do the B.A. route like almost all pre-meds will do. Accounting is huge...

 

[aformerstudent]

It's actually recommended to major in business. Most doctors don't know a thing about the business side of medicine.

 

[gyngyn]

It's actually recommended to major in business.

Recommended by whom?

 

[aformerstudent]

Recommended by whom?

Your "colleagues."

 

[gyngyn]

Your "colleagues."

Could you be more specific. My colleagues don't recommend any specific major.

 

[aformerstudent]

Could you be more specific. My colleagues don't recommend any specific major.

Recommended in the sense that it would be more beneficial to have a business background than a science undergrad background.

According to one of your colleagues..."MIS will be an integral part of the future of medicine."

MIS referring to Management Information Systems.

Honestly, I thought that was good advice. I know an ENT that still uses a typewriter.

 

[gyngyn]

Recommended in the sense that it would be more beneficial to have a business background than a science undergrad background.

According to one of your colleagues..."MIS will be an integral part of the future of medicine."

MIS referring to Management Information Systems.

Honestly, I thought that was good advice. I know an ENT that still uses a typewriter.

I do not recommend any particular major, nor do my colleagues.
Some of my colleagues are less impressed with vocational majors.

Btw, MIS is minimally invasive surgery to my actual colleagues...

 

[WedgeDawg]

Recommended in the sense that it would be more beneficial to have a business background than a science undergrad background.

According to one of your colleagues..."MIS will be an integral part of the future of medicine."

MIS referring to Management Information Systems.

Honestly, I thought that was good advice. I know an ENT that still uses a typewriter.

MIS stands for minimally invasive surgery

 

[aformerstudent]

MIS stands for minimally invasive surgery

Yes, to a doctor who studied the sciences ONLY. This doctor I was referring to said the words "Management Information Systems" when we were having a discussion on the future of electronic medical records. I'm not that stupid.