recommended pre-med major

[zada00]

Hi SDN, I am currently beginning college and would like to know how to choose or what major to choose based on the following information. After attending medical school I want to be a psychiatrist. Although I am interested in biology I do not want to be a biology major. I am very intrigued by the human brain and enjoy learning about it. I was thinking about majoring in psychology with a minor in neuroscience or vice-versa. Additionally, I am also interested in computers and technology; in my family I am know as the "it" guy. I was thinking about trying computer science or information technology pre-med. I am aware that you can major in anything for medical school but I want to major in something that has good career prospects and job stability. Any Advice?? Thanks

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[NotASerialKiller]

Botany, hands down

 

[gyngyn]

You should care about your major.
We don't.
Exception: vocational majors.

 

[zada00]

Hi SDN, I am currently a freshman in college. I am very interested in the whole body approach of medicine and enjoy working in and learning about the medical field. I want to be a physician but I want to get a BSN in nursing, I am aware that this is no ideal because there is a big difference between the two fields, but I am very passionate about the medical field and I feel as though if I were not accepted into medical school Ii would want to be a nurse practitioner. I do not want to major in something like biology or chemistry because I want to be able to work with and treat patients rather that perform lab tests or work on the other side of the "blinds". I am a people person and enjoy helping other people. I want to know if this pathway is acceptable or doable and would like to receive advice from someone who has done something similar. Thanks

 

[JustAPhD]

I believe nursing degrees are viewed as less rigorous as compared to traditional BSs.

 

[gyngyn]

Vocational majors are viewed askance by a significant sub-set of MD evaluators.
Get a BSN if you want to be a nurse.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Major in whatever you want. Typically, if you are interested in something, you'll enjoy studying it more, which may lead to better grades. Med schools don't give a **** as long as your GPA is high.

 

[Wiesal]

A BSN degree would be looked down upon as you are potentially taking someone's spot who wants to be an actual nurse.

 

[787593]

.

 

[Dandine]

Normally I would say "major in whatever you want," but with the mention of computers I thought I should mention cog sci.

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/cognitive-science/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_institutions_granting_degrees_in_cognitive_science

It is not a program that is offered at every school, but if you go to the wiki and see the name of your school there, then you may be in luck. It's a very interdisciplinary program from what I know (met a few former/current majors as I worked in psych) and probably wouldn't have minded doing it, except I wanted that bio background.

If you don't, no worries, although it's good you have thought of what you're interested in already. Keep learning and take classes to get an idea and talk to people who've done the requirements/advisors. That might help you narrow down how to manage your interests with your pre-med schedule, if anything.

 

[theonlytycrane]

3 strategies:

Something tough where you can work hard, learn a lot, build critical thinking skills, and maybe even get some job experiences from. Engineering or a science with a research focus.

The easiest thing you can and take the minimum pre-med classes and boost your GPA artificially as much as possible. You'll have to self-study things you might have missed going this route for the MCAT though.

Something MCAT related like biology (micro, neuro, physio, etc) or psych (makes that section ez).

 

[TheBiologist]

does your school have "computational neuroscience" major? that sounds like it's what you'd be interested in

 

[Lawpy]

Something MCAT related like biology (micro, neuro, physio, etc) or psych (makes that section ez).

Eh... for something MCAT-related, I would go with a humanities/social science major. Philosophy or literature are good choices, since learning and mastering the ability to critically evaluate various difficult texts is valuable and will pay huge returns in the long term (not just for verbal/CARS, but for every section... and pretty much for medicine overall).

Cognitive science is a good choice given OP's interests. Always like to present the following diagram as reference:

 

[doc05]

A bad idea all-around

 

[c12H22O11]

Assess your situation and see if majoring in nursing is something that will actually benefit you. I think as your goal is becoming a Physician, I would focus on rocking your pre-med classes and keeping your gpa up, extracurriculars, and volunteer/shadowing. If all else fails and you cannot get into medical school, you can always do an accelerated BSN that takes about 1 year or so to complete and then you're a nurse. The reason why it is inconvenient is that the nursing curriculum is set in stone and leaves rarely much room for electives and it makes taking pre-reqs much harder. You would be basically guaranteeing yourself to a post-bacc to finish your classes. I would know, as I am doing my Associate in Nursing, and then completing bachelor's degree while finishing pre-med classes. Is it ideal? Probably not but it is what works for me. I am paying for school out of pocket, and I am being charged out of state tuition and do not qualify for financial aid and have citizenship issues that need to resolve, so for me. This is the path that works, regardless of what people say.

 

[zada00]

I want to know what is the next most common major that physicians major on besides biology. Do specialty doctors major in a discipline similar to their title, e.g. do psychiatrists major in psychology or do neurologists major in neuroscience. Thanks

 

[NimbleNavigator]

undergraduate major has no correlation to physician's final specialty.

I find that really hard to believe. In fact, I'm willing to bet there's a 90% chance you're wrong. I bet you'd find a lot more psych majors going into psychiatry.

 

[Lawpy]

My obvious pick would be physics majors going to rads/radonc. Maybe vascular surgery due to fluid dynamics involved. Correlation isn't perfect though.

 

[gyngyn]

I've seen no association between major and specialty choice, but there are few majors that hint at a specialty to begin with...

 

[JustAPhD]

In terms of the most common major behind biology:

Matriculants:
Biological sciences: 10.7K
"Other": 3.6K
Physical sciences: 2.3K
Social sciences: 2.2K
Humanities: 1.1K


https://www.aamc.org/download/321496/data/factstablea17.pdf

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

I find that really hard to believe. In fact, I'm willing to bet there's a 90% chance you're wrong. I bet you'd find a lot more psych majors going into psychiatry.

Considering most med students change their choice of specialty at least once during medical school, I find it hard to believe that major has any bearing for the majority of med students. Also taking into account the fact that biology is the most represented major, that indicates that the majority of doctors didn't major in something specific to their specialty.

Probably a handful of future rads docs majored in physics. But actually with psych, I don't know a single psych major who went to med school (anecdotal, I know). They all either went to PhD programs or into nursing.

 

[Boogy'sChick15]

My obvious pick would be physics majors going to rads/radonc. Maybe vascular surgery due to fluid dynamics involved. Correlation isn't perfect though.

I'm a physics major and my goal is radonc. I've got a few other interests but that is my #1 as of right now.

I've seen a lot of pre-meds with a specialty of interest that correlates with their major, I just don't know how many will actually follow through with it.

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[zada00]

If I major in biology, will that make my chances of getting into medical lower. I say this because I am aware that a lot of premed students are biology majors. Because there are over 10k applicants just for a biology major, would that put me at a disadvantage being that depending on my stats I would be like a needle in a haystack. Do social science/ computer science majors make good medical school candidates.

 

[gyngyn]

If I major in biology, will that make my chances of getting into medical lower.

No. Doing badly will.

 

[TheBiologist]

Depending on how well you do in med school you may not even get the specialty you want


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[FCMike11]

I'd choose a major that could help land a job in case you do not get into medical school.

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[Vladimir7]

Do social science/ computer science majors make good medical school candidates.

I don't think your major determines whether you're a good candidate or not.

If I major in biology, will that make my chances of getting into medical lower.

I also don't think that's the case, I'm not an adcom but i doubt they go "Oh gosh another biology major, NEXT"
However, they do like to see diversity and people pursuing their interests as opposed to just following the fold. So, if you love computer science and decide to major in it because of that, they'll be able to tell. And if it's bio that you love and chose to major in bio because of that, I'm sure they'll be able to observe that as well in interviews or something. They care about your passion not your major

 

[dental15triodino]

Major in whatever you find interesting. Doing so will give you the best possible chance of doing well in your college coursework. Doing well in your college coursework will give you the best possible chance of getting into med school. Good luck!

 

[TheBiologist]

No if you like biology you should study it

Go biology! (Although I'm not a bio major haha)

EDIT: LOL this post was a mistake, I thought I was on a different thread; that's what I get for using the mobile version


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[zada00]

Hi, I am currently a high school student. I have a couple of questions and advice. My gpa is currently a 4.4 weighted and a 3.9 unweighted. I want to be a doctor and enjoy learning about the human body. I am not too familiar with college majors or how to choose one. I am good at math but I do not like it, but I am very passionate about science. Thanks

 

[Ismet]

Merging duplicate/similar threads. Please do not post multiple treads about the same topic.

And moving to hSDN as OP is in high school

 

[zada00]

Merging duplicate/similar threads. Please do not post multiple treads about the same topic.

And moving to hSDN as OP is in high school

I am a teacher who teaches health science and am asking questions that my students have generated.

 

[Lawpy]

I am a teacher who teaches health science and am asking questions that my students have generated.

Hi, I am currently a high school student. I have a couple of questions and advice. My gpa is currently a 4.4 weighted and a 3.9 unweighted. I want to be a doctor and enjoy learning about the human body. I am not too familiar with college majors or how to choose one. I am good at math but I do not like it, but I am very passionate about science. Thanks

Hi SDN, I am currently a freshman in college. I am very interested in the whole body approach of medicine and enjoy working in and learning about the medical field. I want to be a physician but I want to get a BSN in nursing, I am aware that this is no ideal because there is a big difference between the two fields, but I am very passionate about the medical field and I feel as though if I were not accepted into medical school Ii would want to be a nurse practitioner. I do not want to major in something like biology or chemistry because I want to be able to work with and treat patients rather that perform lab tests or work on the other side of the "blinds". I am a people person and enjoy helping other people. I want to know if this pathway is acceptable or doable and would like to receive advice from someone who has done something similar. Thanks

Hi SDN, I am currently beginning college and would like to know how to choose or what major to choose based on the following information. After attending medical school I want to be a psychiatrist. Although I am interested in biology I do not want to be a biology major. I am very intrigued by the human brain and enjoy learning about it. I was thinking about majoring in psychology with a minor in neuroscience or vice-versa. Additionally, I am also interested in computers and technology; in my family I am know as the "it" guy. I was thinking about trying computer science or information technology pre-med. I am aware that you can major in anything for medical school but I want to major in something that has good career prospects and job stability. Any Advice?? Thanks

Lying is bad.

 

[zada00]

Lying is bad.

I am not lying. Had you read the previous statement you would have been aware that I am a health science teacher and my students have asked me these questions and asked me to post them on sdn. These are questions that I cannot answer.

 

[Lawpy]

I am not lying. Had you read the previous statement you would have been aware that I am a health science teacher and my students have asked me these questions and asked me to post them on sdn. These are questions that I cannot answer.

As a health science teacher, you're unable to answer the questions regarding premed majors? And you felt compelled to create several threads on the same topic?

 

[Ismet]

I am a teacher who teaches health science and am asking questions that my students have generated.

Then you need to clarify that from the start. Please read the SDN Terms of Service, as misrepresentation and false identity are against the terms of service.

If you have multiple similar questions, create 1 thread and ask your questions there.

 

[zada00]

As a health science teacher, you're unable to answer the questions regarding premed majors? And you felt compelled to create several threads on the same topic?

No, I have a degree in health care management. I am not very familiar with the medical school aspect of the health field. I teach students of all health disciplines not just medicine.

 

[Lawpy]

No, I have a degree in health care management. I am not very familiar with the medical school aspect of the health field. I teach students of all health disciplines not just medicine.

I'd follow what Ismet said. Hopefully you got your questions answered.

 

[Goro]

Chemistry

I want to know what is the next most common major that physicians major on besides biology. Do specialty doctors major in a discipline similar to their title, e.g. do psychiatrists major in psychology or do neurologists major in neuroscience. Thanks

 

[Goro]

If they do really well in their courses, yes.


Adcoms do NOT care what you major in, only that you do well.

Capeesh?

Do social science/ computer science majors make good medical school candidates.

 

[I'm No Superman]

You should care about your major.
We don't.
Exception: vocational majors.

I majored in Catology since almost all of the adcoms/professors on this site have pictures of cats for their profile picture.

 

[gyngyn]

I majored in Catology since almost all of the adcoms/professors on this site have pictures of cats for their profile picture.

That's felinology...

 

[I'm No Superman]

That's felinology...

Maybe I left out a letter. That would explain the excessive amount of crap they talked about in class...

 

[Wjldenver]

Hi SDN, I am currently beginning college and would like to know how to choose or what major to choose based on the following information. After attending medical school I want to be a psychiatrist. Although I am interested in biology I do not want to be a biology major. I am very intrigued by the human brain and enjoy learning about it. I was thinking about majoring in psychology with a minor in neuroscience or vice-versa. Additionally, I am also interested in computers and technology; in my family I am know as the "it" guy. I was thinking about trying computer science or information technology pre-med. I am aware that you can major in anything for medical school but I want to major in something that has good career prospects and job stability. Any Advice?? Thanks

Here is a list of the top 25 careers for Millennials. If you don't make the med school cut (MD or DO), Plan B could include one of the following:

Job Title Growth by 2022 Median Income Millennial Share
1 - Physician assistants* 38% $90,930 45%
2 – Actuaries 26% $93,680 57%
3 (tie) – Statisticians 27% $75,560 44%
3 (tie) - Biomedical engineers 27% $86,960 43%
5 - Computer and information research scientists 15% $102,190 45%
6 - Market research analysts and marketing specialists* 32% $60,300 44%
7 - Nuclear engineers 9% $104,270 60%
8 - Elevator installers and repairers 25% $76,650 41%
9 - Petroleum engineers 26% $130,280 35%
10 (tie) – Therapists* 27% $70,000 37%
10 (tie) - Dental hygienists* 33% $70,210 37%
12 – Logisticians 22% $72,780 37%
13 - Financial analysts and advisors 16% $71,770 41%
14 - Software developers and programmers 19% $87,100 36%
15 – Pharmacists* 15% $116,670 35%
16 - Public relations and fundraising managers* 13% $95,450 35%
17 (tie) - Public relations specialists* 12% $54,170 44%
17 (tie) - Credit analysts 10% $61,080 43%
19 - Agents and business managers of artists,
performers, and athletes
10% $63,370 42%
20 (tie) - Geological and petroleum technicians 15% $52,700 40%
20 (tie) - Dietitians and nutritionists* 21% $55,240 36%
20 (tie) - Medical scientists* 13% $76,080 35%
23 (tie) - Agricultural and food scientists 9% $58,610 42%
23 (tie) - Surveyors, cartographers, and
photogrammetrists
12% $56,530 39%
23 (tie) – Fundraisers* 17% $50,680 37%