3 answers
Lizzie
Student
1
Question
Asked
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What are the best majors for Med School?
As an incoming freshman, I was told biology is a good major for med school but it doesn’t allow me to work after undergrad. What major give me a boost into med school but allows me to get a job after undergrad ?
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3 answers
Caleb Lindsey
Medical Scribe
20
Answers
Bloomfield, Indiana
Updated
Caleb’s Answer
Hi Lizzie,
Picking a major is a very difficult question, but in terms of picking one for medical school, I would pick one that allows you to easily complete the prerequisite courses for medical school. In speaking with admissions advisors for medical schools, there is not a great amount of weight placed in what you major in, but rather what your undergraduate GPA is, what your MCAT score is, and what clinical experiences you have.
Having said that, majors like biology, chemistry, biochemistry and other science-based majors are often chosen by pre-med students because the prerequisite courses required for medical school are often built in to the degree requirements. By that I mean that someone majoring in biology would need to take general biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, and biochemistry to complete their degree so they would not have to worry about scheduling themselves for other classes. Many of my classmates chose these majors for those reasons.
For work experience for medical school, any kind of work experience can be considered "good" experience, fast food, retail, etc. These types of jobs rely heavily on teamwork and communication which are crucial assets to have as a physician. For clinical experience, you can often find jobs as a PCT or medical scribe that do not require any formal training by looking on the career pages of hospital websites. I myself am a medical scribe and I have gained a ton of experiences and real-life insights in to what healthcare is like.
Alternatively, many of hte pre-med students I had class with and help teach gained clinical experiences as EMTs, CNAs, phlebotomists, and other jobs that offer trainings through local community colleges and vocational centers. Experiences gained from these types of jobs helps answer the question of "why do you want to go into medicine?" which is one of the main questions medical school admission committee s will ask you. I also work as a CNA at a hospital and am using my experiences there to answer that same question.
In summary:
-Choose a major that you feel drawn to and be prepared to answer the question "why did you choose this major" when asked during a medical school interview. It doesn't need to be a science-related degree, but you need to have the required prerequisite courses needed to apply to med school, which are often built into science-related degrees.
- For jobs after undergrad, any type of work experience can be good experience so you don't necessarily need to tie it into your degree, but I highly recommend finding a healthcare job like the ones I mentioned above to give insight into why you want to do medicine.
I hope this helps! I wish you the best of luck on your medical school journey!
Picking a major is a very difficult question, but in terms of picking one for medical school, I would pick one that allows you to easily complete the prerequisite courses for medical school. In speaking with admissions advisors for medical schools, there is not a great amount of weight placed in what you major in, but rather what your undergraduate GPA is, what your MCAT score is, and what clinical experiences you have.
Having said that, majors like biology, chemistry, biochemistry and other science-based majors are often chosen by pre-med students because the prerequisite courses required for medical school are often built in to the degree requirements. By that I mean that someone majoring in biology would need to take general biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, and biochemistry to complete their degree so they would not have to worry about scheduling themselves for other classes. Many of my classmates chose these majors for those reasons.
For work experience for medical school, any kind of work experience can be considered "good" experience, fast food, retail, etc. These types of jobs rely heavily on teamwork and communication which are crucial assets to have as a physician. For clinical experience, you can often find jobs as a PCT or medical scribe that do not require any formal training by looking on the career pages of hospital websites. I myself am a medical scribe and I have gained a ton of experiences and real-life insights in to what healthcare is like.
Alternatively, many of hte pre-med students I had class with and help teach gained clinical experiences as EMTs, CNAs, phlebotomists, and other jobs that offer trainings through local community colleges and vocational centers. Experiences gained from these types of jobs helps answer the question of "why do you want to go into medicine?" which is one of the main questions medical school admission committee s will ask you. I also work as a CNA at a hospital and am using my experiences there to answer that same question.
In summary:
-Choose a major that you feel drawn to and be prepared to answer the question "why did you choose this major" when asked during a medical school interview. It doesn't need to be a science-related degree, but you need to have the required prerequisite courses needed to apply to med school, which are often built into science-related degrees.
- For jobs after undergrad, any type of work experience can be good experience so you don't necessarily need to tie it into your degree, but I highly recommend finding a healthcare job like the ones I mentioned above to give insight into why you want to do medicine.
I hope this helps! I wish you the best of luck on your medical school journey!
Thank you so much for the advice.
Lizzie
Hwal Lee
DMSc, PA-C
277
Answers
Albany, New York
Updated
Hwal’s Answer
Lizzie,
You can major in anything for medical school application. I would encourage you to choose a major and/or minor that looks most interesting to you and that you feel you would enjoy learning about the most. Since you seem to be interested in leveraging your undergraduate major for a job afterwards, I would also consider all the near-future practical utility of each area of study, to see which course of study would be most useful to help you develop the necessary knowledge, values, and skills for your career. For the purpose of medical school applications though, I believe you can major in anything, unless a specific program you want to apply to dictates specific undergraduate majors.
Good luck!
Hwal
You can major in anything for medical school application. I would encourage you to choose a major and/or minor that looks most interesting to you and that you feel you would enjoy learning about the most. Since you seem to be interested in leveraging your undergraduate major for a job afterwards, I would also consider all the near-future practical utility of each area of study, to see which course of study would be most useful to help you develop the necessary knowledge, values, and skills for your career. For the purpose of medical school applications though, I believe you can major in anything, unless a specific program you want to apply to dictates specific undergraduate majors.
Good luck!
Hwal
Charlotte Geiger
Public Health Science Student at the University of Maryland
150
Answers
Sykesville, Maryland
Updated
Charlotte’s Answer
Hey Lizzie,
As a Public Health major, I know a lot of pre-med and pre-PA students who have faced the same dilemma when choosing a major. While Biology is a common choice because it covers many med school prerequisites, it doesn’t always provide a strong career path right after undergrad if med school doesn’t pan out. If you’re looking for a major that not only prepares you for medical school but also gives you job options in the healthcare field, consider something more versatile. Majors like Public Health, Biomedical Sciences, Health Sciences, or Biochemistry are great because they combine the necessary science courses with practical skills that can lead to jobs in healthcare, research, or public health roles. Other good options include Nursing or Exercise Science, which provide clinical experience and certifications that are valuable in the job market. The key is to choose a major that you’re genuinely interested in while also considering how it aligns with both your med school aspirations and potential career alternatives. This way, you have a backup plan without straying too far from your ultimate goal of working in medicine.
As a Public Health major, I know a lot of pre-med and pre-PA students who have faced the same dilemma when choosing a major. While Biology is a common choice because it covers many med school prerequisites, it doesn’t always provide a strong career path right after undergrad if med school doesn’t pan out. If you’re looking for a major that not only prepares you for medical school but also gives you job options in the healthcare field, consider something more versatile. Majors like Public Health, Biomedical Sciences, Health Sciences, or Biochemistry are great because they combine the necessary science courses with practical skills that can lead to jobs in healthcare, research, or public health roles. Other good options include Nursing or Exercise Science, which provide clinical experience and certifications that are valuable in the job market. The key is to choose a major that you’re genuinely interested in while also considering how it aligns with both your med school aspirations and potential career alternatives. This way, you have a backup plan without straying too far from your ultimate goal of working in medicine.