What should my major be as an undergrad if I want to attend medical school?
What major would be best to have as an undergraduate if I later want to attend medical school? Would it be something like biology, chemistry, or biochemistry? Or include something like psychology or sociology? Double majors and dual-degrees would be an option, but what do med school interviewers look for the most? #college-majors #majors #college #university #medicine #med-school #premed #biology #chemistry #psychology
5 answers
Vania Benavides
Vania’s Answer
My major was biology in college and most of the people in my class (Bio Majors) were pre-med students. I was one of the few who weren't. I actually wanted to do research. Anyway, the reason is that there are several courses in the biology track that are what they call "weed out" courses - one being organic chemistry. It's a tough class, and you would usually need to do well in order to be considered into med school, partly because I believe the MCAT has some organic chemistry or biochemistry component. Not being negative, just being honest. Hope this helps.
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Ken’s Answer
Your major for permed should reflect your interest areas and how your personality traits relate to other people in various specialities. There are several options that you can explore after getting to know yourself better to develop a focus and talking to people who have completed their medical training to see what they did to complete their education, what they are doing on their job, and what advice they may have for you.
Getting to know yourself and how your personality traits relate to people involved in various career opportunities is very important in your decision making process. During my many years in Human Resources and College Recruiting, I ran across too many students who had skipped this very important step and ended up in a job situation which for which they were not well suited. Selecting a career area is like buying a pair of shoes. First you have to be properly fitted for the correct size, and then you need to try on and walk in the various shoe options to determine which is fits the best and is most comfortable for you to wear. Following are some important steps which I developed during my career which have been helpful to many .
Ken recommends the following next steps:
Richard’s Answer
Aside from this, any major is acceptable as long as you complete the prerequisite courses. I chose to major in biochemistry because there was overlap with the premed requirements and I wanted to complete my degree in 3 years.
Typical medical school prerequisites include:
Biology: Lecture – 4 semesters; Lab – 1 semester
General Chemistry: Lecture – 2 semesters; Lab – 1 semester
Organic Chemistry: Lecture – 2 semesters; Lab – 1 semester
Biochemistry: Lecture – 1 semester
General Physics: Lecture – 2 semesters; Lab – 1 semester
Math: Statistics – 1 semester
English: Rhetoric (Composition) and Literature – 2 semesters