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What bachelors degree should I get to be a oncologist?

Medicine. #medicine

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Richard’s Answer

Pick a major that interests you so you don't mind devoting a majority of your hours to studying. You will need to get good grades in college in order to apply for medical school. At the medical school I attended, the average GPA is reported to be 3.85, so even one or two B's can hurt your chances of acceptance.
Aside from this, any major is acceptable as long as you complete the prerequisite courses.
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


I chose biochemistry because there was overlap with the premed requirements and I wanted to complete my degree in 3 years.
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Alexandra’s Answer

Hi Ciara, to become an oncologist you would need to go to medical school. However, to go to medical school, you need to have a bachelor's degree first. I would advise that you apply to a college that has a "pre-medical" program which would require you to take the variety of chemistry, biology and other science courses that you need before you apply to medical school. If you choose to be a nurse or physician assistant in the area of oncology, you would still benefit from taking these pre-med classes in college.

Alexandra recommends the following next steps:

Look for colleges with a "pre-medical" program
Consider opportunities for a degree in nursing as well
Read about the admission requirements for medical schools which involve taking certain classes and the MCAT exam: https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-medical-school/taking-mcat-exam/
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