Hi, I’m new to the forum, I’m not a non-trad though, but I was hoping that you guys would answer my question anyway. I’ll officially be an undergrad student when fall hits, I know I definitely want to become a doctor and I know I’m going to go to med school. But for right now I’m wondering about majors. I know that you can major in whatever you want as an undergrad but I’m wondering would majoring in a Science concentration be better than a Social Sciences concentration, or vice versa? I’m probably being silly, but it’s just something I keep wondering about.
From a purely ‘gunner’ viewpoint, AdComs these days seem to be more impressed with an interesting non-science major (while doing the science pre-reqs and excelling in them, of course) than a traditional hard science degree.
But the difference is relatively minor-don’t base your degree choice on what will look better on a med school app. Find something you enjoy doing and excel at it-the difference that will make in your GPA will far outweigh any other benefit.
Ad Coms want to see that you were interested in what you studied. Ultimately your interest is also reflected in your performance in the classes as well as when you are interviewing.
The US News book “Ultimate Guide to Medical Schools” lists the percentage of the last (before publishing) incoming class that was a bio major, chem/physics, non-science, other health profession, or mixed disciplines. It can vary a tad school to school, so it might be worth looking into if you have a place in mind.
Your pre-reqs will be hard enough to endure, don’t add to your misery by choosing a major because you “should.”
I loved Biology, so I went that route. If I hadn’t liked any of the sciences enough to major in them I probably would have gone with English Lit or tried for an art degree. Having said that, I believe it is easier to get into pre-reqs when they are a requirement of your major, though this depends on your school.
Best bet? Talk to a pre-health advisor if your school has one, and if not try to find an advisor in the school that’s ‘in charge’ of Biology and see what they recommend.
The only caveat to that is if you have been out of school for sometime you may want to add an additional upper biology course such as biochem or genetics so
a) you can show the ability to handle some tougher advanced classes than just the required
b) some med schools require and recommend additional classes (see MSAR per school)
c) many people suggest that these are helpful for MCAT
but major in something you like and even love and excel in it. Med schools want to see motivation, commitment and achievement in whatever you do. That is much more important than the major you take. Additionally, the med schools see ump-teens bio major who want to “help people.” If your a music major who started a program for bringing music into nursing homes, a anthropology major who did an indepth paper on tradition culture and customs and modern medicine in a particular culture, or a business major who helped non-profit market a fund raiser, all of these show who you are and what you can do