STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

GucciGal19 · BCBG

Anyone in med school?

lsubatgirl · Gucci

I think for med school you almost have to have a science background. i couldn't imagine trying to go to med school with an accounting degree. While they say they like people with different backgrounds I will tell you that my friend who switched from biochem to kinesiology had to go back to school and take more science classes in order to go to the med school she wanted to go to (University of Nebraska-Omaha). They felt that she needed a stronger science background and needed to volunteer more. If you aren't working in a hospital or volunteering you need to start looking now!

Alikat · Kate Spade

Supposedly Med Schools will accept any majors, but every applicant has to complete prerequisites before attending. I've heard of people majoring in "softer" science courses like physical anthropology in order to get better grades for med school, but still taking all of the required courses.

Either way its seriously competitive, especially now.

I agree with lsubatgirl, starting looking for internships, volunteering, and jobs in medicine. Not only does it give you a more competitive edge in applying, but you also will probably be able to decide whether med school is worth it for you.

SheilsBabe · BCBG

Three of my girlfriends will be starting med school in August, and all of them agree that it's actually better not to major in a traditional science like chemistry or biology. Apparently, med schools like applicants who show that they're interested in subjects outside of medicine. So one of my friends is a Biology and Society major (it's kind of like sociology), the other is Psychology, and the third is History. Of course, all three took the requisite pre-med courses - Biology, Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Biochem, etc. - and tried to do as well as they could. So while it's absolutely necessary to take the pre-med science courses, you don't have to study only sciences in college. Considering what they've been through, my advice would be to take the biology courses required to get into med school and major in another subject you like.

shopgirl82 · Chanel

have you thought about nursing? it would definitely help (the only problem is that you might have a lot of classes that you have to make up just starting your sophomore year). i have also heard that it's a good thing to show interest outside of your major. for instance, i know a lot of law students who have majored in history.

Maddie · Coach

Just echoing what SheilsBabe said, I have a lot of friends who are pre-med/applying to med school and I would say less than half of them are bio or biochem majors. There are certain requirements for med school, which someone at your school can tell you about, but other than that there's no need to take a lot of extraneous science classes. Like ecology or something, which you would take as a bio major. As long as you have the prereqs and can do well on the MCATs, it doesn't really matter what you major in. Some of my friends have even said that med schools are more interested in humanities majors because they're more well rounded.

RyanJ · Coach

My mom is a doctor and she was an Engineer major. She said she wishes she would have taken more science classes when she was an undergrad because when she got to medical school she was a little behind. Most of the other people in her classes were all science type majors and they knew a lot more than she did. She caught up and graduated from a very prestigious school, but she definitely recommends taking as many science classes that you can- maybe pick those as your electives.