Choosing a Premed Major
Many people get anxious about their premed major, wondering which major is the undisputed champion. The simple answer is this:
It Doesn’t Matter
If you’re lost on this reference, brush up on your quotations from The Rock. As long as you meet themedical school requirementsfor the individual schools, you will be looked at as a serious candidate for those schools.
For more information about how to make yourself stand out as a candidate, visit the admissions page.
The easiest way to meet the medical school requirements is to choose a science major. I personally chose Neuroscience and found it to be very helpful in preparing me for medical school.
As a college student, choose something you enjoy
Although it may be easier to meet the medical school requirements in a science major, medical schools look for diversity. You should choose something that you want to study. If you enjoy literature, choose that as a major. If you enjoy business, choose that. You will stand out from your fellow applicants if you have a major that is out of the norm.
As far as what kind of weight admissions committees put on an applicant’s major, it is nearly zero. In most of our discussions on the committee, the major was either not mentioned at all or mentioned in passing. What matters as far as academic performance is GPA and MCAT. You can find a list of the average GPA and MCAT for the top 100 medical schools here.
That being said, in my mind it is wise to get some education in business. I chose a business minor and feel that I will be much better prepared to start a practice thanks to that training. You get very little business training in medical school, so it is best to take advantage of the opportunity as a college student.
So, to summarize:
Mike’s Pick for Your Major: Science Major and Business Minor.
For my take on classes outside of your normal major and/or minor that will help you really prepare for medical school, click here.