What was your undergraduate major?

[Shooto2000]

Hope this question doesn't annoy anyone but I am curious to know what undergrade major did everyone have before they got into medical school.
Shooto

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[CANES2006]

I was a boring biology major in college. You can be any major and still get into medical school as long as you take the premed requirements.

 

[Doc AdamK in 2006]

Pharmacology and Toxicology

University of the Sciences in Philadelphia

SUNY at Buffalo 2006

 

[Hercules]

Originally posted by CANES2006
You can be any major and still get into medical school as long as you take the premed requirements.

And I'm living proof! I majored in Classics in undergrad, and although Latin and Ancient Greek are fun they have absolutely nothing to do with med school other than the occasional derivative.

 

[Castro Viejo]

Mathematics.

 

[Fenrezz]

Chemistry and history, although I was never able to complete the history degree before starting med school.

 

[abw]

I was wondering if non-science majors found they had a hard time adjusting to med school? I didn't take anything beyond the req. pre-med courses and am starting to get nervous.

 

[Dr. MAXY]

Biology, Chemistry, and a minor in Physics. I also took a lot of Business classes just in case I decide to get an MBA as well.

 

[Hercules]

Originally posted by abw
I was wondering if non-science majors found they had a hard time adjusting to med school? I didn't take anything beyond the req. pre-med courses and am starting to get nervous.

First off, just about everyone has a hard time adjusting to med school regardless of their major. With that said, although others may have had a different experience than mine, I have to say I felt that I was at a bit of a disadvantage 1st year. If you've never seen material before and your classmates took multiple courses on it in undergrad, you will be at a disadvantage. It's not an insurmountable disadvantage but a disadvantage nonetheless. The good news is that by your 2nd year you're taking classes that are unfamiliar to almost everyone, so the playing field levels a bit.

 

[Bonds756]

I think nonscience majors are at a slight disadvantage, as was mentioned, but this disadvantage is not great and only lasts the first couple months. Med school covers so much information so quickly that the playing field is leveled in a very short time.
As for me, no regrets for my History & Sociology of Science major.

 

[ermonty]

Exercise Physiology undergrad follwed by post-bacc pre-med work; both done at small state universities.

I'm going balls-to-the-wall in the fall, and I don't think I'll be at a disadvantage at all.

 

[goofygirl80]

I was a biology major and I'll have to say being a science major can also be a disadvantage BECAUSE you have already learned much of the material but not in as much detail. You might think you don't have to study as hard because the material is familiar and you don't realize how much you actually don't remember. At the beginning of the year the non-science majors I knew were a lot more devoted to their studies than some of the science majors who suffered from overconfidence (among other things).

That is just my experience though,

Goofygirl

 

[j-snake]

Zoology and Philosophy

 

[TulaneKid24]

I was a Political Science/International Relations major in college. I think that first semester, I was at a small disadvantage. Multiple choice tests were difficult at first as most of my social science exams in college were essay. But I got the hang of MCQ pretty quickly.

However, 2nd year is a different story. The material is new to everyone. Almost no one takes Pathology in undergrad -- no matter what the science major is/was.

I am glad I didn't major in a hard core science. Medical school is teaching me all the science and medicine I need to know. I think my poli sci major in undergrad taught me how to think more "outside the box."

 

[Zeffer]

Biology major. Chem and Physics minor.

 

[Fletch_F_Fletch]

Mathematics for me. I'm a dork.

 

[PublicHealth]

Psychology (emphasis on Behavioral Neuroscience)

 

[souljah1]

UC Berkeley - B.S. Nutritional Science and Toxicology

 

[Tamomo]

B.S. in Biochemistry and a B.A. in Anthropology. Loved both of my majors, I wanted to study both the hard science and non-science.

 

[deleted6669]

B.A. MEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
CERTIFICATE PARAMEDIC (EMT-P)
B.S. PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT STUDIES
M.S. CLINICAL EMERGENCY MEDICINE

 

[AUdacious]

Nutrition Science (B.Sci)

Auburn University

War Eagle!

 

[Tamomo]

B.S. in Biochemistry and a B.A. in Anthropology. Loved both of my majors, I wanted to study both the hard science and non-science.

 

[Pgn'DocSam]

B.A. Biology - but I didn't start out that way. Began college as a history major, took a chemistry class and fell in love with a Bio major. Young and foolish, I thought, what the hell! Haven't regretted it, neither the woman or the major.

 

[ispic]

BS Microbiology
Minor in Southeast Asian Studies

'02 Arizona State University

 

[Lebesgue]

Mathematics

 

[abw]

B.A. Economics and Philosophy - did a complete 180 to become premed jr. year but decided to stick with my majors.

 

[thewzdoc]

B.S. in Information Technology (IT geek )

Man do I have a lot of prerequisites to do!

 

[GoodMonkey]

bs in biology. minor in chem and french.
dropped out of a phd program in aquatic ecology and environmental toxicology.

 

[spacecadet]

B.S. Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering
M.S. Aerospace Engineering (major - Orbital Mechanics)

Can you guess I'm a non-trad? I had quite a few biology classes to take when I decided to switch to medicine.

 

[classic13]

B.S. Biomedical Engineering
M.A. Bioethics

 

[gwyn779]

physics, minor in math

while i did a lot of science, most of it didn't relate to medicine at all. in fact, it was taught so differently (namely, i didn't have to memorize s***), so i had a really hard time adjusting.

 

[LaCirujana]

B.A. Middle East Studies/Arabic (no joke). Minors in Chemistry and Hebrew

I never felt like being a non-science major put me at a disadvantage in med school. Loved my major, spent 6 months living in Jordan, Israel, and Egypt, and wouldn't trade it for anything!

 

[MiamiDoc]

BS Finance - need to have some way to make our future shrinking salaries turn into something.

BA Biology - What the hell, had to take the science for prereqs might as well get a major.

Minor in Law - need to keep those bloodthirsty lawyers away and my malpractice costs down.

 

[Street Philosopher]

Philosophy, minor in Neuroscience.

 

[Starflyr]

I majored in (yes, my school is long-winded):

Mathematical and Physical Sciences with a concentration in Computer Science.

However, I ALSO took almost enough classes to double major in Biochem - all I was missing was Ecology (which I dropped after the prof started off the first class "Your grandchildren will not live to old age b/c of the environment"), and a thesis (2 years of research plus a ~50 page write up and presentation).

I had zero trouble compared with the bio sci majors, except for knowing too much in too little detail - which they had also, mostly.

Star

 

[maxheadroom]

Double BA in English and Philosophy

Starting plastics residency in July!

 

[pipper]

I majored in Chem and Spanish. I agree that as a science major I have seen some of the info previously, but I must say that there is a different spin on everything. In fact, being an English or Humanities major is actually a benefit. There is a large quantity of info and having the know how to read quickly and absorb the text is invaluable. Plus, second year is a whole new world of stuff to ram in my brain.

Pittmed 2006

 

[punkin2]

Originally posted by gwyn779
physics, minor in math

while i did a lot of science, most of it didn't relate to medicine at all. in fact, it was taught so differently (namely, i didn't have to memorize s***), so i had a really hard time adjusting.

Ditto!! ( Except that I'm still adjusting.)

 

[nuttymcpoonut]

my school was also long-winded:

double major:

history of science/history of medicine and molecular biophysics and biochemistry

after commencement, people came up to me congratulating me on having the longest major in my graduating class

 

[imtiaz]

BS Chemistry, minor in Math, minor in Physics
MS Chemistry

 

[buglady]

B.S. in Zoology (and please, it's ZOE-ology...not zoo-ology)
Minor in Chemistry

 

[SunnyS81]

B.S. Industrial and Systems Engineering

 

[Dr_vertigo]

Where I cam from there is no need for a pre-med major. I took one year pre-med scinces and maintaid a certain GPA that entitles me to continue in med school all in all 7 years. I personally think getting a BS in something then going into med is the way to go. You never know what may happen, and it would be great as you already have a degree in something.

 

[kreno]

BA economics and BS physiology

 

[ULTRON]

Electrical Engineering with minor in Chemistry. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I'll begin med school in 2005.

ULTRON

 

[darkdude]

Double major in biology and math.

 

[supersunny]

cognitive science

 

[leorl]

Triple major Biology, Psychology and Classics

 

[tega]

sleeps and dreams.....

 

[IrishOarsman]

3x: Liberal studies (read: great books), Philosophy, and Pre-Professional