Millions of students every year apply or enter colleges as a pre-med, but have you ever sat back and wondered what it really means to be a pre-med? Is pre-med a major? Is there a specific major or pathway that one must go through to get into medical school? Keep reading if you want to find out.
The Most Common Misconception of Being Pre-Med
Brace yourself for the harsh reality in case you don’t already know; Pre-med is NOT a major. While it would be cool for colleges to offer a major that is tailored towards preparing for an MD or DO program, no such thing exists as of yet. So what does this term “pre-med” refer to?
Pre-med is a specific college track where students take a set of prerequisite courses along with the necessary courses to fulfill their major. These prerequisite courses must be completed before applying to Medical School.
Generally, this is the following coursework a premed student must complete, though it can vary slightly depending on the school:
Biology - 2 Semesters with Lab
General Chemistry - 2 Semesters with Lab
Physics - 2 Semesters with Lab
Organic Chemistry - 2 Semesters with Lab
Biochemistry - 1 Semester
Math - 2 Semesters
English - 2 semesters
* some schools may also require Psychology and Statistics
Now, this may seem like extra work but most of these courses are already integrated with most programs of studies. Your pre-med advisors and counselors are also there to help you plan out your schedules and keep you on track without you having to feel overwhelmed. Also, it is important to not think of these prerequisites as a burden. Most of the content that is taught in these classes are tested on the MCAT, the entrance exam that is required in your Med School Application. The saying “kill two birds with one stone” cannot be more relevant.
So, What is the Best Major?
Now, being pre-med doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to major in STEM. Yes, it certainly does help to major along the lines of the sciences as most of the prerequisites are already fulfilled within the major itself. There are so many majors available like neurobiology, cell and molecular biology, biomedical physics, Chemistry, etc. I can go on forever listing all the science majors that heavily involve the premed courses.
However, you should not restrict yourself to these majors only, especially if you have passion for something elsewhere. Medical schools want to see you major in something that you are truly passionate about while preparing yourself to become a doctor instead of majoring in something just to check off the boxes and fulfill requirements. If that means you want to major in Music, Math, or the Humanities, by all means go ahead. Essentially, it really does not matter what major it is that you choose as long as you love what you are doing.
You also don’t need to restrict yourself to one particular major. If you are passionate about another area of study, feel free to talk to your advisor on the possibility of pursuing a double major or a combined major. Take me for instance, I am a Combined Biology and Math Major at Northeastern University. Initially, I came in as only a Biology major but I later realized that I wanted to do something more than this. I had always had a passion for math and I was really interested in the integration of cell biology and math and its applications towards advanced genomics and areas of bioinformatics.
Now, I do want to warn you that while it is great to explore different passions and majors, it is also important to not overload yourself with work to the point where it will start to feel like a burden. Be aware that in the midst of exploring different majors, your GPA and mental health should be one of your top priorities. If you feel that you are struggling to cope up with the workload that comes with pursuing a double or combined major, then you are probably better off sticking to one. At the end of the day, you must find the balance between pursuing your passion and your mental health and academic ability.
The Final Say
I hope the main message you got out of reading this was the freedom that you have in your academic journey. It doesn’t matter what path or major you decide to pursue as long as it is something you embrace and love to do. A wise man once said, “You are in control of your destiny. No one else, just you”. As premeds, it is about time we live up to this and have this come to fruition.
- By Akash Sureshkumar
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