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What are the best majors for someone going into medical school?

I want to attend medical school. I will be starting college in the fall, and my major is Biological Sciences. #college #medicine #healthcare #health #hospital-and-health-care

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Rehana’s Answer

The Association of American Medical Colleges has data to suggest that your major simply does not matter when it comes to getting accepted to medical school. According to their data, only 51 percent of students who enrolled in medical school in 2012 majored in biological sciences. That means the remaining medical school matriculants majored in humanities, math or statistics, physical sciences, social sciences or specialized health sciences.

http://medicalschoolhq.net/pre-med-101-everything-you-need-to-know-as-a-pre-med-student/
Thank you comment icon Hi Rehana! Thank you so much for the advice you gave Madeline above! As a follow up question, I was wondering what types of majors you've come across as a healthcare recruiter. Although major definitely doesn't matter, do you find that certain majors end up producing better medical school student? Do students from particular majors gravitate towards specific types of medicine? Any thoughts or personal experiences you may have would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much! David Ohta COACH
Thank you comment icon As a healthcare recruiter I have seen variations anywhere from someone getting their PA degree and then get their MD, BSN to MD, bio chemistry, anything in health sciences for undergrad. So, no, I have not seen certain majors end up producing better med students. It is the med school they end up getting into and graduating from which makes then a marketable candidate. As long as you complete all of your pre-reqs and do well overall with your GPA 3.6 and above avg with your MCAT score especially if you want to get in a good school then you will do great. Work hard now and it will pay off in the long run. Rehana Dharani, CPC
Thank you comment icon You should try to aim for an MD school versus DO because rotations vary, MD schools are affiliated with hospitals so it's more structured. If you are unsure of what specialty you would like to get into, you will have a clear idea when you do your rotations on your 3rd 4th year with hands on experience. As for majors for specific types of medicine; if you do not have a specific specialty in mind, you will have the opportunity to learn the different areas during your rotations and you can opp for doing rotations out of state as well to get exposure on both general medicine or surgical side. Rehana Dharani, CPC
Thank you comment icon Some people gravitate to ED, trauma, Ortho, Oncology, Cardiology, or CT, etc. It just depends on what you enjoy doing and types of patients you want to work with. You have to follow your passion for you to enjoy. Once you figure out your passion for a specific specialty than do all that you can to gain experience, network and stay connected with Attendings and build your network via LinkedIn with MDs, Chiefs, Medical Directors from facilities you one day want to be part of. Hope this helps, good luck to you and stay focused! Rehana Dharani, CPC
Thank you comment icon Thank you so much for your reply! All of this info is super helpful; I can't wait to start implementing your advice! David Ohta COACH
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Rehana’s Answer

The Association of American Medical Colleges has data to suggest that your major simply does not matter when it comes to getting accepted to medical school. According to their data, only 51 percent of students who enrolled in medical school in 2012 majored in biological sciences. That means the remaining medical school matriculants majored in humanities, math or statistics, physical sciences, social sciences or specialized health sciences.

The simple recipe to get into medical school:

Get great grades in your pre-req classes
Have a solid plan for your MCAT prep and get a competitive score
Give yourself plenty of time for extraordinary volunteering experiences

Look into AAMC
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DONNA CARRILLO’s Answer

prereqformedschool Any major is acceptable but the pre-requisites in science and math must be completed successfully. GPA is important as is volunteering in health organizations or community health facilities. You also need to perform competitively not only in your science/math classes but also in the MCATs during your junior year in college. Excellent recommendations from faculty are sine qua non and the energies you devote to volunteer activities will stand out in your application process. International experience for med. school candidates (and a second language) is increasingly becoming important in this rapidly globalizing world.
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