Is it a good idea to major in Biology for pre-med??
I've heard pre-med students major in various things, and am entering college next year and need to know if Bio is the way to go. #medicine
2 answers
Grace’s Answer
Many people who are trying to do pre-med do end up majoring in Biology because it is very closely aligned with required pre-med courses. It will provide you with good fundamentals for medical school, and since many others are also on a pre-med track you will have many classmates in the same boat as you. However, keep in mind that since many others will be in the same boat as you, you will need to find ways to make yourself stand out over the other Biology majors during the Medical school admissions process (I.e. Extracurriculars, leadership/internship experience). You really need to consider how much you love Biology, and whether there is a different major you would be more interested in before making a decision!
Richard’s Answer
Aside from this, any major is acceptable as long as you complete the prerequisite courses. I chose to major in biochemistry because there was overlap with the premed requirements and I wanted to complete my degree in 3 years.
Typical medical school prerequisites include:
Biology: Lecture – 4 semesters; Lab – 1 semester
General Chemistry: Lecture – 2 semesters; Lab – 1 semester
Organic Chemistry: Lecture – 2 semesters; Lab – 1 semester
Biochemistry: Lecture – 1 semester
General Physics: Lecture – 2 semesters; Lab – 1 semester
Math: Statistics – 1 semester
English: Rhetoric (Composition) and Literature – 2 semesters