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For those of you who went to medical school but didn't major in a Science, what did you major in?

I want to become a pediatrician in the future, however, I've heard that just because you plan on going to medical school doesn't mean you have to major in a science. I would like to keep my options open and seeing what else people have majored in would help me do that. #college-major #medical-school

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Elizabeth’s Answer

As long as you complete the required courses to be considered for medical school, you can major in anything. Most students will major in biology, chemistry, or something similar so they can start getting an understanding of the field and start taking upper level biology courses but I have also seen students major in history, English, etc. so they are more well rounded or have other interests.
Typically medical schools require a year of chemistry, biology, and English plus courses in physics, organic chemistry, math, and biochemistry.
In order to be the best applicant you can be, you will want to volunteer in the field - whether it is a hospital, private practice, clinic, etc. This will allow you to understand a day-in-the-life of the professionals, determine what kind of medicine you are most interested in, and speak with the doctors about their own academic and professional journeys. This will also give you more to talk about should you be asked to interview in support of your candidacy.

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Rachel’s Answer

Major in whatever field interests you and will allow you to maintain an excellent GPA. I majored in Spanish literature and had no trouble with my med school applications. You do need to complete the pre-med requirements that vary from school to school. These include at least a year of biology, 1 year inorganic chemistry, 1 year organic chemistry + labs, physics, calculus, and biochemistry. Your junior year, you will need to take an MCAT study course prior to taking the MCAT. With a solid GPA and MCAT score, you should be a competitive applicant.
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Yasemin’s Answer

Hi Jessica, as an aspiring physician my dream is to be a pediatrician as well! I also was not a traditional hard science major, some students at my college would actually look questioningly at me when I announced that I was a psychology major on the pre med route! However you can be any major as long as it interests you, I love psychology and am fascinated by it. In addition medical schools love diversity because it allows for different perspectives to take place in the class and the medical field. As long as you are completing requirements class wise, taking part in clinical experiences, extracurriculars especially volunteering, doing well on the MCAT, and working hard you can get into medical school with any major you want!

Best of luck!
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Richard’s Answer

Pick a college that suits your personality and a major that interests you. You will need to get good grades in college in order to apply for medical school. At the medical school I attended, the average GPA is reported to be 3.85, so even one or two B's can hurt your chances of acceptance.

Aside from this, any major is acceptable as long as you complete the prerequisite courses.

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


I chose biochemistry because there was overlap with the premed requirements and I wanted to complete my degree in 3 years.

My son chose business.
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James’s Answer

hi jessica,


i've been a family physician for 20 years. i graduated with a BBA in Business Management.


yes, it is 100% accurate that you needn't have a science degree to go to medical school. and it's true that medical schools are trying hard to find well-rounded, less-sciency applicants.


nevertheless, i will also say that a large proportion of my medical school classmates did have biology or chemistry degrees.


so how can that be?


first, because of all of the science prerequisite courses it is easier to complete college in 4 years if you have a biology or chemistry degree. for instance, it took me 5 years in college.


second, many applicants have more than one undergraduate degree. some had biology plus history, or chemistry plus business, etc.


when you interview for medical school you're definitely going to be asked why you decided on that particular major(s). so my advice is to know well your reason for selecting it.


let's say that you decide to be a history major. then you probably want to emphasize how much medical history you learned. if you become a computer science major, then you could talk about how electronic medical records and data are driving the future of medicine. if you chose psychology then you emphasize the mind-body connection to overcoming illness. etc, etc.


in my particular case, it had been drilled into me from an early age how incompetent doctors were in their business affairs. my mother was a registered nurse who had seen many doctors go under financially. my father was an accountant, which also influenced my major.


hopefully that helps some.


good luck!

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