5 answers
Alex
Student
Allentown, Pennsylvania
1
Question
Asked
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Question about major to become a doctor
I have a question care of being a doctor I need to pick a major can I do computer forensic cyber security while I completed my pre-requirement courses for medical school in community college and university who are happy that made it to go to medical school I don’t want to make a mistake?#doctor
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5 answers
Rebecca Dickinson
Clinical Research Assistant: Geriatric Psychiatry & Lab Technician
1
Answer
North Kingstown, Rhode Island
Updated
Rebecca’s Answer
Great question! If you are applying for medical school in the US, your degree field isn't super important so long as you have your pre-med requirements completed. These requirements include both academic requirements and non-academic requirements (i.e., medical shadowing, volunteer service, research experience, etc.). So long as you have both of those and a good MCAT score, you will be a competitive applicant- regardless of your degree field :)
If you havent already, look at a medical school you'd like to attend and see what are some of the qualities of their matriculating students.
You can also reach out to the pre-health office at your community college for any additional questions.
Rebecca recommends the following next steps:
Vickie X
Internal Medicine Resident
16
Answers
East Lansing, Michigan
Updated
Vickie’s Answer
Hi Alex,
This is a great question! It is a common misconception that if you want to go to medical school, that you must complete an undergraduate degree in a biology-related field. The truth is, you may complete ANY undergraduate degree as long as you do the required pre-medical courses (biology, chemistry, physics, psychology, etc.) . In addition to those courses, you will want to have some volunteering, shadowing, and research experience as well. Before you apply to medical school, you will also need to take the Medical College Admissions Test, the MCAT. I think it is a great idea to pursue computer forensic cyber security as your major. It will give you an experience outside of medicine and perhaps be a good safety net in case you decide medical school is not your path.
Good luck!
This is a great question! It is a common misconception that if you want to go to medical school, that you must complete an undergraduate degree in a biology-related field. The truth is, you may complete ANY undergraduate degree as long as you do the required pre-medical courses (biology, chemistry, physics, psychology, etc.) . In addition to those courses, you will want to have some volunteering, shadowing, and research experience as well. Before you apply to medical school, you will also need to take the Medical College Admissions Test, the MCAT. I think it is a great idea to pursue computer forensic cyber security as your major. It will give you an experience outside of medicine and perhaps be a good safety net in case you decide medical school is not your path.
Good luck!
Kathryn Silberstein
Teacher
1
Answer
Holyoke
Updated
Kathryn’s Answer
Hi Alex,
Great question! You can really choose ANY major you want while being pre-med. I have friends who went onto medical school after majoring in art history or theater! As long as you are completing the necessary premed track courses, such as biology, chemistry, etc., you can choose whatever interests you! In fact, medical schools will be more likely to select you for the unique experience you have had as opposed to having only the experience of "being premed."
Hope this helps!
Great question! You can really choose ANY major you want while being pre-med. I have friends who went onto medical school after majoring in art history or theater! As long as you are completing the necessary premed track courses, such as biology, chemistry, etc., you can choose whatever interests you! In fact, medical schools will be more likely to select you for the unique experience you have had as opposed to having only the experience of "being premed."
Hope this helps!
Andrew Tran
20
Answers
Hamilton Township, New Jersey
Updated
Andrew’s Answer
In the grand scheme of requirements, your major isn't as important as people make it. What matters most is your entire profile, so your MCAT score, volunteering, GPA, etc. will make the most impact on your acceptance than a major. A lot of people go for science degrees as it allows people the opportunity to boost their science GPA, but at the same time, it's much more difficult than business degrees. Honestly, go into a major that you enjoy as it will make college a lot more enjoyable while you are taking care of those requirements.
John Rawlings
Orthopedic Surgeon
4
Answers
Grand Junction, Colorado
Updated
John’s Answer
I completely agree with the other answers. Applicants to medical school can have any major in college, and, if anything, non-biology majors have an advantage because they stand out more than their biology-related major counterparts. While in medical school, I volunteered to help with admissions, and it became very clear that unique experiences are HUGE in helping you stand out.
In regards to other points, good MCAT scores get you past the first wave of immediate rejections, and every school will have their own cutoff, but they won't necessarily give you a ton more. Volunteer work, shadowing, and research are good/important, but unless there is something exceptional within one of those, they are not going to make you particularly stand out since basically everyone does it. One of the biggest boosters to your application is to show leadership experience, and it can literally be in anything. Find something that you really enjoy - anything at all - and become a leader in it in some way. Plan and run a free soccer clinic for a week/weekend for under-served kids; start a side-gig of teaching art/piano/anything to elementary/middle school children; come up with a small business plan for the summer and go through the whole process of making it happen; just do something that shows leadership and initiative.
Good luck and have fun while you are at it!
In regards to other points, good MCAT scores get you past the first wave of immediate rejections, and every school will have their own cutoff, but they won't necessarily give you a ton more. Volunteer work, shadowing, and research are good/important, but unless there is something exceptional within one of those, they are not going to make you particularly stand out since basically everyone does it. One of the biggest boosters to your application is to show leadership experience, and it can literally be in anything. Find something that you really enjoy - anything at all - and become a leader in it in some way. Plan and run a free soccer clinic for a week/weekend for under-served kids; start a side-gig of teaching art/piano/anything to elementary/middle school children; come up with a small business plan for the summer and go through the whole process of making it happen; just do something that shows leadership and initiative.
Good luck and have fun while you are at it!