5 answers
erika
Student
Elyria, Ohio
1
Question
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Which major is more beneficial if I want to be a neurologist, biology or health sciences?
I'm currently a senior in high school and I plan on doing community college with a 4 year college partnership after high school and the college I am interested in doing the partnership with offers either biology or health sciences for a bachelor in pre-med. After doing my 2 years at the community college (with the partnership) I plan on transferring to a 4 year college and getting a doctorate. So I just was wondering which area would be more beneficial if I want to go into the neuroscience field.
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5 answers
Mary Jane Shroyer
Director of Health Professions Career Community
116
Answers
Grinnell, Iowa
Updated
Mary Jane’s Answer
Hi Erika! As Dr. Adler notes, there is no specific major required for medical school. However, looking at the AAMC's data on applicants to medical school over the last 10 years or so, students who major in the health sciences tend to have lower MCAT scores and admission rates. My institution does not have a health science track, so I can only speculate as to why that might be the case. Perhaps those students don't have room in their schedules to take upper-level biology and chemistry courses that would help them perform well on the MCAT or it could be that they assume their major is so impressive that they don't do as much work on gaining experiences off campus. There are probably a number of factors at play but if you have no preference between the two, I'd probably recommend you go the biology track.
Whatever you decide, definitely meet with the premedical or prehealth advisor on your campus to make a plan to complete all the prerequisite courses you need for medical school and talk through the types of experiences you should be doing to gain the competencies necessary to be successful. Good luck!
Whatever you decide, definitely meet with the premedical or prehealth advisor on your campus to make a plan to complete all the prerequisite courses you need for medical school and talk through the types of experiences you should be doing to gain the competencies necessary to be successful. Good luck!
Aditi Kannan
Management Consulting
26
Answers
Jersey City, New Jersey
Updated
Aditi’s Answer
Hey Erika, you've already got some great answers here, so I'll defer to them in terms of the requirements for your future. I will add - if you find that two or more majors fulfill all the specific requirements equally, take the one you feel you love more. Use online free services like coursera to 'test' a few classes and see what topics you care about. I picked a major I *thought* would be perfect for my career, and ended up hating it. I switched to another one (neuro, actually!) and even the hard parts of it were enjoyable!
Scott Adler
Physician (recently retired)
32
Answers
Langhorne, Pennsylvania
Updated
Scott’s Answer
Hi Erika. I am a recently retired internist, a general medical doctor for adults. There is no specific major required for acceptance to medical school, only required courses. Most medical schools require one year each of biology, physics, chemistry, and organic chemistry with laboratories. You can take many biology and health science courses even if you choose another major. Good luck in your journey. Being a doctor is a wonderful and meaningful career and it is an exciting time to be in neurology as our understanding of the brain expands and leads to new treatments for previously untreatable diseases.
Thank you, this is really helpful.
erika
James Constantine Frangos
Consultant Dietitian & Software Developer since 1972 => Nutrition Education => Health & Longevity => Self-Actualization.
6183
Answers
Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Updated
James Constantine’s Answer
Hi Erica!
I'm thrilled to lend a hand with your query. If you're setting your sights on a career in neurology, both biology and health sciences are great stepping stones. But if I had to pick one, I'd nudge you towards biology for a few key reasons.
To start with, biology lays a solid foundation for aspiring pre-med students. It gives you a thorough grasp of the biological sciences, like human anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry. These are crucial building blocks for neurology. On the other hand, health sciences is more of a hands-on major that zooms in on the healthcare system and healthcare management. While it's useful, it might not give you the same deep dive into the fundamentals of neurology.
Next, biology is a versatile major that opens up a broad spectrum of career paths. You could end up in neurology, but you could also find yourself in research, education, or industry. Health sciences, while valuable, is a bit more specialized and might narrow down your career choices after you graduate.
Another point to consider is that many medical schools look for applicants with a bachelor's degree in a science-related field like biology, chemistry, or physics. By choosing biology, you're ticking that box and boosting your chances of getting into med school.
When it comes to specific courses, both biology and health sciences cover similar ground like anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry. But biology might take you deeper into these subjects and offer more elective courses. This gives you the chance to shape your education according to your interests and career aspirations.
So, while both biology and health sciences have their perks for pre-med students, I'd say biology has the edge for future neurologists. It gives you a more thorough understanding of the biological sciences, offers more flexibility, and paves the way for a wider range of career opportunities.
To back up my suggestions, here are three authoritative reference titles that you might find useful:
1. "The Official Guide to Medical School Admissions" by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)
2. "The Premed Playbook: Guide to the Interview, Clinical Experience, and the Medical School Application Process" by the American Medical Association (AMA)
3. "The Biology Major: A Guide to the Field" by the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS)
I hope this helps you make an informed decision, Erica!
Take care and God bless,
James.
I'm thrilled to lend a hand with your query. If you're setting your sights on a career in neurology, both biology and health sciences are great stepping stones. But if I had to pick one, I'd nudge you towards biology for a few key reasons.
To start with, biology lays a solid foundation for aspiring pre-med students. It gives you a thorough grasp of the biological sciences, like human anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry. These are crucial building blocks for neurology. On the other hand, health sciences is more of a hands-on major that zooms in on the healthcare system and healthcare management. While it's useful, it might not give you the same deep dive into the fundamentals of neurology.
Next, biology is a versatile major that opens up a broad spectrum of career paths. You could end up in neurology, but you could also find yourself in research, education, or industry. Health sciences, while valuable, is a bit more specialized and might narrow down your career choices after you graduate.
Another point to consider is that many medical schools look for applicants with a bachelor's degree in a science-related field like biology, chemistry, or physics. By choosing biology, you're ticking that box and boosting your chances of getting into med school.
When it comes to specific courses, both biology and health sciences cover similar ground like anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry. But biology might take you deeper into these subjects and offer more elective courses. This gives you the chance to shape your education according to your interests and career aspirations.
So, while both biology and health sciences have their perks for pre-med students, I'd say biology has the edge for future neurologists. It gives you a more thorough understanding of the biological sciences, offers more flexibility, and paves the way for a wider range of career opportunities.
To back up my suggestions, here are three authoritative reference titles that you might find useful:
1. "The Official Guide to Medical School Admissions" by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)
2. "The Premed Playbook: Guide to the Interview, Clinical Experience, and the Medical School Application Process" by the American Medical Association (AMA)
3. "The Biology Major: A Guide to the Field" by the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS)
I hope this helps you make an informed decision, Erica!
Take care and God bless,
James.
Thank you for taking the time to write this, it was super helpful!
erika
bill Bill Latter
chiropractor
59
Answers
Las Vegas, Nevada
Updated
bill’s Answer
Biology, chemistry, and any other sciences that catch your interest can be beneficial. Though they may not seem essential, they can provide useful knowledge. If available, anatomy is a great starting point. Basic math can also be advantageous, particularly in chemistry. There's no need for advanced subjects like calculus, just a solid understanding of simple math can go a long way.
Thank you so much, bill!
erika