Should I major in Biology or in Biochemistry?

Question

Which looks better for med school? Isn't better to major in biochem because it's half bio and half chem and it's a bit more challenging then Biology major? Plus there are too many Biology major out there? What major do you recommend for med school, Biology or Biochemistry major?

Answer 1

Neither. You major in premed. If your college doesn't have a premed curriculum, contact the med schools you are interested in and ask about what coursework they require as a premed core. Make sure you take all those courses while working on your undergrad degree.

However, biology and biochemistry do not increase your chances at med school. To be blunt, minority status is the most sought after thing for getting into med school (which is racist and something that should be illegal). After that, your MCAT score is most important. These should be as high as possible and you should start working with the various programs designed to coach you on the MCATs this year. It is a 4 year undertaking to get a good score and you should know beforehand almost exactly what you are going to get on these because you've taken dozens of practice tests over the last 3 to 4 years. Then there are your grades. They better be mostly A's. If you aren't up to this, then you might as well not bother.

Major. Understand that most people who seek entrance into med school do not get in. Further, biology and biochemistry are no help with this whatsoever. Lastly, biology is a dead end degree. As in no real career prospects. Biochemistry is a little better but chemists of all stripes don't make much money, even if they get a masters.

What you want is a nice engineering degree to fall back on. If your grades are decent, getting into a masters level engineering program is no big deal. And engineers are some of the highest paid occupations, especially on the master's level. The two best types are electrical engineering and chemical engineering. Chemical engineering has the advantage of overlapping somewhat with your premed core.

So, here is what to do. Take a major of chemical engineering. Start work immediately on the various training courses (pay money for a professional course, not a cheap book from the bookstore) designed to get you a high MCAT score.

When you are a junior, gather together all the material you need for TWO career paths. First, decide which med schools you will apply to. Second, choose several good master's level chemical engineering programs. In your senior year, take your MCATs and apply to all those programs. Where you get accepted will steer you where you go next.

One last word of advice. Although the medical field is exploding, managed care and corruption have made it hell being a doctor. Only the best of the best get into a specialty. This is your goal in med school. To do well enough that you get accepted into a highly paid specialty program....example, anesthesiology. The easiest one to get into (but the lowest paid) is gynecology. The majority of docs are unable to do this. Their fate is to slave away as general practitioners with long hours and low pay working for an HMO. Master's level chemical engineers make much more than that and work far less.

What I am getting at here is there is a high degree of probability that, upon learning what you are getting yourself into, you no longer want to go to med school. That's the other reason for the fall back position with your major.

Answer 2

i'd be biased as someone with a level in biochemistry, yet i imagine it really is a more effective useful direction for medical college. In a ordinary curriculum, you're going to commence with some thing like biochemistry and anatomy, and it truly is particularly a lot less rigidity in case you comprehend an excellent type of the biochemistry (a medical college direction may be somewhat diverse in content than an undergraduate direction although). Then, biochemistry is basically significant to understanding an excellent type of the necessary sciences taught in medical college. it really is a huge portion of microbiology and of pharmacology, as an example. And sure, you've somewhat more effective useful occupation options with a biochemistry degree. in case you wanted to flow to grad college in a biomedical technological information, you'll have a leg up contained in the appliance procedure besides as in understanding the first three hundred and sixty 5 days's curriculum. in case you wanted to in consumer-friendly words go artwork in a lab, the jobs are at medical colleges or pharmaceutical organizations, the position biochemistry is more effective significant than ecology or inspite of else you're taught as a biology significant.

Answer 3

For med school I would recommend an English or a History major. Those have the highest acceptance rates.

As for preparation, I would go with Biochem.

Answer 4

If you have interest in both fields then you should major in Biochemistry, but do know that there are much more to biechemistry than for medical resources.
Good luck

Answer 5

Biochemistry -- Doctorate
Other than teaching and other people's lab work, you can't do much with a Bachelors or a Masters (many programs put you from bachelors straight into doctorate studies).

Biology is quite limiting depending on your field of study.
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Answer 6

It does not matter all that much for Med School.
You could be a history or philosophy major and potentially be *much* more attractive due to your humanistic background.

Here is a real-life look at what a major US medical school expects and wants:
http://www.medicine.uiowa.edu/Osac/admissions/Apply/apply_reqs.htm



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