E-Magazine: A Major Delima

A Major Dilemma 

This season marks the beginning of a journey towards becoming a healthcare professional for a large part of Georgia HOSA. For a lot of our members, this means applying to universities around the country. And if you’re already in college and a post-secondary chapter, now may be the time you start thinking about what degree you will pursue during your time as a college student. Even if you’re unsure of what to mark in the “intended major” space or you’re simply still figuring out what subject intrigues you the most, it’s relieving to know that your major does not have to follow the same trajectory as your career.

   If you’re aiming to go into a field such as nursing, it requires an associates degree or a bachelor’s degree (BSN) in which you’ll take classes that prepare you for nursing, specifically. But other careers, such as physical therapists, medical doctors, or doctors of osteopathic medicine, require degrees after your undergraduate. This leaves you with more freedom to pursue something you’re interested in and may not get the chance to learn in your professional studies (and a little disclaimer: I haven’t obtained an M.D. yet, but I believe that it’s the place where I have the most knowledge that I’d like to disseminate to all of Georgia HOSA). 

   An M.D. requires a 4-year bachelor’s degree in the United States with specific prerequisites met for the medical school you are considering. You also have to attend medical school for four years and pass the multiple USMLE levels. Aside from this, competitive applicants usually have strong GPAs and extracurriculars that hone in on their medical interests. All of this is to say that the road to becoming a healthcare professional is a long one. But nowhere do the requirements state a specific major you must take as an undergraduate student. Since going into the medical field will give you years of opportunities to take classes specifically for that career, your area of focus during college is really up to you. 

   And you might be thinking, “Well, why do so many pre-meds major in classes like biology?” This is mostly because biological sciences align well with the MCAT and prerequisites for medical school. But that doesn’t mean that these students are more likely to get accepted into medical school. The matriculation rate for biological sciences is lower than several other majors, proving that no major gives you an advantage over others. 

   So, it might seem like going to college is only to prepare you for more time in school if this is the path you’re looking to take. But as I’ve discussed, that’s not entirely true. You can choose to major in anything from political science or philosophy all the way to jazz studies or music theory as long as you meet the prerequisites for your graduate school. 

   If you scrolled down and didn’t catch anything else, read this: the most important thing you can do when applying for college or anything is to let your true self show. Don’t try to fit a mold of what other people did that worked in their case or what others tell you will work for you. Not only is it easier to write about yourself and what you did genuinely, but it also comes across more naturally. And this goes for admissions officers, interviewers, employers, or anyone trying to get a sense of who you are and why you did what you did!

https://blog.prepscholar.com/how-to-become-a-doctor https://www.ama-assn.org/residents-students/preparing-medical-school/which-undergrad-majors-are-best-med-school 

-Fabricio Pena Damoni 


Daphne DaleComment