What do I need to major when I get my undergraduate degree?

Question

Okay, so, I am a junior in high school. I'm looking into colleges and everything now, that way i have an idea of where I want to go. I want to be a forensic pathologist. I understand I will have to go to lots of school and all that, but I have no idea where to start the whole process of looking into colleges. What do I need to major in as an undergrad that way medical schools will accept me? Any help would be fantastic. Also, when I am researching colleges, what do I need to look for? Like what sciences etc? Please help!

Answer 1

http://www.education.com

       -good   luck,.  bye,.,

Answer 2

If you want to be a doctor, you need to major in life sciences, namely biology or chemistry.

Answer 3

I HIGHLY recommend going to princetonreview.com and creating an account (totally free and fast). Take the "Counselor-O-Matic" test, and it will match you up with your perfect schools.

You absolutely don't have to major in a science to get into medical schools. The admissions committees want you to be unique; they want you to study what you're passionate about and do it well. As long as you meet the requirements for medical schools (I believe it is 2 years of chemistry..don't remember the others) and get good scores on your MCATS, then you have a shot! Your college counselor will be able to get you in the right classes for your future career while still letting study your passion.

If you absolutely love science and want to study it, then I would recommend chemistry or biochemistry. Medical school involves A LOT of chemistry...biochemistry exposes you to inorganic chemistry, a tough area that most regular chem majors don't get to see until they get to med school. They will be jealous you've already learned it!

Or anatomy/physiology. The only reason I won't recommend biology is because it so greatly involves animals and plants. You will still take bio classes in college anyways.

Good luck! I hope this helps! Again, check out princetonreview.com

Answer 4

I would suggest looking into the sciences. I would start your search by making a list of what you want from a college/university. Do you want to go to a large school or a smaller school? Does class size matter? Make a list then you can narrow you search down by the basics. Once you've done that,you can look into their programs and degree options. You can always call or email them as well to find out what kind of pre-med, biology or other science programs they offer that will help you in your field of study. Good luck!!

Answer 5

You need to go into either a biology program or a pre-med program.  Choose a university over a college so that you will be able to do research for professors.  You need to make good contacts in your undergrad so they can help you get into graduate school.  Choose a school that has very strong sciences, specifically biology.  You can tell a good school because they will offer programs in many sub-disciplines of biology, such as microbiology, virology, biochemistry, etc.  Also look at their graduate programs.  A school with a good pathology graduate program may offer something another school wouldn't have.  You can also ask your school guidance counselor what advice they may have.  You can ask them to help you get in contact with a forensic pathologist in your area whom you can ask questions and perhaps even do an internship with.

Answer 6

If med school is your goal, you need to get into an academically strong university or college. I'd want you to go to a school that's in the top 150 or so in the US. So while it needn't be Harvard, it should at least be UMass Amherst.

With any school you look at, ask them what percentage of their med school applicants get into US med schools. This can be a telling statistic.

You can major in anything you'd like, if med school is your goal. You don't have to major in any specific subject. So long as you keep your GPA very high, and do well on the MCAT, and take all the courses required by med schools, and do the health related volunteer work/physician shadowing, you can major in English if you want to. Or you can major in bio, if you like that. But you don't *have* to major in science. The one thing you should do is pick a major that you like, because you need to do very well in your classes in order to keep med school as a possibility.

Most med schools have a certain set of classes that you must take while you're getting your bachelors. Here's an example:

Biology (with lab) 2 semesters

General Chemistry (with lab) 2 semesters

Organic Chemistry (with lab) 2 semesters

General Physics (with lab) 2 semesters

College Mathematics 2 semesters

English 2 semesters

Some med schools specifically want you to have taken Calculus, while others will be okay with any college level math. You can talk to the pre-med advisor at your college, and that person will guide you in terms of course selection and etc.