Would a major in neuroscience be good if i'm planning on going to medical school?

Question

Would it make my application stand out? What major would you recommend? I was thinking of doing a double major, maybe biology and psychology. I want to be a psychiatrist, so I want to study the brain as much as possible.

Answer 1

I wouldn't be concerned about 'standing out'.  AdComs aren't looking for stars.  They're looking for people with a purpose and it sounds like you have one.  As everyone will tell you, your overall GPA, your GPA in the prereqs and your MCAT score are what the AdComs look at in the first cull of applicants.  If your grades and score are high, they'll read the rest of your application.  A neuroscience major and an interest in psychiatry are consistent and logical, so they're going to look to your personal statement to flesh that out.  Your personal statement doesn't have to be your business plan for saving the world, but it does need to be well written, so I recommend going to the Princeton Review's web site and read their advice.

Psychology is known as the easiest degree to obtain, so it doesn't impress.  It will detract from the attention you can give to your other studies.  What you would cover in four years in undergrad will be covered in a few weeks in your residency program.

  

Answer 2

If you are good at neuroscience then yes. It doesn't matter what you study  so much. Your GPA is a little more important. Also from all the medical schools that I have spoken to, they don't mind what you take so long as you took the pre-req.s and did well in them.

In this time I would say if you find it fascinating then yes study it, if it is so so then no. They are looking over the same application basically everyday. Do what you find interesting now because when you get to medical school you don't have a lot of wiggle room for picking what you want to study.  

Answer 3

Neuroscience is one of the more intensive science majors, but If you want to get into medical school, you can major in ANYTHING as long as you take the required classes (which are mostly science classes, that's why most people do major in science).

If you are interested in neuroscience, then you should definitely major in it, but not because you think it will make your application stand out. A well-rounded student will stand out in the application - volunteering at a hospital, neuroscience research, etc. - and of course grades + MCAT scores.