Your college major search isn't as hard as most premeds believe and when calculating grades your major can influence your overall grade point average.

You are going to put a lot of thought into choosing a major, but don't let it overwhelm you. Some of you may arrive at school never having to decide on a major because you already know what academic area you want to pursue.

While others will be completely clueless about their choice of a major, but as a pre-med I have advice:

Choose a course of study you enjoy and will be motivated to excel in!

Nowadays medical school admissions officers are not solely interested in the applicant who only studied science. Medicine demands physicians who are well-rounded, intelligent, and who engaged in a diverse array of academics and extracurricular activities.

At no point should you feel pressured to choose a science or math discipline because you believe it will give you a better chance at getting into medical school.

Every major is fair-game while in undergrad, but the caveat is you must still complete the four courses required for medical school entry.

Benefits of Non-Science College Major Search

During my undergrad career I majored in political science because it was a subject I enjoyed and was motivated to learn. Even, as a premed I was never concerned about how my non-science major would impact my chances for getting into medical school.

Did you know?

Some would argue that majoring outside of the sciences has its advantages.

For instance, all the premeds majoring in science only had science courses to study and we all know it is easy to lose your focus here. But for me, if I got bored with science I could always switch to my political science material.

This provided a break from completing problem sets or memorizing equations and formulas.

When conducting you college major search I want you to remember that you have the rest of your life to dedicate to science, so college is the perfect time to explore subjects which you otherwise would never have the opportunity to study.

Here's a quote from Northwestern University, which is applicable to your school too:

"to take only courses that you need for medical school, plus ones you think will enhance your chances of admission, and to postpone to some other day the pursuit of your real interests, is to cheat yourself of much that Northwestern University has to offer."

Your medical school application may prove unsuccessful but I'm optimistic this won' t be the case for you. While others may find medicine is no longer of interest so it is important to choose a major that can lead to alternative careers.

Hence, pursuing a course of study you find exciting, motivating, and interesting will serve you well in any endeavor.

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