Are you passionate about pursuing a career in medicine in order to fulfill your life-long dream of becoming a medical doctor? Are you worried you might not be getting the right information about that? You need not be worried anymore or confused about it as the article below brings you the latest and trusted information on political science pre med.

All you have to do is read on to get up to date and verified information on political science pre med, applying for medicine 2021, medical school entry requirements 2021, applying for medicine 2021 uk, graduate entry medicine, medicine entry requirements, medical school requirements, medicine admission & medicine course on Koboguide.

About Graduate Entry Medicine

Biology, chemistry, physics, math and English are required for all pre-med students, a majority of whom will pursue a science major out of convenience or interest. But some doctors-to-be buck this trend. These undergrads say choosing the B.A. over the B.S. is a trying, yet deeply rewarding, experience.

Mixing pre-med studies with a non-science major is not at all uncommon, as 38 to 40 percent of the pre-med population over the past four years did not pursue B.S. degrees, said Edward Miller, director of the health professions advisory program at Undergraduate Career Services. That figure was even greater in the 1980s, and Miller said he attributes the decline in the 1990s to the addition of a number of new science major programs. Non-science majors, he said, are accepted to medical school at the same rate as those who major in the sciences, and students who matriculate to Yale often do so because they want something more than a purely science-based education.

“If they wanted primarily a science degree, they would probably go to an institution that would allow them to take fewer non-science courses,” Miller said. “I think our science majors want a much broader education.”

Stephen Kappa ’07, a political science major, is in the process of completing pre-med requirements. The aspect of medicine that appealed to him most, Kappa said, was the doctor-patient interaction, which he said requires well-developed communication skills.

Even though his academic trajectory may elicit responses such as “I’ve never heard of that before” and “You’re crazy, why would you want to torture yourself like that?” from people in his hometown of Kingsport, Tenn., Kappa said he could not pass up an opportunity to study in Yale’s Political Science Department. Kappa, who said he might consider a career in politics, said the experiences and ideas garnered from his unconventional academic background could provide a valuable dimension to any medical class he joins.

“Exploring your academic interests is fine as a pre-med applicant,” he said. “It’s just as important having the cool dinner-time conversations outside of med-school classes and clinical rotations. That’s something else you can bring to the table, talking about the brilliant poli sci professor you had at Yale.”

One of the most crucial elements for successfully balancing being a pre-med with a major’s academic requirements is planning, said Meredith Williams ’06, a history major. She said summer coursework is pretty common, but not essential, among non-science-major premeds she knows.

“There is a lot to gain from not being a pure biology or chemistry major,” Williams said. “One thing you have to do is plan ahead to make sure you have all the sciences in and in sequence. It just takes a little more planning.”

The pre-med curriculum requires that students complete a minimum of approximately 12 courses by the summer after junior year, the time when students apply to medical school. A segment of the Yale online academic regulations entitled “Information for Premedical Students” states one position regarding choice of major as a pre-med.

“Many premedical students major in science, although this is by no means necessary,” according to the site. “Students who major outside the sciences, and take the minimum number of science courses required, must do very well to ensure adequate preparation for — and favorable consideration by — medical schools.”

This does not mean that pre-med non-science majors are at an inherent disadvantage, Miller said. He said since there are only a finite number of courses for pre-meds, lower grades in key courses can be more easily made up for by science majors, who can offset those grades in other courses. He said he advises non-science majors to demonstrate ability via additional coursework.

“Even then if a student gets a C in organic chemistry or general chemistry, I generally say, ‘Let’s follow it if you can with your regular curriculum. Take a biochemistry course, take some advanced-level courses to show them that you can do this,’” Miller said.

Marta Herschkopf ’06, a religious studies major, said she made the decision to become pre-med after she came to Yale. But she said she knew when she left high school that even if she eventually became pre-med, she would be a non-science major in order to be exposed to a variety of fields in college.

“It was very important for me to pursue a wide range of different subjects while I was at school,” she said. “The Religious Studies Department offered me a lot of flexibility in choosing courses outside of the department to fulfill my major requirements.”

The main criterion for admission to Yale University School of Medicine is excelling in any field rather than a particular field, School of Medicine Dean Robert Alpern said.

“The medical school’s admissions committee doesn’t care what you majored in as long as you did very well in whatever subject it was,” he said.

The admissions process at other major medical schools does not favor applicants who are science majors either. In the final analysis, a science and non-science major applicant to Hopkins have comparable chances of admission, Dr. David Nichols ’73, vice dean for education at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, wrote in an e-mail.

“All things being equal, I would predict that for example a poet, who has published his or her work, won prizes in juried competitions and done well enough in the pre-requisite courses and MCATs that we think he or she will be able to master our curriculum, is more likely to get admitted than a biochemistry major whose only evidence of excellence is good grades in college courses and high MCAT science scores,” Nichols wrote.

The dedication that being a pre-med student requires is unmistakable at certain defining moments of your academic experience, Kappa said.

“1:30 a.m., cramming for that organic chemistry test. You damn well better be passionate about what you’re doing,” he said.

If your answer wasn’t immediately biology or chemistry, you must not actually be pre-med…right?

For a long time, the hard sciences route seemed to be the only option if you wanted to get into medical school. However, times are definitely changing! The traditional pre-med is looking increasingly non-traditional these days, so picking something completely different could actually be your best bet.

In a sea of biology and chemistry majors, differentiating your medical school application from the thousands of others is crucial. Spoiler alert, though: you’ll still have to take those science courses you’re worried about.

But this begs the question: if not biology or chemistry, what major should a pre-med choose? As a senior cultural anthropology major at Duke, I once faced a similar question.

If you’re headed to medical school like I am, college will likely be the only time to pursue academic interests outside of the hard sciences. Such pursuits can offer valuable insight about humanity that physics or chemistry cannot. The social sciences in particular, with their emphasis on the inner-workings of humanity from a macroscopic perspective, provide real-world knowledge applicable to the medical profession.

In a sea of biology and chemistry majors, differentiating your medical school application from the thousands of others is crucial. This begs the question: if not biology or chemistry, what major should a pre-med choose?

Medical School Requirements

Okay, so what exactly are the social sciences?
The social sciences can include, but are not limited to majors such as: anthropology, history, archaeology, communication studies, economics, music, human geography, public health, linguistics, political science, psychology, and sociology. If you’re thinking “well, that opens up a world of opportunity!” you’d be right. You can pretty much study anything and still find a way to call yourself a pre-med. (Remember, at most schools, “pre-med” is not a major in and of itself, but rather a category you fall into by aiming to complete a series of required courses.)

Before we jump in, we should note that the AAMC (American Association of Medical Colleges) arguably endorsed the study of the social sciences in 2015 by deciding to incorporate a new Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior section into the MCAT. The AAMC stresses that the new section “emphasizes concepts that tomorrow’s doctors need to know in order to serve an increasingly diverse population and have a clear understanding of the impact of behavior on health.”

If you are intrigued by the possibility of extending your studies beyond the natural sciences, I will present two benefits and one drawback of majoring in the social sciences as a pre-med.

I will also debunk one common myth: majoring in a social science will lead to a lower MCAT score.

After reading, you will be better equipped to make the best major decision for yourself.

Benefit #1: A social science major explores human interactions that directly affect health and wellness.
In my experience as a current senior and medical school applicant, my major in cultural anthropology provided me with perspective that I would not have gained in a hard science discipline.

For example, I have been challenged to think critically about many medically-related topics, such how socioeconomic status and social capital have power to affect health outcomes. I also have a deeper understanding of topics like the power of illness narratives, the role of gender in medical students’ attitudes about reproductive health, and the value of alternative medicine approaches. This information will not only be useful in my medical career, but is also represented as a sub-topic in the Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior section of the current MCAT.

I venture to say that I would not have been exposed to these ideas if I had majored in a hard science.
Studying anthropology offered me the chance to juxtapose the value of personal, lived experiences, including those that relate to health and healing, to the somewhat colder generalizations of biology, chemistry and the like.

In my immunology course, I learned how HIV antibodies bind and report presence of the virus via enzyme mechanism in an ELISA test. However, an anthropology course prompted me to consider the possible emotional consequences that a socioeconomically disadvantaged patient might feel upon learning that this same ELISA test was positive.

Both approaches bring value to the medical field, but learning to integrate them will assist in solving medical problems in which social considerations are just as important as the science behind them.

In a more practical sense, taking pre-medical coursework alongside my social science courses kept me engaged as I switched between different modes of inquiry throughout the school day and in study sessions. Studying organic chemistry for an entire weekend was not as daunting or exhausting for my brain if I could break up my time with engaging anthropology readings that were more likely to prompt self-reflection.

Studying anthropology offered me the chance to juxtapose the value of personal, lived experiences, including those that relate to health and healing, to the somewhat colder generalizations of biology, chemistry and the like.
Benefit #2: Pursuing a social science major as a pre-med provides a chance to stand out in the medical school application process.
In 2017, the AAMC reported that 63.8% of all medical school applicants majored in the biological and physical sciences. Grooming one’s med school application should not be the primary reason for choosing a major. However, if you are genuinely interested in a non-science field, consider the richness that a social science major could bring to personal statements and interviews.

In my own medical school interviews, I have impressed interviewers with how my major augmented my pre-medical preparation.
For example, studying anthropology allowed me to teach a seminar on the anthropology of HIV and AIDS and influenced my decision to study medical anthropology for a semester in India, South Africa, and Brazil.

Graduate Entry Medicine

These experiences not only provided me with expanded health-related insight for my own benefit, but gave me a broad base of experience that I could share with interviewers. Thus, interest in a field that can lead to health-related volunteering or clinical experience can be a surefire way to show dimension and diversity in one’s application.

Myth: Majoring in a social science will lead to a lower MCAT Score.
Many pre-meds believe that devoting considerable time and coursework to the social sciences will negatively affect their performance in the natural sciences. This misconception is simple, yet flawed.

In 2017, social science students actually had a higher MCAT score average than the biological science major.
Data from the AAMC (American Association of Medical Colleges) indicate that both applicants and matriculants majoring in social sciences boasted comparable, even slightly higher, mean MCAT scores than biological science majors did in 2017. Biological science major applicants averaged 504.5 on the exam while social science applicants averaged 505.0. Among matriculants, biological science majors averaged 510.1 compared to a social science average of 510.8.

While numerical differences are slight, these statistics suggest that pursuing a non-science major does not necessarily equate worse performance in the critical scientific thinking required in the MCAT exam. Rather, the integration of social science and natural science could even aid in one’s development of problem solving skills that apply to both standardized testing and to later medical training.

Many pre-meds believe that devoting considerable time and coursework to the social sciences will negatively affect their performance in the natural sciences. This misconception is simple, yet flawed.

The possibility of earning high grades may also be greater in social science courses than in natural science classes, as the curves on the former exams are generally less harsh than those on the latter. Additionally, social science grades frequently focus more heavily on class participation and writing. While a GPA boost should not be one’s primary motivator in choosing a major, the chance to earn grades that do not depend on other classmates’ performance should be attractive to many pre-meds.

What about admissions statistics? Data from Table A-17 show that 41.6% of natural science major applicants were accepted to medical school in the 2017-2018 cycle compared to 41.3% of social science major applicants. Such data further debunk the common myth that devoting time to study outside the natural sciences detracts from one’s application.

Drawback: Majoring in a social science adds extra requirements to your coursework.
Although my cultural anthropology major has positively shaped my pre-med journey, one downside is that social science oriented pre-meds can expect to be delayed in finishing their required coursework. In fact, I am still completing major-related coursework in my last semester of college, since I focused on finishing my pre-med requirements first.

Furthermore, if you choose a non-natural science major and plan to pursue a research job after graduation, consider this: some post-graduate laboratory research labs stipulate that applicants major in the biological sciences. However, even if you do not engage in laboratory work as part of a major related course, you can still gain experience through your pre-med prerequisites. Personally, I believe that this lab experience would suffice to some employers.