What Should I Study at Harvard to Boost My Med School Application?

[pharaoh]

I got accepted to Harvard
but I don't really know what kind of subject that I have to take to make my application for medical school looks superior.
Any advise?

 

[Cyrus]

You got into Harvard, congratulations!

If you want to do medicine I would major in biology. Also, since you are at harvard, you HAVE to minor in business or politics if possible. You will work with the best in the world, have guest speakers, and have classmates that are the whos-who of society. - It will be amazing.

Milk Harvard for all its worth!

 

[pharaoh]

I thought about majoring in bioscience and bioengineering (double), how about that is it good and worth it?

 

[Cyrus]

My advice is don't do what you think is going to make you look good; rather, do what you know you will enjoy and love for the next 4 years.

If you do something just to make you 'look good' for med school, you might be stuck in a major you hate, or don't really like.

What exactly is bioscience? I know in terms of bioengineering, Hopkins is one of the best in the world; I think harvard is around 20 in the country. But still, its Harvard. You will get so much more by going to Harvard that it easily makes up for rankings.

 

[pharaoh]

bioscience is life science (make it more simple), is dealing with the structure and behavior of living organisms
I got accepted into Hopkins also, but i chose Harvard because i got full scholarship, that's why. but I still prefer going to Hopkins (money is an issue).

 

[Cyrus]

Wow, that's great!

Keep your grades up, enjoy the full ride, and I am telling you, go to EVERY guest speaker that's on campus. You will get to see heads of state, top scientists from around the world, congressmen, top Ceo's. I think that will make up for not going to Hopkins.

Just soak it up while your there, its going to be amazing.

 

[Werg22]

Congrats. Are you an international student by any chance?

 

[oedipa maas]

I got accepted to Harvard
but I don't really know what kind of subject that I have to take to make my application for medical school looks superior.
Any advise?

Study a subject that interests you. I had a classmate who was accepted to med school with a BA in English literature.

As an aside, there are a number of things about your post that really alarm me. There are the forgivable spelling (advise = advice) and grammar (looks = look) errors, which are somewhat appalling given that you should be able to write and spell in order to get into Harvard.

But there is also the more problematic issue of the demanding attitude that comes across in your post. You ask "what kind of subject do I HAVE to take to make my application for medical school LOOK superior". First off, nobody is forcing you to study something. Moreover, there is no major that is going to guarantee or prevent your acceptance to medical school, so long as you have a few essential biology and chemistry courses. And finally, your goal is to make your "application LOOK superior"... but why aren't you instead asking "what can i study to help myself become a good doctor?" Quite frankly, your righteous attitude and your concern for the facade you present in your applications makes me think that you would be a very bad doctor.

 

[Mororvia]

Heh wow. The OP, likely just finished high school, probably doesn't know that you can major in anything you want and still get into medical school. Further, high school counselors and friends have probably have probably reinforced the belief that you have to make your application "look good" in order to get in somewhere. The same belief holds even for kids applying to undergrad schools. To be honest, you do have to sort of go above and beyond if you want to get into the school of your choice.

The things that matter when applying to medical school:
1) Overall GPA (ANY major. Like others have said, do what you like)
2) GPA in the required premed courses
3) MCAT scores
4) Something like volunteering at a local hospital to get a better idea of what medicine is like and also to show that you know what you're getting yourself in to.
5) Being able to write a good essay for your application and also interview well (assuming you make it that far in the process)

Not meaning to take people away from these forums, but you may be better off looking through the many MANY posts at www.studentdoctor.net . Its a dedicated forum for premed, med, resident, etc students.

Good luck

 

[nealh149]

This is a bit off-topic, but I was under the impression that Ivy League Schools do not give out merit scholarships (or athletic).

 

[pharaoh]

Congrats. Are you an international student by any chance?

Yes, I am an international student

Study a subject that interests you. I had a classmate who was accepted to med school with a BA in English literature.

As an aside, there are a number of things about your post that really alarm me. There are the forgivable spelling (advise = advice) and grammar (looks = look) errors, which are somewhat appalling given that you should be able to write and spell in order to get into Harvard.

But there is also the more problematic issue of the demanding attitude that comes across in your post. You ask "what kind of subject do I HAVE to take to make my application for medical school LOOK superior". First off, nobody is forcing you to study something. Moreover, there is no major that is going to guarantee or prevent your acceptance to medical school, so long as you have a few essential biology and chemistry courses. And finally, your goal is to make your "application LOOK superior"... but why aren't you instead asking "what can i study to help myself become a good doctor?" Quite frankly, your righteous attitude and your concern for the facade you present in your applications makes me think that you would be a very bad doctor.

You are right about my grammar, that's why I am going to take ESL (English as second language). I learned English by myself, from TV and books. Thats why my English still under development.

I said about the subject that I have to take is because in my country you have to take special subject to get into a medical school, so I thought its the same in USA.

This is a bit off-topic, but I was under the impression that Ivy League Schools do not give out merit scholarships (or athletic).

the scholarship that I got is from my government not from Harvard. I got it from the government because I am the top one in my country based on my grades. The government said that If I went to Johns Hopkins I will not get a full ride. I don't know why, but you can't refuse the full ride, can you?

Heh wow. The OP, likely just finished high school, probably doesn't know that you can major in anything you want and still get into medical school. Further, high school counselors and friends have probably have probably reinforced the belief that you have to make your application "look good" in order to get in somewhere. The same belief holds even for kids applying to undergrad schools. To be honest, you do have to sort of go above and beyond if you want to get into the school of your choice.

The things that matter when applying to medical school:
1) Overall GPA (ANY major. Like others have said, do what you like)
2) GPA in the required premed courses
3) MCAT scores
4) Something like volunteering at a local hospital to get a better idea of what medicine is like and also to show that you know what you're getting yourself in to.
5) Being able to write a good essay for your application and also interview well (assuming you make it that far in the process)

Not meaning to take people away from these forums, but you may be better off looking through the many MANY posts at www.studentdoctor.net . Its a dedicated forum for premed, med, resident, etc students.

Good luck

thanks that's really helped!

 

[Cyrus]

Which country are you from, and what are the terms of your scholarship. Are you required to stay in your country for x-years and work for the government after you graduate?

 

[JasonRox]

Which country are you from, and what are the terms of your scholarship. Are you required to stay in your country for x-years and work for the government after you graduate?

Yeah, I would hate to be obligated to stay somewhere.

 

[pharaoh]

I am from Japan, the terms of my scholarship is after I graduate and get my license, I have to go back and work in my country. but before that I have to work in USA and develop my ability, and learn from the experience. After that If I want to start my own researches I can work with Tokyo University.

I am not required to work with the government, I have the choice for the place that I want to work in. But I have to work for two years in my country (kind of showing my gratitude toward my country)

 

[ice109]

I am from Japan, the terms of my scholarship is after I graduate and get my license, I have to go back and work in my country. but before that I have to work in USA and develop my ability, and learn from the experience. After that If I want to start my own researches I can work with Tokyo University.

I am not required to work with the government, I have the choice for the place that I want to work in. But I have to work for two years in my country (kind of showing my gratitude toward my country)

you are the top student in your country or one of the top?

 

[JasonRox]

you are the top student in your country or one of the top?

And once he comes here, he will be the top student here.

 

[pharaoh]

you are the top student in your country or one of the top?

the top one, not one of the top.

 

[Cyrus]

Yeah, I would hate to be obligated to stay somewhere.

I wouldnt...not if they are paying me full ride to harvard.

-Sayonara

Mannnn, if I was from Japan and number 1 I would do Robotics. You would be making a truck load of money back home and in the best market in the world for robotics.

I've heard your culture is geared towards science and technology. How true is that? That must be nice.

 

[Cyrus]

Have you ever been to America pharaoh? It will be interesting to see your reaction between the two countries in terms of culture and technology.

Keep in mind, while at Harvard, you will be among the top of American society. So try if you can, to get away from campus and see the 'regular joe blow' to get a feel for American culture. The people at Harvard are not going to be your typical guy off the street. (though, your not the typical guy from Japan either, )


I saw a program on the news about some guys from the top school in India, (ITT-dehli?) that came to places like MIT and Harvard for graduate school. They said it was a joke for them compared to India. I take it they are much more serious about education in Japan than over here.

 

[ZapperZ]

Please keep the discussion ON TOPIC or this thread will be locked and some of you will be smacked with more infractions for hijacking a thread.

Zz.

 

[Moonbear]

pharaoh, as others have mentioned, you can choose any major you want and still be admitted to med school. There are still required pre-med courses you will need to take, and a lot of students will opt to major in one of the sciences because 1) it makes it easier to fit in all of the required pre-med courses, and 2) their interest in science is what draws them to medicine in the first place.

For example, some of the required courses will include:
2 semesters of general biology with lab
2 semesters of general chemistry with lab
2 semesters of general physics (can't recall if the lab is requires with that)
2 semesters of organic chemistry with lab

I think there was also a requirement for an expository writing course.

I would also recommend that whatever your requirements are, take a biochemistry and/or physiology course as an undergrad. These are junior/senior level courses usually, so you have time to decide on this, but it will make first year med school a lot easier if you've seen some of that material before. In the first year of med school, you will have huge amounts of information in courses thrown at you in a very short time, so anything you've seen before will help make it a little easier.

Other things that are important if you plan to apply to med schools eventually are to get some real experiences. Shadowing a physician is one of the better experiences you can get, and will really help you see if medicine really is what interests you. Gaining some experience in a research lab is also helpful...that's something you'd really have accessible at a place like Harvard where research is so much of their focus.

Med schools now fairly commonly accept students with non-science majors...but you HAVE to do well in the required science courses too. It gives the physicians more breadth of background, which is helpful when dealing with diverse patient populations. So, that means you really can choose whatever interests you most. This is also important in case you decide along the way that med school really isn't what you want to do. It is very common for students to enter college thinking they want to go to med school because they were good in biology in high school, and realize later that they really don't have that much interest in that area. Doing a major you enjoy means you still have a chance of employment in an area of your interest if you don't go to med school.

Does your scholarship require you to remain in a pre-med program? Or is it for any major you choose at Harvard? It would be a shame to be trapped in a path you don't enjoy if you discover something else you'd rather do while there.

Best of luck and congratulations on your scholarship and acceptance to Harvard.

 

[pharaoh]

pharaoh, as others have mentioned, you can choose any major you want and still be admitted to med school. There are still required pre-med courses you will need to take, and a lot of students will opt to major in one of the sciences because 1) it makes it easier to fit in all of the required pre-med courses, and 2) their interest in science is what draws them to medicine in the first place.

For example, some of the required courses will include:
2 semesters of general biology with lab
2 semesters of general chemistry with lab
2 semesters of general physics (can't recall if the lab is requires with that)
2 semesters of organic chemistry with lab

I think there was also a requirement for an expository writing course.

I would also recommend that whatever your requirements are, take a biochemistry and/or physiology course as an undergrad. These are junior/senior level courses usually, so you have time to decide on this, but it will make first year med school a lot easier if you've seen some of that material before. In the first year of med school, you will have huge amounts of information in courses thrown at you in a very short time, so anything you've seen before will help make it a little easier.

Other things that are important if you plan to apply to med schools eventually are to get some real experiences. Shadowing a physician is one of the better experiences you can get, and will really help you see if medicine really is what interests you. Gaining some experience in a research lab is also helpful...that's something you'd really have accessible at a place like Harvard where research is so much of their focus.

Med schools now fairly commonly accept students with non-science majors...but you HAVE to do well in the required science courses too. It gives the physicians more breadth of background, which is helpful when dealing with diverse patient populations. So, that means you really can choose whatever interests you most. This is also important in case you decide along the way that med school really isn't what you want to do. It is very common for students to enter college thinking they want to go to med school because they were good in biology in high school, and realize later that they really don't have that much interest in that area. Doing a major you enjoy means you still have a chance of employment in an area of your interest if you don't go to med school.

Does your scholarship require you to remain in a pre-med program? Or is it for any major you choose at Harvard? It would be a shame to be trapped in a path you don't enjoy if you discover something else you'd rather do while there.

Best of luck and congratulations on your scholarship and acceptance to Harvard.

thank you for the information, it really helped. The scholarship is for any major I want, I don't have to stick to something that I don't like. I love medicine.

Have you ever been to America pharaoh? It will be interesting to see your reaction between the two countries in terms of culture and technology.

Keep in mind, while at Harvard, you will be among the top of American society. So try if you can, to get away from campus and see the 'regular joe blow' to get a feel for American culture. The people at Harvard are not going to be your typical guy off the street. (though, your not the typical guy from Japan either, )


I saw a program on the news about some guys from the top school in India, (ITT-dehli?) that came to places like MIT and Harvard for graduate school. They said it was a joke for them compared to India. I take it they are much more serious about education in Japan than over here.

No I have not been in USA before, but somehow I imagine it as nice country. In Japan the high school is really tough, for example we have to take chemistry I, II, III, biology I, II, III, physics I, II, III, math I, II, III and Japanese language course. These are the subject you have to take every year (different level every year). But there is also courses of your own choice. The school hour is from 6 AM until 6 PM.

 

[Mandanesss]

Finally! Another pre-med student! Hi Pharoah! I'm a senior at a small liberal arts college and I'm also pre-med. My advice to you is to do whatever your heart desires, sounds cheesy, but that's really what it comes down to. Med schools want to see you passionate about something and they also want to see some experience in the medical field. They love diversity and probably prefer people whose major is outside of biology. I started out as a biology major thinking that it would be the best route towards medicine, but I thought it was very interesting, I couldn't handle the intense amounts of memorization. I'm now a math major with a bio minor and a chem minor and am doing well in all of my math courses and I think I have a good shot at getting into med school. Bottom line is to major in something that will pump up that GPA, because med schools have GPA cut-offs and you definitely want to make the cut. Also, here are the required courses for most medical schools:
1 year of General Chemistry (with lab)
1 year of Physics - Algebra or Calculus based (with lab)
1 year of Organic Chemistry (with lab)
1 year of General Biology (with lab)
1 semester of Calculus - although about 4 med schools in the U.S. require 1 year of Calculus
1 semester of Molecular Biology
1 semester of Biochemistry
1 year of English

I think they prefer some Spanish classes and they also like it when you take some Social Science courses.
Good luck!

 

[pharaoh]

Finally! Another pre-med student! Hi Pharoah! I'm a senior at a small liberal arts college and I'm also pre-med. My advice to you is to do whatever your heart desires, sounds cheesy, but that's really what it comes down to. Med schools want to see you passionate about something and they also want to see some experience in the medical field. They love diversity and probably prefer people whose major is outside of biology. I started out as a biology major thinking that it would be the best route towards medicine, but I thought it was very interesting, I couldn't handle the intense amounts of memorization. I'm now a math major with a bio minor and a chem minor and am doing well in all of my math courses and I think I have a good shot at getting into med school. Bottom line is to major in something that will pump up that GPA, because med schools have GPA cut-offs and you definitely want to make the cut. Also, here are the required courses for most medical schools:
1 year of General Chemistry (with lab)
1 year of Physics - Algebra or Calculus based (with lab)
1 year of Organic Chemistry (with lab)
1 year of General Biology (with lab)
1 semester of Calculus - although about 4 med schools in the U.S. require 1 year of Calculus
1 semester of Molecular Biology
1 semester of Biochemistry
1 year of English

I think they prefer some Spanish classes and they also like it when you take some Social Science courses.
Good luck!

thanks, but what do you mean by finally. Does USA lack pre-med student or the website lack pre-med, Just curious!

 

[JohnDuck]

thanks, but what do you mean by finally. Does USA lack pre-med student or the website lack pre-med, Just curious!

I think just the website. Pre-med (or at least students aspiring to med school) is one of the largest majors on many campuses, though many pre-meds end up becoming disillusioned art history majors instead.

 

[Mandanesss]

I meant this website. There are plenty of pre-med students to compete with in the U.S.

 

[pharaoh]

now I am relieved, you got me there. that's a good sign I want competition

 

[gravenewworld]

As someone who is applying for med school this cycle, I have done research for the past two years on what med schools are looking for, what you need to apply, etc.

1.) Major in anything you like. Adcoms don't care what you major in and will not be impressed what so ever with a double or even triple major. Just do well in 1 major.

2.) KILL THE MCATS. This is probably the most important step to med school.

3.) Volunteering is absolutely required. Med schools won't say it is, but in reality volunteering is essential. Shadow at least 1 doc or do volunteer work in a hospital.

4.) Do research. It will bolster your app.

5.) Make sure you get letters of recommendation only from professors that you know will write you a good letter.

6.) GETTING INTO MEDSCHOOL IS RIDICULOUSLY TOUGH AND EXPENSIVE! People get rejected all the time with 3.8-3.9 GPA and 30+ MCAT. Also, be prepared to spend at least $3000-$5000 on just the application process alone.

The whole application process is a crap shoot. Just take a look at a site like mdapps.com People who graduate from top institutions with 3.8 GPA and 34 MCAT have been rejected from medschools like Temple and Jefferson while people who have 3.6 GPA and 33 MCAT have been accepted to prestigious med schools like Vanderbilt, Virginia, UPenn, etc. The application process can be somewhat unpredictable.

www.studentdoctor.net is also a forum which is good sometimes for information, but the people that post on studentdoctor.net do not reflect reality much of the time.

Remember, when you apply to med school there are no "safety schools" to which you can apply. Getting into any medical school in this country is extremely difficult. Be sure to read the school's philosophy, student profile, etc. before you apply. Pick which schools you apply to very carefully.

Also, make sure you apply to every medical school in your state. That is a must. All states with medical schools give a huge preference to in state students who apply.

Also, think about taking sometime off after you graduate from college. Get some real world experience working, do some traveling, save some money, or volunteer even more. The average age of matriculants to medical school has been rising over the years and if I recall correctly, the average age of people who matriculate into medical school is now close to 24 years old. Med schools like more mature students who have gotten all the partying out of their system.

I am also very proud to say that according to AAMC's stats on med school matriculant data, we math majors have the highest rate of acceptance into medical school and also the highest averages on the MCAT. Just some food for thought.