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Choosing a Major
Undergraduate preparation for health science professional
schools
No specific major is required by health professional programs.
Preparation for health professional programs involves, first and
foremost, completion of certain required courses. Please note most
medical colleges do not accept AP credit to meet requirements. In
addition, most graduate programs require a specific writing course
such as Composition and Rhetoric, and Writing 2.
You can major in an undergraduate degree area provided that you
include required course work and do well in them.
Selecting a major only because it is believed that major will improve
the probability of professional school acceptance is not a wise
decision. Professional schools are looking at the overall quality
of performance and the range of undergraduate coursework. You should
major in what interests you. Most students, however, do major in
science since this ensures that there will be a great deal of overlap
between courses required for their major and those required for
the professional school of their choice. The major you choose is
irrelevant to the probability of your being accepted to a professional
school.
Based on 2007 national data for medical schools (as cited in the
Medical School Admissions Requirements, published by the Association
of American Medical Colleges), here is a sample of majors and their
acceptance rates.
Medical School applications and acceptance
rates as compared to college majors.
| Major |
Applied |
|
Accepted |
% of Total |
| Biological Sciences |
23,786 |
|
9.876 |
42.0% |
| Humanities |
1,499 |
|
725 |
48.3% |
| Math & Statistics |
371 |
|
112 |
36.0% |
| Physical Sciences |
4,798 |
|
2,291 |
48.0% |
| Social Sciences |
4,487 |
|
1,931 |
43.0% |
| Health Sciences |
1,122 |
|
355 |
32.0% |
| Other |
6,312 |
|
2,469 |
39.1% |
| All Applicants |
42,315 |
|
17,759 |
42.0 |
REQUIRED GRADES
Admissions committees look at both your overall GPA and your science
GPA. Your college academic record will be used to assess whether
you have the capability to perform at the level required to succeed
in the health professions.
(See acceptance data)
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