major can fill out a med school application, then flip a coin to determine whether or not to send it in:
heads, they're accepted; tails, they're not. The rest have to take their chances with even more unreliable
probabilities.
Granted, there are far more science majors applying to med school than humanities majors, on the
order of 14:1. And science majors do get into medical school in total higher numbers. But percentages
are more important in this case because percentages determine chances.
Think of it this way. Imagine you are a med school admissions dean with 5,000 applications sitting in
front of you. As you go through them, one by one, a pattern develops-one that paints a picture of the
standard premed applicant, over and over and over again. An admissions dean usually asks two
questions when considering each applicant: Is this person qualified for acceptance? Will this person add
something interesting to the class?
Lest any of you really think that an admissions dean looks forward to admitting a class of 125 biology
majors with 4.0 GPAs, think again. A medical school class is determined to be diverse and vibrant, made
up of students with assorted experiences, interests and skills. By presenting the standard application-
one that says, "I'm average and usual! Pick me!"-you effectively hamper the school's efforts to select a
diverse class.
Now imagine running across an applicant with a major in history or philosophy. Most likely, you will
immediately transfer that applicant's name to memory and take a decidedly curious interest in that
application. This is what happens with admissions deans, and this explains why humanities majors have
a higher chance of admission.
On another note, with regards to the idea that studying the sciences may help prepare you for the
medical school curriculum, there is no added value to maximizing your science intake as an
undergraduate. If it were the case, medical schools would probably encourage you to bone up as much
as possible before starting school so that you don't fail out. They should also offer advanced placement
credit for those advanced-level science courses that some undergraduates crave. But they don't, and the
reason is that medical schools want you to be a well-developed student with a well-rounded education.
The courses in medical school are far more difficult than any undergraduate-level offering. Take one
look at any medical school class preparing for final exams and you will see students with honors degrees
in biochemistry struggling alongside the history majors.
So, no point in fortifying your science knowledge at the expense of your other vast collegiate
opportunities. In fact, studies have shown that students of science and humanities majors do equally
well in medical school and beyond. The basic minimum requirements for medical school admission is
one year of biology, one year of chemistry, one year of organic chemistry and one year of physics. That's
it, and that's all you need. Some medical schools may require a year of mathematics or English, but
those are typically required in any undergraduate curriculum such that you'd be hard pressed to
graduate without them.
So what does this mean to you? If you're at all interested in the humanities, then study them in college.
Select one as your major, and do well in those classes. Take the minimum science requirements and
apply to medical school. There is no compelling reason for you to jettison your personal interests for