If I become a zoology major could that also prepare me for med-school?
I wanted to study human anatomy and physiology, organ systems and the only major I saw that incorporated that is zoology and i wouldn’t mind having to study mammals in a broad aspect but other animals maybe. Oh, I wanted to be a heart surgeon or cardiologist, just though I throw that in there.
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There are basically 3 ways to go for medical school admission. One is to major in "pre-med". Unfortunately this curriculum historically is "watered down" in the sense of easier coursework to get a higher GPA to help get admitted to med-school. The positive side of pre-med is there are more exposures to clinical settings but I assure you this is not needed to be a good doctor nor succeed in med-school. Some med schools frown on pre learned bad habits and perceptions learned in pre-med curriculums. The second choice is the most challenging and hardest BUT gives you an edge over the average med student and makes the pre clinical part of med school relatively easy. This option is to MAJOR in BIOLOGY(or a biological discipline) and minor in a physical science(preferably chemistry). I majored in Vertebrate Zoology and minored in Chemistry. The "core" requirements for med school admission(may have changed) are Biology, Embryology, Microbiology,Anatomy(either Human OR Comparative Vertebrate), Physiology, a year of inorganic chem with lab, and a year of organic chem with lab. The benefits of this option are phenomenal! You will truly LEARN your basic sciences which will make you a better doctor! I always recommend to students NOT to major in a microscopic form of biology(like cytology) or biochemistry for a very good reason! It’s harder to look up from a microscopic point of view and training than it is to look down from an organism level of training. The students trained microscopically had a harder time in med school and typically did worse especially in the clinical years. The third option is to take a totally unrelated major and take as many "core" courses as possible. Some med schools admit about 5-10% of this type(but they must be relative geniuses) to help keep a "humanities" balance in the class.
The rarer 4th option is to enter a "special" program where you enter the university as a "preselected" medical school student. If selected, and this is highly competetive and difficult to get accepted even harder than med school admission, you still must prove yourself. You would take a "pre-med" curriculum for two years which are the basisc medical school entrance requirements and then become a medical student. After completion of medical school, most programs will award you a combined BS-MD degree. A list of 36 combination programs can be found at the site of the Association of American Medical Colleges. However, not all programs are provided in that list. For example, Brooklyn College has a BA/MD program with Downstate College of Medicine of State University of New York. Also, the University of Missouri Kansas City has a BA/MD program as does Penn State with Jefferson Medical College.
Some important hints! Remember application processes are a year ahead so you must stick to a time schedule as not to miss deadlines. Take the MCAT when you think you can do well and I recommend a Kaplan review course or something similar as the score on that exam is quite important. Apply to as many med schools as you can afford to in the AMCAS application. Be prepared for rejection but if you don’t give up and have good grades, you WILL get in. Try to make yourself known at the medical school you want to go to so that you are not just a number on an application. This can be done by volunteer work at the medical center or a part time job. If the teaching doctors get to know you, they can be of great help in the admissions process. Otherwise, you just need the funds and determination! NEVER GIVE UP!
Good luck and become the BEST doctor you can be!
That would be fine. You can actually major in anything as long as you finish the necessary prerequisites for medical school.