[yanilette]

Ok so this is my question what am I supposed to major in at college if I want to be an obstetrician/gynecologist??

[tickle]

MEDICINE would be a good bet for a major, don't you think ! Cause if you want to be an OBGYN then you sort of have to start at the bottom and work you way up to a specialty.

[Matt3046]

Don't you have a faculty advisor?

[igottogonow]

My daughter had the same problem, it is not uncommon. Talk to your advisor but remember you are not locked into any major until later in your college life. Adjusting to college life is hard enough with all the distractions so don't make it harder at the start. Get close on you major and polish up your program as time goes on. Have fun but focus on what you really want to do or be when you get out. My daughter started in a major changed three times, graduated 12/06 and joined the US Coast Guard. She is now in boot camp. She has really made some great life choices. Oh, she plans to be a Doctor (4 years to decide). Lots of luck.

[shygrneyzs]

Here is an article on "How To Become A Doctor"
Howstuffworks "How Becoming a Doctor Works"

Also an article on taking a realistic look at yourself to see if you have what it takes to become a Doctor:
A Tough Decision - The Process of Becoming a Doctor

The last article on basic requirements and fields of study:
Doctor

[igottogonow]

Ok so this is my question what am i supposed to major in at college if i want to be an obstetrician/gynecologist???????

Try Biology for your degree this opens up many options in the medical field.

[deedee06]

Honestly you can major in anything for that... this is because you have to go to Medical school and to get into med school all you need is a bachelors degree and a few specific classes... do a Google search to find a med school and see what their requirements are.

That said a biology or a chemistry degree would help you in the long run. Then there is med school after that. SO be ready for lots of studying and eight years of school at least.

[igottogonow]

It's not as easy as get a BA and a few classes. You have to have a GPA close to 3.0 and take an entrance exam, I'm not sure what its called, it is required to get into medical school. Then there is the wait list. It is a lot of work but the rewards are great both financial and personnel. Biology is a degree an RN has to have, it covers chemistry and other requirements.

[Tuscany]

Look into colleges that offer Pre Med as a major. Then you can progress on and go into medical school before you do your internship and residency. My brother in law is doing his residency now, and wow what a long road he has had. Be sure to get good grades and perform well on the tests. The road is a long one, but the payoff is great.

Also, if you major in pre med and then decide that it is not for you, you can easily change you major to bio or chem for example.

[deedee06]

Yes you can major in whatever you want... as long as you have the requirements for med school which are like 6 credits of physics, biology, chemistry, english, and humanities... and you have to get a good score on the MCAT which you will need microbiology, biochemistry, etc on... you do NOT have to have a biology, chemistry major (pre med is not actually a major)... but it is most likely going to help you in the long run...

I know what I am talking about considering my sister went through med school and I am planning on attending med school... I have researched and researched this stuff

[Tuscany]

Major: Pre-Medicine


Basics

Reality check: a pre-medical degree does not guarantee that you will be accepted into medical school. Pre-medicine is a curriculum designed to best prepare you for the MCATs (the Medical College Admission Test) and for the rigors of medical school. Rich in biology and chemistry, this major dovetails neatly into several other related areas of study (such as chemistry, biology, and biochemistry). It also provides a solid background in physics and mathematics.



If you declare pre-medicine as your major, be prepared to forget about a social life from time to time. Colleges design pre-med programs to weed out prospective applicants to medical school (read: organic chemistry). Med schools can only accept a certain number of students a year because a limited number of doctors may be licensed in the United States each year.



So if the thought of hundreds of hours spent poring over organic chemistry notes appeals to you in a strange way, if you refer to ER as one of your “stories,” if you think that the unabridged Gray's Anatomy makes for some interesting reading, or if you think you can really study harder than most of your friends for four years, then pre-medicine just might be the major for you.

Pre-Medicine


Overview of the Premedicine Major At Penn State
The Premedicine Major in Penn State's Eberly College of Science provides a broad foundation necessary to the understanding of the basic subjects of modern medical studies. The Premedicine Major is an interdisciplinary program, which means that in addition to getting the required premedicine courses, students can mix and match other course selections from various departments throughout the university to best meet specific long term goals. While this major can be used by students pursuing careers in a number of health professions, it is primarily designed for medical school preparation.

There is a good balance in the Premedicine Major between technical courses in the mathematical, physical, and biological sciences and non technical courses in the arts, humanities, and social and behavioral sciences. In fact, if desired, it is possible for a Premedicine major to graduate with nearly an equal number of science and non-science credits. Students like that the Premedicine Major has many credits available for elective courses, allowing for exploration of additional areas of interest (science or non-science) or the possibility of developing a minor area of study. The first two years in the Premedicine Major are similar enough to other College of Science majors that students have the flexibility to easily move from one major to another if they so desire. Students are not locked into Premedicine once they start in this program. Some course requirements in the Premedicine Major, such as Medical Ethics and Health Policy Administration, are unique to the major and not required by other College of Science majors. Other requirements, like foreign language and biostatistics, are not required by most medical schools, but recommended by many. A total of 126 credits (18 at the 400-course level) are required for the B. S. degree in Premedicine.

When freshmen year students indicate Premedicine as a major of choice, they are assigned a full-time professional advisor, who only advises Premedicine majors, for the first two years of their study. In addition, freshmen Premedicine majors have the advantage of a Peer Mentoring Program, in which they are paired with junior/senior Premedicine majors who offer them a different kind of advice on things such as dorm life, time management, extracurricular activities, etc. At the start of the junior year, Premedicine majors are assigned a faculty advisor from within the College of Science. The Eberly College of Science also has an Academic Advising Center (in the same office complex as the Premedicine Major) that provides advising for all of its students in the areas of course scheduling, career planning, and professional/graduate school application procedures.

Students doing very well in the Premedicine Major may apply to medical or dental school one year early, after their sophomore year, through the special Premedicine 3+1 Program. If admitted, these students complete their junior year at Penn State and then proceed directly on to their first year of medical or dental school. This first year of professional school study is then considered as if it was the senior year at Penn State ( credits actually transferred back to Penn State), resulting in the awarding of the B.S. degree in Premedicine from Penn State.

The Premedicine Major also has a cooperative arrangement with Penn State's College of Medicine at the Miton S. Hershey Medical Center. Through this arrangement, highly qualified Premedicine majors who are committed to Hershey can apply for an early acceptance to Hershey after their sophomore year of study at University Park. If accepted, they would remain for 4 years at the University Park.

Premedicine has another cooperative program with the College of Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. This is an accelerated program where students can earn both their B.S. and M.D. degrees in a total of six years. However, for this program, students must apply as high school seniors. If accepted, they begin their studies at Penn State during the summer after their senior year of high school, complete the first two years of the regular four-year Premedicine Major, and then proceed to a regular four years of medical school study at Jefferson.

Over the past several years, between 65-70% of Penn State Premedicine majors who apply to medical school are accepted. It is important to note that there is no screening of who can and cannot apply. The average GPA for a Premedicine major accepted to medical school is 3.6, and average Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores are in the 10 range. Premedicine majors who are not accepted into medical school most often continue on to graduate school, improve their grades and/or MCAT scores, and then reapply to medical school. Others might choose to go on to graduate school for research or teaching opportunities, to pursue careers in allied health professions, or to seek employment after graduation.

Penn State Eberly College of Science - Premedicine Major

I guess Pre Med is a major at some schools... like any other major it depends on where you are going as to how it is offered.

[Tuscany]

Pre med is a major... at least in some schools. Much like Education is a major, but only at some schools. It varies from University to University.

I mean heck, I would hate to tell my cousin that her major meant nothing, especially since she is now in medical school. Same thing with my brother in law... hey, you did not graduate undergrad because your major did not exist... but great work in your residency.

[deedee06]

The major isn't technically a "pre-med" major... It is a job projection or like an area of study... the major that goes with it is a biology or chem major... "pre-med" is a program NOT A MAJOR...

[deedee06]

I don't know if penn state actually has one, but at all of the college I looked at, pre med is not a major, but they offer it as a program... it is sort of like an advertisement (if you want to go to med school then we will teach you what you need to know pre-medical school)

[Tuscany]

According to my research Penn State views Pre Med as a Major... so I guess you are incorrect.

Overview of the Premedicine Major At Penn State

"If you declare pre-medicine as your major, be prepared to forget about a social life from time to time."

So obviously in some places it is a MAJOR. Like I said it varies from University to University.