Music undergraduate for med school?

[Guest dodo86]

Hi, I'm an undergraduate going on to 2nd year in Biomedical computing, and hoping to get into Med-school after graduation. I love sciences, especially biology , and more specifically- human body, and I've received decent marks in other science courses as well; however, I am not enjoying the other science and computing courses as much as I enjoy what I've had passion for all my life - music.

 

Having played the piano since early childhood, and still loving to compose songs and perform in musicals etc., I can't stop thinking that I'll regret it if I don't change my program to Music.

 

I took a piano course as an elective during my first year, and I enjoyed it so much, but I couldn't spend as much time on it as I wanted to, because of the pressure of my other important "core courses".

I'm sorry my entry got a little lengthy here, but I just want to get some advice from other pre-meds, and current med students.

 

Do any of you know any examples of people actually entering med-schools from Music undergraduate?

And if so, I would really like to know how hard it was for them to study for the MCAT, and follow up the sciences after admission to the medical school. Thank you so much!

[Guest Kirsteen]

Hi there,

 

I know a couple of folk who are currently enrolled in Canadian medical programs who hold degrees in music and/or literature. As to how difficult the MCAT will be and future medical school courses, that will depend not on their ability to be able to complete these tasks, but yours. If you can garner abilities in physics, chemistry, biology and verbal reasoning, then you will be able to tackle the MCAT and potentially do well. ...and if you can do that, then presumably you will do fine in medical school, given that so many medical schools use the MCAT as a proxy for potential academic medical competence, or at least a predictor of it.

 

Cheers,

Kirsteen

[Guest UWOMED2005]

We had a student in our class who had a Bachelor's of music, I think combined with bio. Not sure of the details. . . but it's definitely possible.

[Guest keltok]

Hey,

 

I can't comment on how hard it would be to 'follow up on the science' stuff (I'm just starting med school this fall), but I can attest to the glories of an undergraduate degree in music. I did a B.Sc in Bio and a B.A. in Music over five years at Bishop's University (tiny tiny school in the Eastern Townships of Quebec). I sympathize completely with the whole 'I love music too much to let it go' mindset. Of course, I also found I greatly enjoyed Bio. Doing my second degree in Music was something I decided on in my third year of studying at B.U., and I have never regretted the decision. So if it's what you want to do, then go for it! Admissions committees will definately not dock you points for it, as long as your pre-reqs are complete. They're all for people who do what they love.

 

And remember, for the MCAT, most of the science you need to know, you'd learn in the first year of an undergraduate degree. Most would-be med students write the test in their third year, after they've had plenty of time to forget everything. You may have to study a little harder for the bio stuff if you haven't done it for a while prior to the test, but I wouldn't say you're at too much of a disadvantage with anything else.

 

Good luck with whatever you decide! You're gonna be studying bio stuff for the rest of your life (if you go for medicine), I say live the musical lifestyle while you can devote yourself fully to it!