I don't know what to pick as my major

[dil123]

http://www.yorku.ca/web/futurestudents/programs/template.asp?id=534

 

Okay, this page has pretty much all the science majors you have to pick for York university. Do we take same courses in first year for any of those majors( mainly life science ones)? I think from that list I'm mainly interested in two majors, Biomedical Science and Biochemistry. In my biology gr 12 class, I really liked the chapters which were about homeostasis and thermoregulation and all those hormones haha, so which one of these two is more related to these things?

 

Also this might sound like stupid, but I know/I've heard how these undergraduate degrees are pretty much useless. They are just hurdles you have to go through for professional programs, so I want to learn something that when in medical school etc is still useful, so I don't feel like I just wasted my 4 years. It seems like in medical school you don't study things at cellular level( that's research? haha) so studying biochemistry is probably something that I don't want. If you click on biomedical science and read what the next page has, it seems like this is more like what you would study in medical school( this sounds like more applicable in life etc). But at the sametime I'm not sure because biomedical sounds like it's for labtechnologists etc wearing white coats, and I had a horrible time working in a cytopathology lab in a hospital., I didn't enjoy it at all. So anyway, I'm not asking for a program that is the best preparation for med school, just something that is more relavant to what you would learn in med school. But if we only start majoring in 2nd year, then I don't have to worry at the moment I think.

[NLengr]

York classifies it's engineering under a B.Sc. (alot of schools do a B. Eng.). Either way it's still a professional program, and not a "hurdle". It's actually quite useful overall with lots of extremely well paying prof. jobs for those who graduate.

 

It's usefulness for med school is debatable, although it'll give you an excellent work ethic and experience in being completely overwhelmed.

 

Just thought I'd point that out. As for what to pick, do whatever you think you would enjoy the most. They'll teach you again from the start in Med. School anyway.

[dil123]

York classifies it's engineering under a B.Sc. (alot of schools do a B. Eng.). Either way it's still a professional program, and not a "hurdle". It's actually quite useful overall with lots of extremely well paying prof. jobs for those who graduate.

 

It's usefulness for med school is debatable, although it'll give you an excellent work ethic and experience in being completely overwhelmed.

 

Just thought I'd point that out. As for what to pick, do whatever you think you would enjoy the most. They'll teach you again from the start in Med. School anyway.

 

I don't know what I enjoy the most :( lol

 

York only has two programs that look interesting to me. UofT has a lot(immunology hmm), but there's no way I'm going there even though I've applied to both campuses. But I feel I'll do better at York, and as for programs, I'm very versatile so I think I'll do well anyway in either of those programs, but I just wanted to see if anyone knows which one is more interesting( in general ha)

[Guest begaster]

Well, you're in luck. It's not a decision you'll need to make for another year.

 

That is to say, first years in biochem and biomedical science have the exact same course layout:

 

BMSc: http://www.yorku.ca/ugbiol/Programs/SpecializedPrograms/BiomedProgDetailSP.php

 

Biology 1010

Chem 1000 & 1001

Six credits of first-year maths (Can be Math1505 which is 6 credits alone, or two of math 1013/1014/1025 which are 3.0 each).

Physics

Easy computer science class

Elective

 

What about biochem?

http://www.biochem.yorku.ca/

 

Biology 1010

Chem 1000 & 1001

Math 1013/1014

Physics

Easy computer science class

Elective

 

So what does that mean? If you're unsure between the two, take Math 1013/1014 as your six credits of first-year math and you'll have the prerequisites to continue in either major come second year. It's only in second year when the programs really begin to differentiate from one another in any appreciable manner. Switching from one faculty to another in university is not a problem (as long as your average is above a C). Until the summer after first year, then, you really don't have to make a concrete decision.

 

Personally, if I had to do it all over again knowing what I know today, I would have done biophysics (or perhaps neuroscience, though I'm not sure if that department is opening next year or in two). Especially because I want to do research as an MD/PhD and biophysics is bloody fascinating. That being said, I would switch into one of those second year, ensuring that I got all the necessary courses in first year to do so. For my application, I would accept whichever program gave me a higher entrance average and a better scholarship.

[liszt]

I didn't decide on a major until the end of second year

[dil123]

Hey, thanks so much, that is exactly what I wanted to know, so I guess I'm gonna stop worrying now and just pick biomedical science as my major, why? Exactly because of the entrance scholarship haha, because for biochem they require physics 12 as a prerequisite( I'm gonna take it anyway), but if I picked biochem as my major, that mark would be one of top 6( our teacher is really hard, people in grade 11 get 60s) so just to be safe it won't bring my ave down to < 90, I'll pick biomedical science(physic not a prerequisite, just recommened) so they will use my elective or bio mark where I get 95+ to calculate the average. Hahaha so I'll have 90+ average so I'll get $8000 in scholarship plus $2000 extra for being a science student(with 90 average) haha lol. I just hope I do well on my calculus course, need like around 85 only to end up with like 90+ average.