A BSc in Biology vs. a BSc in Health Sciences (@SFU)

[soggybread]

Hi, thanks for taking the time to read my long post.

 

I'm planning to enter my first year of undergrad sciences at SFU, and have a tiny predicament. Ideally, I would love to be able to go to med school, but the reality is that the odds are against me. I've got several other vague career paths in mind incase my med school aspirations don't make it through (pharmacology, health inspector).

 

My current choice is a BSc in Biology. Simon Fraser University has this new program that offers a BSc in Health Sciences, and this degree seems considerably easier. The program just opened last year, and they currently haven't even met the anticipated student enrollment.

 

The degree is sans physics, math, and less "science-y", there's more "real-world" knowledge, and not a lot of theory and calculations.

 

Here's a list of courses for the 4 year BSc Health Sciences degree

http://www.fhs.sfu.ca/undergraduate-programs/BSc%20in%20Health%20Sciences/course-requirements

 

I know that the GPA is somewhat important for med school admission, and it seems that taking a BSc in Health Sciences would give me a better advantage. The stuff in Health Sci is also definitely more interesting to me, compared to learning Physics and Math in a BSc Bio degree. I think I would be able to get a better GPA while also enjoying the courses.

 

On the other hand, it seems like I'm limiting myself on some career choices if I take the BSc in Health Sciences. I'm not sure what one can do with a Masters or Bachelors in Health Sciences. A BSc in Biology seems more open to choices, and also a bit more prestigious? I'm not sure...

 

Probably my biggest concern is that a Health Sciences degree doesn't cover enough prerequisites (Phy, Math, etc..) for med school, and will also pose problems for me if I apply to the states, or OOP applications (UT, UCal, McGill, etc...). I'm wondering if anyone here has taken a BSc Health Sciences program, either at SFU or elsewhere, and has any insight on this. Would a BSc in Biology do me better in the long run? (I have read about MacMaster's Health Sciences program, and I think it is drastically different from this mediocre and drab one at SFU, more superior and has a crazy amount of soon-to-be med students)

 

What kind of career options do either of the degrees bring? I am aiming for med school, but failing that, I guess many people use pharmacy as their backup. I'm more interested in being a public health inspector as well, does any one have any plans on that? (Would a Bio degree give me a better chance, or a Health Sciences one?)

 

Some possible careers? http://www.fhs.sfu.ca/undergraduate-programs/careers

 

Thanks for taking the time to answer my question; this is probably the umpteenth time some newbie has asked vague general questions about premed stuff, and I apologize

[Jochi1543]

LOL, I read that as "STFU..." I was like, "how dare he!?":p

[lostintime]

Personally I love how different schools give all these names to pretty much the same programs. ..."Life science" vs "Health Science" vs. "Biological Science" vs. "Biology" vs. "Medical Sciences"...and the list goes on.

 

I don't think there's an inherent HUGE difference. And I certainly don't find a B.Sc. in biology more prestigious (in fact, sounds quite generic/general).

 

If you want to further your education (i..e Masters in something ~ backup plan to med), carefully look at the program descriptions for Master programs, etc. But if you're not sure yet, just pick whichever one has more courses you think you will enjoy/do well in.

[EricCartman]

Hi, thanks for taking the time to read my long post.

 

I'm planning to enter my first year of undergrad sciences at SFU, and have a tiny predicament. Ideally, I would love to be able to go to med school, but the reality is that the odds are against me. I've got several other vague career paths in mind incase my med school aspirations don't make it through (pharmacology, health inspector).

 

My current choice is a BSc in Biology. Simon Fraser University has this new program that offers a BSc in Health Sciences, and this degree seems considerably easier. The program just opened last year, and they currently haven't even met the anticipated student enrollment.

 

The degree is sans physics, math, and less "science-y", there's more "real-world" knowledge, and not a lot of theory and calculations.

 

Here's a list of courses for the 4 year BSc Health Sciences degree

http://www.fhs.sfu.ca/undergraduate-programs/BSc%20in%20Health%20Sciences/course-requirements

 

I know that the GPA is somewhat important for med school admission, and it seems that taking a BSc in Health Sciences would give me a better advantage. The stuff in Health Sci is also definitely more interesting to me, compared to learning Physics and Math in a BSc Bio degree. I think I would be able to get a better GPA while also enjoying the courses.

 

On the other hand, it seems like I'm limiting myself on some career choices if I take the BSc in Health Sciences. I'm not sure what one can do with a Masters or Bachelors in Health Sciences. A BSc in Biology seems more open to choices, and also a bit more prestigious? I'm not sure...

 

Probably my biggest concern is that a Health Sciences degree doesn't cover enough prerequisites (Phy, Math, etc..) for med school, and will also pose problems for me if I apply to the states, or OOP applications (UT, UCal, McGill, etc...). I'm wondering if anyone here has taken a BSc Health Sciences program, either at SFU or elsewhere, and has any insight on this. Would a BSc in Biology do me better in the long run? (I have read about MacMaster's Health Sciences program, and I think it is drastically different from this mediocre and drab one at SFU, more superior and has a crazy amount of soon-to-be med students)

 

What kind of career options do either of the degrees bring? I am aiming for med school, but failing that, I guess many people use pharmacy as their backup. I'm more interested in being a public health inspector as well, does any one have any plans on that? (Would a Bio degree give me a better chance, or a Health Sciences one?)

 

Some possible careers? http://www.fhs.sfu.ca/undergraduate-programs/careers

 

Thanks for taking the time to answer my question; this is probably the umpteenth time some newbie has asked vague general questions about premed stuff, and I apologize

 

i went to SFU to do biochem. just when i finished (last year), they introduced a health science program. in my opinion, it didn't look too appealing.

 

i wasn't a pre-med when i entered uni. as such, i didn't plan ahead. i should have, but i didn't. i am glad that you are looking into other options should medicine not work out (due to grades or other reasons).

 

although you didn't directly ask about SFU in general, i will outline my experience:

was SFU worth it? kind of.

was it hard? kind of.

was it interesting? yes

 

would i go to SFU again knowing that I would like to persue medicine in the near future? probably not (just my personal opinion)

 

SFU is a good uni and has good programs. but if you are a pre-med, UBC has a lot more to offer in terms of programs, courses, extra-curriculars, etc..all these things to make you a well-rounded individual. here are a few things to consider as a pre-med:

 

1. You may start out in Biology or health science and then you may realize that it is not that interesting. then you will wanna switch majors. so make sure you have a fall back major should you change your mind. with that said, you might want to look into other programs at SFU and keep them in the back of your mind. UBC has a lot more programs to offer as well.

 

also, a lot of schools don't care about what you major in as long as you take the pre-requisites.

 

2. SFU will give letter grades and UBC will convert them into % "confidentially" and this will be a disadvantage unless you get straight As or A+s. So if you go to SFU, make sure you get As or A+s.

 

3. Extra-curricular stuff. i found that with 5 or 6 courses at SFU, I had a hard time participating in non-academic stuff because the timings of the activities were odd and often conflicted with labs. UBC has tons of sports and stuff that you can participate in and a variety to choose from.

 

4. Should you not make it into med school, what will be your fall back career with a degree in Biology or Health Science? You mentioned that you have other vague aspirations if med school doesn't pan out. Pharmacy, teacher, research, Masters, PHd, etc..?

 

So make sure you have the pre-requisites and stuff to pursue your back-up plan as well.

couple of hypothetical examples:

you mentioned public health inspector. Whether a biology degree will help you become a public health inspector, i wouldn't know. you may have to do a masters in public health or some post-bach program. so please look into that as well. you might want to consult a public health inspector directly or you can always consult the health science program advisor at SFU.

 

you mentioned pharmacology. if my memory serves me right, SFU doesn't have a dedicated pharmacology program. UBC might have one, so look into that as well. What i am trying to say is that if two years down the road if you suddenly decide to pursue pharmacology, how would you go about doing that without spending another year for pre-requisites? you may want to look into the pre-requisites for the pharmacology program as well. this program may require you to take first year math and physics.

 

5. don't forget, you can always do a minor in biology along with a major in health sciences or you can probably bang out a double major. SFU offers a full summer semester. so you can take courses in summer as well (although i don't recommend that. summers for fun and non-academic experiences).

 

6. SFU is also full of pre-meds and genuinely intelligent people in science and engineering courses. and sometimes, these classes may get curved if the class average is too high. happened to me. so stuff is competitive at SFU as well.

 

7. A BSc in Biology more prestigious? i don't think med schools in canada care about the prestige of your major because they explicitly state that you can major in anything you want. i don't know about US schools.

 

i think if you know that you definitely want to pursue medicine, then planning right now is a very good idea and you are asking the right questions. so this is a very good thing.

 

good luck and if u have more questions, do ask.

[soggybread]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

 

EricCartman: Wow! Thanks for the long and detailed reply, it is very much appreciated.

 

 

2. SFU will give letter grades and UBC will convert them into % "confidentially" and this will be a disadvantage unless you get straight As or A+s. So if you go to SFU, make sure you get As or A+s.

 

 

Is this applicable to just people who transfer in to med school from SFU to UBC? Or does it apply to anyone who transfers from SFU to UBC? How does GPA come in as a factor? How does a GPA in SFU differ from a GPA at UBC??

 

 

7. A BSc in Biology more prestigious? i don't think med schools in canada care about the prestige of your major because they explicitly state that you can major in anything you want. i don't know about US schools.

 

Do US schools have prerequisites for med school as well? I believe I've heard of med schools that directly accept students from high school to med, I'm not sure..

[sarup]

yes most do. In general its like 1 full year of bio, chem, physics, english. Some require a semester of math and other humanities classes. If I were you, I would go to:

http://services.aamc.org/memberlistings/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.search&search_type=MS&wildcard_criteria=&state_criteria=CNT%3AUSAℑ=Search

and click on some schools your interested in. I think this forum has a thread about american schools that accept Canadians.