Soenuedo Posted January 5, 2010 Report Share Posted January 5, 2010 Hi, I'm currently a senior high school student who is very confused about my future =/ I have a low mid average in high school right now (not really trying 100%, because of my part time job and also band commitments), and I'm pondering about quite a many possible undergrad choices. So far, I've applied to U of T for music performance (probably one that I actually want to do, as far as interest goes), Queens engineering, U of t engineering and life sci. I understand that to get into med school, you need to have certain pre requisites and also a good score on the MCAT, but that is as far as my knowledge goes. Can anyone out there help me, maybe by giving me some info as to what medical schools look for, and if it's even POSSIBLE for me to get into med school with a MUSIC undergrad?! I'm planning on taking science and math courses on top of my music time table, and will also take MCAT prep courses. Any advice/info is MUCH appreciated! Thanks so much for looking =) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmorelan Posted January 5, 2010 Report Share Posted January 5, 2010 Hi, I'm currently a senior high school student who is very confused about my future =/ I have a low mid average in high school right now (not really trying 100%, because of my part time job and also band commitments), and I'm pondering about quite a many possible undergrad choices. So far, I've applied to U of T for music performance (probably one that I actually want to do, as far as interest goes), Queens engineering, U of t engineering and life sci. I understand that to get into med school, you need to have certain pre requisites and also a good score on the MCAT, but that is as far as my knowledge goes. Can anyone out there help me, maybe by giving me some info as to what medical schools look for, and if it's even POSSIBLE for me to get into med school with a MUSIC undergrad?! I'm planning on taking science and math courses on top of my music time table, and will also take MCAT prep courses. Any advice/info is MUCH appreciated! Thanks so much for looking =) Yes it is quite possible, you really need only have a high consistent average in university. This is actually the main point, and something to consider seriously. Program is quite unimportant compared to your performance in it. Actually quite a few med schools don't have prereqs at all, and those that do are usually surprisingly general. You can pick those up as electives in a music program, and will likely want to regardless of prereqs as they help with the mcat. You have come to the right place - spend some time looking around and reading some of the sticky threads. Get a feel for things, and move on from there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soenuedo Posted January 5, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2010 Thanks so much for your reply! It's very much appreciated. And yes, I absolutely LOVE this forum! It has so much information for next generations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawkeye1 Posted January 5, 2010 Report Share Posted January 5, 2010 I am finishing med school this year and did a music undergrad. I think you should complete the undergrad degree that interests you most ... if you are happy with your studies you will be more likely to do well. However, I will caution you that music undergrads typically have lower overall averages than science majors (imagine getting a 90% in a music performance course - only if you are Maria Callas or YoYo Ma My classmates in music typically had averages in the 80% ranges while classmates in science could break the 90% mark. I do not think that should be the deciding factor, but instead should be something to keep in mind. Also realise that because of the way that a BMus is structured, you may have to take some sci/math courses in the summer (as labs often conflict with ensemble, etc.) Your course counsellor will know more about the specifics once you get into the program. Best of luck. Hawkeye1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adversary Posted January 5, 2010 Report Share Posted January 5, 2010 One of my medical colleagues finished undergrad with double majors in Physiology and Music. She not only got into medical school, she is now doing a residency in opthamology so clearly her undergrad was not a detriment to her medical education. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soenuedo Posted January 6, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2010 thanks everyone for the replies, really appreciate it. but i'm just wondering, why would it be harder to get a higher average in music than in science? o_o is it because of theory dragging u down? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soenuedo Posted January 6, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2010 hey thanks for your reply! I'm just wondering, where did u go for your music undergrad? and why is it harder to get a higher average than science? from what i've heard from my friends in uni, they said music performance is pretty laid back except for harmony and history o_o Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astrogirl Posted January 6, 2010 Report Share Posted January 6, 2010 I have a good friend who had music performance as one of his majors (he's now a science teacher). He didn't need to worry about his gpa since he was planning to be a teacher, and he was already in the education program. But his music theory classes really did drag down his gpa, and he had to take some of them several (ie more than 2) times to pass them. So that's something to think about (unless you're really good at music theory). Another option would be to minor in music and major in something else that interests you if you're worried about music dragging down your gpa and having trouble fitting in all your science classes. But it's definitely possible to get into med school with a music degree (I know of a few people who have done it), and having that as your major may even make you look interesting to admissions committees, especially because music degrees tend to be limited enrolment and hard to get into. It also show that you are capable of putting in lots of time to practice and get good at a skill. Med schools look for applicants who have good grades and good mcat scores, but who are also well-rounded and have good ECs. Majoring in music will definitely help you in that last category, as long as it doesn't interfere with the academic things. So if you think you can do and you're interested, then go for it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starling Posted January 23, 2010 Report Share Posted January 23, 2010 Go for it if it's what you want to do. As others have said, med schools don't care per se what your undergrad is in; just make sure you do well. Check out the websites of the schools you might want to apply to and see what their prereqs/recommended courses are (often biochem, bio and various chem courses). You mentioned that your GPA is a bit low due to various other commitments. Med schools of course don't care about high school, but make sure you pick things up by the time you get to university. It'll be a lot harder than high school and a lot of students are brought down by their 1st year GPAs because they weren't expecting it. Best of luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zephyr Posted January 23, 2010 Report Share Posted January 23, 2010 It's entirely possible to do a music undergrad...but as said before you may have to take alot of the prereqs in the summer because of rehearsal times. I know people who've gotten into medicine after doing an undergrad degree in music (and in some cases a masters as well) so as long as you have the prereqs done for whichever school that you're considering you'll be good to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soenuedo Posted January 30, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2010 thanks everyone for the replies! I've decided to go into music and minor in science. hope it turns out ok! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.