As an English major, I’m often asked how my undergraduate major contributes to my chosen professional field. The link between the humanities and medicine isn’t explicit, and as a premedical student, I was daunted by the sheer number of science, technology, engineering and math — or STEM — majors in the medical school admissions pool each year.
How would a course in Renaissance poetry stand against one in physical chemistry? How would medical school admissions committees know that I could handle intens e science classes when my transcript was dotted with writing-intensive courses?
[Get tips on choosing the right undergraduate major for medical school.]
What became apparent throughout the medical school admissions process, however, was that Renaissance poetry did not have to stand against physical chemistry. Instead, Renaissance poetry and other humanities classes could serve as supplementary evidence of my readiness for medical school.
If you are worried that your humanities major might hinder your medical school admissions chances, review these tips as you begin to craft your application.
1. Emphasize crossover between your major and medicine: The medic al field consists of more than science. It fundamentally relies on human communication, as well as on physicians’ ability to empathize.
The relevance of softer subjects — like literature, philosophy and psychology — are sometimes lost beneath the data of lab values or among the intricate complexities of anatomy. The culmination of this information, however, is a human with thoughts, feelings and opinions. And as a doctor, it is your responsibility to care for these aspects of your patients too.
On your medical school application, you might stress how your experience analyzing literary characters offered fantastic insight into the contradictions of the human mind and how that insight might inform your understanding of why a patient will not comply with medication.
You might discuss how your degree in art history has honed your attention to detail and how your physical examination skills might thus be strengthened by your propensity toward keen observation.
As a philosophy major, you could speak to your ability to unpack dense, technical text — text like what you might encounter as you read scientific documents in medical school. In short, highlight any skills that are transferable to medicine as you write your application and interview with programs.
[Discover why nontraditional students can be attractive medical school applicants.]
2. Augment your science coursework: Applying to medical school with only the basic science prerequisites can be risky, especially if you did not do well in one of these key courses.
If you feel that your performance in science classes does not adequately represent your ability to manage a heavy course load while in medical school, you might consider bolstering your undergraduate transcript with additional science classes.
If taking an additional in-person science course does not work with your major, you could enroll in an online class at a reputable college or university. Though transferring credit for this external course may or may not be possible at your school, remember that American Medical College Application Service and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine will combine transcripts from every institu tion at which you have taken classes.
Your credits will be listed on your medical school application, and the grades you earned in your science courses at other institutions — online or otherwise — will count toward your GPA.
[Discover six types of applicants who would benefit from a postbaccalaureate program.]
3. Seek out mentorship: Certain colleges and universities have strict rules about who can access premedical advisers, and other schools have too few premedical advisers to adequately serve all students’ needs.
Occasionally, you may even encounter a premedical adviser who is not well-versed in issues that may arise for nontraditional premedical students. For any or all of these reasons, you might decide to seek out additional or alternat ive mentorship as you apply to medical school.
Your mentor should be familiar with the medical school application process and willing to help you explore how your major will supplement both your premed coursework and future medical practice. If you are in contact with any medical students who hold nontraditional majors, you might turn to them as mentors or as people who may be able to help you find a great mentor for the application process.
More from U.S. News
Plan Senior Year Coursework for Medical School Advantage
Medical Students Learn to Work as a Team
4 Applicants Who Would Benefit From an MD-MPH Program
3 Considerations for Humanities Majors Applying to Medical School originally appeared on usnews.com
