Choosing a Major

So what major should I choose?

Medical schools do not care what you major in. We have students every year who are accepted into medical school with traditional life science and physical science majors (biology, neuroscience, exercise science, physics, chemistry, etc.) and others accepted from finance, psychology, geography, American studies, business, language majors, etc.

However, medical schools do require specific academic preparation (prerequisite courses) in biological and physical sciences no matter what you major in. The courses that are required of most medical schools are found here. Be sure to check the requirements of the medical schools that you are applying to, as some of the courses may vary.

We encourage students to approach choosing a major just like any other student would: Do you enjoy the discipline? Do you have an aptitude for it? Can you do well? Do you like the careers associated with this major? If you decide not to go to medical school, or do not get in, are there opportunities in this area that you would be excited about? We often call this parallel preparation--while preparing for medical school, also prepare for a career outside of medicine in case you change your mind or are not accepted.

If you need help choosing a major, you can seek help from the University Advisement Center or the college advisement centers if you already have an area of study in mind. All BYU majors are listed here.

Once you've decided on a major, visit your college advisement center and create a graduation plan within that major. Once you have that in place, we can help you determine how to best fit your Pre-Medical coursework within that major graduation plan.