Hi guys! I'm planning on attending med school post-grad and I've heard that some college majors better prepare you for the MCAT than others. Can anyone tell which ones these might be? I'm really trying to give myself the best shot at acing this test.
While there's not a definitive one-size-fits-all answer to this question, the most common majors of applicants who tend to do well on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) are often rooted in the natural sciences. This is largely due to the fact that the MCAT covers material related to biology, chemistry, and physics, so majors like Biology, Biochemistry, and Physics can provide a solid foundation for the test.
However, keep in mind that majoring in a science isn't a requirement for doing well on the MCAT. It might give you a slight advantage in that you may automatically cover more of the MCAT content in your coursework, but non-science majors can also excel on the test if they've fulfilled their pre-med requirements and dedicated sufficient time to MCAT prep.
An unintuitive fact, though, is that according to the Association of American Medical Colleges, Philosophy and Physical Science majors typically have the highest average MCAT scores. This could be due to the intensive critical thinking, reasoning, and problem-solving skills these disciplines foster.
Just remember, your college major should not only prepare you for the MCAT, but also line up with your interests and career goals. Succeeding in your coursework (thus maintaining a high GPA) is just as important as performing well on the MCAT when it comes to med school admissions.
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