Medical Education US

Hi,
I am a junior in high school and right now I want to school to be a psychiatrist. I am not concerned about getting into college and med school. I have a 4.5 weighted GPA and I got a 32 on the ACT. But I am wondering about what I should major in for undergrad. I want to major in psychology, but people have told me that you must major in chemistry or biology or pre-med. If that's the case, then I'll do it. However I would like to know for sure. Is it ok if I major in psychology then go to med school? It's a topic I find so much more interesting than chem and bio, but if I must to be a psychiatrist then I will. Also does it matter how good of a school I go to for undergrad? I think the money would be better spent on med school, but if going to an Ivy League school will make a huge difference then ok. And what are some of the better med schools for psychiatry in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Michigan?

Thanks so much!

iRun32,

I wouldn't be overly confident about getting into medical school. I know plenty of people who had straight A's in high school and high SAT/ACT scores, yet they struggled with pre-med coursework in college. Getting into medical school is very difficult.

You can major in any subject you like in college, as long as you take the required pre-med courses. Medical schools give no preference to science majors over non-science majors. Take the courses you like in college and also major in a field that will give you options in case medical school doesn't work out.

At most medical schools, it won't matter whether you went to a top college or just a decent one. Of course, that is assuming you get excellent grades and good MCAT scores. The only time I've heard it may make a difference is if you are looking to go to a top tier medical school. In those cases, the medical schools may give preference to students who excelled at the top colleges.

I wouldn't worry too much about selecting a medical school with a good psychiatry department. The overall medical school education far overshadows the psychiatry experience you will get while in medical school. You will get your psychiatric training in residency.