Sometimes it’s difficult for pre-health students to be absolutely sure that is the path they want to take. Unlike most majors, it is hard for these students to properly gauge the reality of the profession they are pursuing since most universities don’t really have a “major” for pre-health professions. The University of Pittsburgh, or Pitt, is one of those schools.

Pitt is an incredible university offering a wide variety of majors ranging from the humanities, nursing, engineering, or business. Within the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, science majors are very common for those interested in those disciplines, but often they are perceived as, aides in pre-health careers.

For many students, they hold a belief that they NEED to major in a science-related field in order to get into medical, PA, pharmacy, PT, or dental school. This could not be farther from the truth. Now, it is true there are schools that offer pre-health majors or programs, but these are not necessary for entry into those post-bac schools. In fact, most schools prefer that you DON’T major in a science. Here’s why.

Many schools are about numbers, which means they are focused on your GPA. For those who struggle in straight up science courses, this can be difficult. Most students find non-science courses much more manageable to receive above a 3.0 in.

Additionally, what most of these schools are looking for are well-rounded candidates for admission: a balanced variety of courses. In fact, the farther from science related majors the student, the better.

Now this is not always the case, but this holds true for many schools. So why is this the case? It is because most students who apply for medical, PA, pharmacy, PT, or dental school are science majors. They’ve read all the essays about your passion for science and wanting to apply that passion to health related field, etc. What they really want to hear are your passions and interests outside of your career and job. What are the other parts you can bring to the table?

Now don’t get me wrong, if you truly love science then I highly recommend you major in a science your time in school. However, if you’re not really that into it -SWITCH! Believe me, you will thank yourself later for it.

It is important to note nearly every pre-health post-bac school does require the necessary pre-requisite courses to be taken before applying, but they also DO NOT require a science major. These schools also might require a certain number of clinical or volunteer hours, but the courses required vary depending on which school you apply to - mostly consisting of intro science, math, and psychology courses. In some cases, the course load will give you a minor in one of the sciences. For example, at Pitt, you can add the chemistry minor because it also fulfills the medical and PA school requirements. It does not fulfill all of them, but it still looks great on your transcript.

Also, most of the intro courses are weed-out courses for students pursuing the major in that course like biology or chemistry or physics. This means the curriculum is meant to be hard. So, if you are currently taking these courses and finding yourself second guessing your career plans - don’t. These courses are not indicative of your future success. However, these courses can give you some gauge into how hard medical or other pre-health schools will be, but not entirely.

In fact, a lot of the material covered in these intro courses are re-taught in medical school - not to the same detail, but the themes are repeated and used to build upon one another as you learn more about the human body and treatment. But trust me, you are not going to need to know the formula for gravity in medical school.

As previously mentioned, if you absolutely love science or math - major in it. However, if you’re not really into the minute details of a particular science or feel as though you might struggle, then switch your major. Those four years will go fast and you do not want to regret the time and money you spent.

If you have other interests you want to explore like theater or language or even journalism like me - Do it! The time you spend in school will be one of few times you will have access to so much knowledge and opportunities - take advantage of them. In college, you are learning besides other passionate students and professors who are some of the best in their field. Learn from them! Network!

For me personally, I have always wanted to be a physician. I knew this since I was 8 when I would try to diagnose my dolls and imaginary patients at my “clinic” in my bedroom. That is the career I want for myself, but I have other interests. There are other parts of me that enjoy literature and writing and learning new languages and even acting on occasion... so I’m learning more about them and about myself by taking these courses.

At Pitt, I write for my school newspaper - an accredited news source - that has given me opportunities to learn more about journalism. It even helped me build a portfolio. I get to learn more about my community and get access to events that normally I wouldn’t have! For example, I have interviewed researchers, teachers, politicians, business owners, students, and the general public on a variety of topics for different stories. Being a journalist has given me a perspective on how news is broadcasted, reported, edited, and more. Sometimes, it can be heartbreaking when parts of your story get cut to make the space requirement, but it also helps you to think more creatively about how to report the interesting news without sacrificing the essence of your story.

Being a journalist can be long hours with event coverage or trying to contact sources. You can be called in last minute to cover an event or unexpectedly stay long hours to finish an article. I’m still new at it, but I love it! I love the long hours and the people I get to work beside. I love the opportunity to get first access to stories and events and see it from such a raw perspective - before it makes the news. Sometimes, this can be tough because I have already decided how to frame a story and I don’t always have a final say. But with events such as this election cycle, I’ve gotten to cover different rallies and protests. Knowing you have had a small part in something historic is quite mind-boggling and exciting.

With a major in non-fiction writing (journalism), I realized how much I like to learn about new and interesting people and events. Being non-science major has given me the opportunity to explore that side of me and have something to say about it. Additionally, I have also received the opportunity to take several language courses, which is a topic I’m highly interested in... because I am not so timely consumed with STEM classes.

I know once I leave school, many of these opportunities will be gone or be hard to pursue without spending lots of money and time. I’m trying to take advantage of as many opportunities as I can - and you should too!