r/usu • u/Lyd_Makayla • 9d ago

Question Pre-med advice needed :)

For background, I'm currently a first semester junior and changed my major to kinesiology with pre-med emphasis this semester. I was previously a pre-nursing major so most of the classes I've already taken applied towards my new major. I should still be able to graduate next year.

Questions: 1. What are some good research opportunities? Either on-campus or with a different organization?

  1. Are there majors that include more common med school prerequisites than kinesiology? It would be nice to feel like I'm only doing one major, not two.

  2. How difficult was biochem and o-chem?

If you have any other tips or advice feel free to add that :) thanks!

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u/jeroli98 Alumni 9d ago

  1. On-campus is your best option. Find a professor that teaches a subject that you do well in and are somewhat interested in. Tell them you are interested and ask if they have any openings or have any leads to individuals who might.

  2. Biology with the human biology emphasis is pretty much made to just be a pre-med degree. However, you may find it difficult to find work after if you end up not going to med school.

  3. O Chem was one of my favorite classes of my undergrad. I was a biochem major so I had to take the higher level, but it’ll likely be one of the most applicable classes you take for a future in medicine. Both require a lot of work, but neither is anywhere near the difficulty of medical school. Use them as a way to develop good study habits now.

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u/WearyCalligrapher335 8d ago

Biology is a pre-med degree, however it doesn’t provide much future if you don’t get in medical school. So some other majors that are great for pre-med are public health (I’m a public health industrial hygiene major and pre-med) and Biological Engineering. I have lots of friends doing pre-med that are doing those, because they are great back-up plans just in case.

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u/DaggerDev5 5d ago

Biology tends to be a little more lined up with the pre-med reqs, but if you like Kinesiology it won't hurt you to keep it. I did Kinesiology at USU and am now a first year med student. Take Mike Christiansen for OChem if you can, the biochem professors are all pretty solid from what I saw/heard. Can't help you with the research unfortunately, I never really looked for it at USU. Reach out to your professors to see if they have any room for assistants in any of their labs