When it comes to preparing for medical school, one of the most persistent myths is that you have to major in biology or another science to be a competitive applicant. While it’s true that many premed students lean toward science-heavy degrees, the truth is much more flexible—and, in some cases, more empowering than you'd think.

Looking back, I wish someone had warned me about the GPA risk of science-heavy majors. Many upper-level science courses are graded harshly, have demanding lab components, and are packed with premeds vying for As. For someone like me — who wasn’t always the best at showing up to early classes or grinding through long lab reports — that added difficulty led to a few Bs that lowered my GPA just enough to make me a less competitive applicant.

The United States is grappling with a significant physician shortage in 2025, a challenge that will profoundly shape the experiences of today’s premeds, medical students, and early-career doctors. Recent data paint a sobering picture: the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) projects a shortfall of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036 under current trends aamc.org. This gap is especially acute in primary care, where demand for services far outstrips supply.