BY THE time I was nine, I knew what I wanted to do with my future: I was going to be a neurologist! Then, by age 15, I knew the medical school of my dreams: Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. So, when senior year of high school came, science and math classes filled my schedule. I realized only after graduating from high school that I had lost an opportunity to explore other high school possibilities such as painting and singing. After years of math and science, my interest in medicine dwindled and my interest in law increased from years of debate. Thus, I am now pre-law as a second-year student.
It seems most University students I have met thus far have been pre-med, their schedules filled with an array of classes that include physics and biology. Rarely, however, do I see a pre-med student with PLIR 3650, "International Relations of the Middle East" or ARTH1505, "Topics in Art History" as a part of his desired curriculum. While the University is a liberal arts college, it seems that a large part of the student population fails to take advantage of exactly that: the liberal arts.
Contrary to popular belief, studying science does not mean a student should feel restricted to simply classes in that discipline. Nevertheless, students end up using the excuse that taking liberal arts classes will make it difficult to complete their pre-med or major requirements, but those liberal arts classes are important for ensuring students are exposed to a wide range of ideas. After all, is it not part of the college experience to explore?
One of the most common majors at the University is biology, and a significant fraction of the students enrolled in biology are pre-med students. The University's various introductory chemistry classes are among the largest "weed out" classes available. The reason chemistry and biology attract such a large following is because they are necessary classes for any pre-med student.\nYet being pre-med does not mean enrolling in only science classes or majors. In fact, medical schools now encourage students to pursue other classes, especially liberal arts classes, because they ensure that students are well-rounded and have a good knowledge of multiple academic fields. Individuals with such a comprehensive academic background are better able to contribute in medical school, and medicine in general.
Pursuing liberal arts classes encourages students to think in a different way. For example, math forces logical thinking while philosophy would require more abstract thinking; both are considered liberal arts. Thus, they cultivate the ability to approach a situation from multiple angles.
Part of being a good doctor is having the ability to go beyond traditional medical ways of thinking to determine a cure. Taking the arts will only enhance a person's performance as a medical student and doctor. Granted, students enrolling in liberal arts classes are motivated by a desire to gain entry to medical school rather than simply for the classes' intrinsic benefits, but such action still exposes the individual to other subjects. Pre-med students should take advantage of the flexibility of medical schools and the interesting classes liberal arts departments of the University have to offer.
Perhaps the reason for the large science following is because science provides a good back-up plan if a student does not receive acceptance to a medical school. Science is still a good field to choose in terms of the job market, more so than the arts. Revolutionary discoveries are continually being made in the sciences, and therefore research will almost always be an option for biology, chemistry or biochemistry students. In this economy, science is a mighty cushion when compared to an English or Theater degree.
Nevertheless, science should not dominate a person's academic pursuits. College is an opportunity not only to obtain a degree, but also to explore multiple fields; it is perhaps the only opportunity to do so, and therefore should be exploited.
Last year when I was myself a pre-med student, other students always seemed shocked that I was also studying foreign affairs. But from my point of view, if I had only taken science classes I would have had a very boring schedule with a lack of diversity in my classes.
Margaret Chi, a second-year pre-med student majoring in biology, agrees. She is enrolled in a variety of classes including Japanese and a Korean Film class. "I can't take all science classes," she said, adding that she likes having a balanced academic schedule. On the other hand, when I asked a couple of pre-med students in one of my classes if they take any liberal arts classes, they conceded they take mostly science classes because they find the arts classes not as appealing. Yet there must be certain arts classes to accommodate everyone's interests.
At the moment, I am studying foreign affairs, but my class choices have included sciences such as BIOL2030, "Introductory Biology." Studying such different subjects is refreshing and a nice change of pace. A bit of arts in any pre-med student's schedule not only enhances the application for medical school, but definitely makes the college experience more engrossing.
Fariha Kabir is a Viewpoint writer for The Cavalier Daily.
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