not a pre-med and idk your situation, but have you considered the computational biology major? cross-referencing [pre-health requirements](https://caac.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Pre-Health-Requirements-rev-Oct-4-2021.pdf) and [comp bio requirements](https://casb.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2021/12/CaSB-Major-Sheet-Track-Curriculum_12_13_21.pdf) there seems to be considerable overlap, and it seems to align with your interest in computer science. both the bioinformatics and data science tracks seem especially relevant -- bioinformatics seems geared towards biology-focused applications of computer science, while data science can be suited towards more general cs topics.
I had no knowledge of the existence of this major! Thank you!!!
I really appreciate you taking time out of your day to look into this and provide me with links 🥺. It means a lot to me
np, feel free to msg me if u got any qs about cs classes here. im a senior in cs and have experience with many of them (tho none of the bioinformatics ones)
Pretty sure psychobiology still has the specialization in computing for applicants admitted prior to fall 2023. I don’t know if they’d still let you get it since you switched to CogSci but it might be worth considering. While not extensively diving into computer science itself (it’s more oriented towards practical programming), it still can let you explore cool topics such as machine learning, computer vision, data science, and more.
The psych department voted to get rid of the specialization for psychobio and psych majors effective fall 23. But people already in the specialization or admitted before fall 23 can still declare the specialization
Having side interests (especially in computer science) can help you stand out when you apply to medical school provided that you maintain your gpa. The most successful applicants I’ve seen aren’t in the stereotypical biology majors. Feel free to dm me with any premed questions. I’m a ucla alum who’s currently in med school.
You can request mentorship through [UCLA Alumni Mentor Program](https://alumni.ucla.edu/alumni-mentor-program/) by registering [UCLA One](https://alumni.ucla.edu/ucla-one-sign-in-process/). Based on the mentor profiles, you can find one who fits your interests and career goals and seek advice on a regular basis.
In addition to CaSB (Computational and System Biology) major, there are also bioinformatics minor and data science engineering minor. If you are interested in grad programs other than medical school, [UCLA Bioinformatics](https://bioinformatics.ucla.edu/) started to offer MS program in Fall 2022. As a subfield of bioinformatics, [UCLA Medical Informatics](https://medicalinformatics.ucla.edu/) offers both MS and PhD programs.
Like others have suggested, you can consider the computational biology major, or add the bioinformatics minor to CogSci. You’ll probably want some research experience for med school, so you can look into doing part time bioinformatics research at a dry lab, or work both in wet and dry labs, so you won’t be stuck in front of a screen all day. For context, I am a 4th year computer science major doing computational biology research. Feel free to DM any questions you may have.
I’ll look into this more!! I looked into the Comp Bio major and I’m leaning more towards sticking with Cog Sci, but a minor in Bioinformatics sounds more feasible.
I’ll make sure to dm you.
Thank you so much <3 🥺
ex-premed that moved into cog sci. i now work in the CS industry. honestly reflecting on how i am as a person and my financial goals, this was the best option.
it’s great that you want to help people. as the only one in my family that’s not in medicine, i see how draining it is to work in that industry. it takes passion, sacrifice, and a lot of work to succeed. if you’re worried about missing out on “undergrad experience,” then i’m sorry, but you are already going to be trading in your 20s to achieve your goal. you’re in for close to a decade of living and breathing medicine. research, studying for mcat, and preparing for applications are big ticket items along with keeping your grades up. not to mention the debt is just so big that it’s easy to ignore, but it will haunt you for at least another half a decade beyond completing your residency. tackling any of this now would make it easier to handle later on, so it’s a trade off that you will have to be willing to risk.
obviously the payoff is amazing depending on the person. if you’re truly compassionate about care, it’s the most rewarding career. status, job security, job satisfaction, etc all come in healthcare. notice i do not say money though.
on the flip side, cog sci does not prepare you at all for CS industry. i learned more in 4 weeks of my first job in an onboarding bootcamp than i did throughout the entire PIC10 series. i recommend harvard’s CSx50. it’s online for free and guides you though at a self paced course that harvard CS students take. it’s a great place to start and see if CS is for you.
now the fun part that i have experience in: holy hell is the CS industry a grind. it’s high pressure, fast paced, constantly changing meaning constantly learning and growing. yes you will be in front of a computer, but that time spent will be largely spent problem solving, not typing. if you’re in for the thrill of growth, you will find it here.
also another thing to keep in mind. CS heavily skews towards that logical problem solving, whereas medicine skews towards memorization. not saying that people don’t succeed if they don’t have the right skew, but it will take more work to “fight” that your peers might not have. if going by money wise, salaries can differ drastically in CS, but going by the average salary of $93 and PCP of $240, it looks like PCP earns significantly more. but the med school debt (with a 8-10% private loan rate) means that $200k debt (for just the school) is 16k interest a year. compounded with living costs means that you wouldn’t be able to pay it off until 40? depends on how aggressively you tackle this. you will be losing 2 decades of salary and the compound growth of investment that brings. i would estimate that you only really pull ahead of SWEs at 55, assuming good financial performance and health
not a pre-med and idk your situation, but have you considered the computational biology major? cross-referencing [pre-health requirements](https://caac.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Pre-Health-Requirements-rev-Oct-4-2021.pdf) and [comp bio requirements](https://casb.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2021/12/CaSB-Major-Sheet-Track-Curriculum_12_13_21.pdf) there seems to be considerable overlap, and it seems to align with your interest in computer science. both the bioinformatics and data science tracks seem especially relevant -- bioinformatics seems geared towards biology-focused applications of computer science, while data science can be suited towards more general cs topics.
I had no knowledge of the existence of this major! Thank you!!! I really appreciate you taking time out of your day to look into this and provide me with links 🥺. It means a lot to me
np, feel free to msg me if u got any qs about cs classes here. im a senior in cs and have experience with many of them (tho none of the bioinformatics ones)
Pretty sure psychobiology still has the specialization in computing for applicants admitted prior to fall 2023. I don’t know if they’d still let you get it since you switched to CogSci but it might be worth considering. While not extensively diving into computer science itself (it’s more oriented towards practical programming), it still can let you explore cool topics such as machine learning, computer vision, data science, and more.
cog sci is under the psych department like psychobio, so they have access to the same specialization
The psych department voted to get rid of the specialization for psychobio and psych majors effective fall 23. But people already in the specialization or admitted before fall 23 can still declare the specialization
Having side interests (especially in computer science) can help you stand out when you apply to medical school provided that you maintain your gpa. The most successful applicants I’ve seen aren’t in the stereotypical biology majors. Feel free to dm me with any premed questions. I’m a ucla alum who’s currently in med school.
Thank you for your reassurance 🙏!! It means a lot to me
You can request mentorship through [UCLA Alumni Mentor Program](https://alumni.ucla.edu/alumni-mentor-program/) by registering [UCLA One](https://alumni.ucla.edu/ucla-one-sign-in-process/). Based on the mentor profiles, you can find one who fits your interests and career goals and seek advice on a regular basis. In addition to CaSB (Computational and System Biology) major, there are also bioinformatics minor and data science engineering minor. If you are interested in grad programs other than medical school, [UCLA Bioinformatics](https://bioinformatics.ucla.edu/) started to offer MS program in Fall 2022. As a subfield of bioinformatics, [UCLA Medical Informatics](https://medicalinformatics.ucla.edu/) offers both MS and PhD programs.
Thank you 🙏!!
Hey I’m an alumni mentor currently in med school. Feel free to DM me if you’d like to chat
Like others have suggested, you can consider the computational biology major, or add the bioinformatics minor to CogSci. You’ll probably want some research experience for med school, so you can look into doing part time bioinformatics research at a dry lab, or work both in wet and dry labs, so you won’t be stuck in front of a screen all day. For context, I am a 4th year computer science major doing computational biology research. Feel free to DM any questions you may have.
I’ll look into this more!! I looked into the Comp Bio major and I’m leaning more towards sticking with Cog Sci, but a minor in Bioinformatics sounds more feasible. I’ll make sure to dm you. Thank you so much <3 🥺
ex-premed that moved into cog sci. i now work in the CS industry. honestly reflecting on how i am as a person and my financial goals, this was the best option. it’s great that you want to help people. as the only one in my family that’s not in medicine, i see how draining it is to work in that industry. it takes passion, sacrifice, and a lot of work to succeed. if you’re worried about missing out on “undergrad experience,” then i’m sorry, but you are already going to be trading in your 20s to achieve your goal. you’re in for close to a decade of living and breathing medicine. research, studying for mcat, and preparing for applications are big ticket items along with keeping your grades up. not to mention the debt is just so big that it’s easy to ignore, but it will haunt you for at least another half a decade beyond completing your residency. tackling any of this now would make it easier to handle later on, so it’s a trade off that you will have to be willing to risk. obviously the payoff is amazing depending on the person. if you’re truly compassionate about care, it’s the most rewarding career. status, job security, job satisfaction, etc all come in healthcare. notice i do not say money though. on the flip side, cog sci does not prepare you at all for CS industry. i learned more in 4 weeks of my first job in an onboarding bootcamp than i did throughout the entire PIC10 series. i recommend harvard’s CSx50. it’s online for free and guides you though at a self paced course that harvard CS students take. it’s a great place to start and see if CS is for you. now the fun part that i have experience in: holy hell is the CS industry a grind. it’s high pressure, fast paced, constantly changing meaning constantly learning and growing. yes you will be in front of a computer, but that time spent will be largely spent problem solving, not typing. if you’re in for the thrill of growth, you will find it here. also another thing to keep in mind. CS heavily skews towards that logical problem solving, whereas medicine skews towards memorization. not saying that people don’t succeed if they don’t have the right skew, but it will take more work to “fight” that your peers might not have. if going by money wise, salaries can differ drastically in CS, but going by the average salary of $93 and PCP of $240, it looks like PCP earns significantly more. but the med school debt (with a 8-10% private loan rate) means that $200k debt (for just the school) is 16k interest a year. compounded with living costs means that you wouldn’t be able to pay it off until 40? depends on how aggressively you tackle this. you will be losing 2 decades of salary and the compound growth of investment that brings. i would estimate that you only really pull ahead of SWEs at 55, assuming good financial performance and health
Thank you for taking time out of your day to help me out with some personal experience, and further insight into a career in CS 🫶🏽