Is Kinesiology a Good Pre-Med Major?

If you’re reading this article, you’re probably an incoming freshman just beginning your pre-med journey, or you’ve been at this for a year or two and are looking to change your major. Most pre-meds choose to study biology because it’s the most intuitive option. But as long as you know what classes you need to take for the medical schools you want to attend, you can usually fit these into your electives if you choose to major in something else. 

The reality of it is that there’s no such thing as the perfect pre-med major. This was hard for me to wrap my head around even when my general bio II professor started our third week of class with an enlightening speech about how they were preparing us to become biologists, not doctors (I guess they had already gotten sick of us pre-meds asking how the course content applied to the human body. That’s our bad). But I’m glad this biology doctor decided to uplift all the pre-health students sitting in their auditorium that morning because it got me thinking about how I wanted to spend my time in undergrad.

Now, my professor was right when they said they were teaching us how to be biologists and not doctors. And that didn’t really bother me, other than the fact that I didn’t want to be a biologist (I also later found out that a lot of the bio professors at the university I attended before transferring were once pre-med kids that didn’t quite make the cut, so I guess they were a little salty towards anyone still chasing their dream of becoming a physician). So, I looked at this as an opportunity to major in something I had a genuine interest in. 

Even though you can study anything and still go to med school, changing your major is easier said than done when you’re an anxious pre-med. Especially when biology seems like the safest option. It took me another year to go through with making the switch, but choosing to major in kinesiology was one of the best decisions I made during college. 

What is Kinesiology?

Broadly speaking, kinesiology is the study of human movement. Think of it as a human-centric biology. For example, a kines neuroscience course will focus strictly on the human nervous system and how it works together with other organ systems to produce movement (and other bodily functions), while a biology student taking a neurobiology class will learn about the nervous system of various vertebrates and invertebrates.

What Classes Do You Take as a Kinesiology Major?

Kinesiology programs can vary between schools, with some focusing more on exercise physiology and allied health while other programs offer more options for pre-med and pre-PA students. This is why I majored in biology at my first university but decided to change my major when I transferred to LSU, which has a strong pre-med track under its kines program. Here’s an example of LSU’s kinesiology 4-year plan for the human movement science pre-med concentration, which is what I majored in:

As you can see, the first and second semesters almost mirror that of a biology curriculum outside of the KIN activity course. You’ll start taking kinesiology courses (also referred to as your “major courses”) during your sophomore year. This is because you’ll first need a foundation in the basic sciences so you can apply these concepts to the human body in your kines classes. 

As a kinesiology major, your major courses will cover human anatomy and physiology, principles of strength and conditioning, motor learning and performance, motor development across the lifespan, statistics for exercise tests and population health, biomechanics, sports history, exercise physiology, psychosocial influences on physical activity, and neuroanatomy. Majority of the required/recommended classes for medical school will be included in a pre-med-focused kinesiology degree program. You’ll also have plenty of elective credits you can use for any other recommended pre-med courses, like biochemistry, genetics, upper-level science classes, and humanities.

(For reference, medical schools typically require 2 semesters of general biology + lab, 2 semesters of general chemistry + lab, 2 semesters of organic chemistry + lab, 1 semester of math, 2 semesters of physics + lab, 1 semester of a social science (psychology, sociology), and 1 semester of English.)

Why I Majored in Kinesiology as a Pre-Med Student

The biggest reason I changed my major to kinesiology was because there are too many patients who go to the doctor for problems that are caused and/or exacerbated by poor lifestyle choices but only leave with the platitudes of “eat better” and “lose weight”. We have to do better for our patients. These recommendations are often given in lieu of an actionable exercise prescription, which is something my kinesiology background will allow me to address in my future practice. After working as a medical assistant for over a year and a half, I’ve seen that there are so many people who want to do better for themselves but just don’t know where to start.

(As an aside, this is by no means an excuse for living an unhealthy lifestyle. All of the information you need to improve your diet and start exercising is available for free on the Internet. But we’re not telling people who come in for the flu to go home and google how to treat it just because the information is available online.)

The second most important reason I changed my major from biology to kinesiology was that I wanted to focus on human-centric systems. I knew I would have a strong foundation in the basic sciences while also having the opportunity to apply these concepts specifically to the human body (learning about human metabolism was a lot cooler than plant metabolism). I found that the course load each semester was more reasonable for me since I was in the Honors College and heavily involved in research. It also helped that a lot of the required courses for med school were already covered in the kines curriculum, and I had plenty of elective credits that I was able to use to take genetics, cadaver lab (as an undergrad!), and my honors thesis courses. I even had enough room in my schedule to add a minor in communication studies.

The biology professors at LSU were 1,000x better than what I had experienced in the past, and the faculty and staff within the School of Kinesiology were INCREDIBLY supportive of my career goals and research interests. There was also less competition between students when it came to getting involved in research because fewer students were competing for spots in the lab (this was because kines had fewer pre-med students than the biology department, and most PT, OT, and PA schools don’t require research).

Should You Major in Kinesiology as a Pre-Med Student?

What this question is usually asking is “Should I major in biology or kinesiology if I want to go to medical school?”. Like the answer to most things, it depends. Both degrees can get you where you want to be if your goal is to become a doctor. Some people consider what their career options will be outside of medicine if they were to decide that they didn’t want to be a doctor anymore to help them with their decision.

These are common questions and misconceptions I had when I was deciding whether or not to change my major that might help clear up some confusion:

   1. Kinesiology is easier than biology.

Is it easier or is studying less painful because you’re actually interested in what you’re learning? I think math is hard, but it might be your best subject. The point is, difficulty is relative. Don’t choose a major based on how difficult it is or how you think it’ll look to medical schools. They would rather see that you made A’s in humanities than C’s in engineering. 

   2. Medical schools prefer students who major in biology, chemistry, or engineering over kinesiology.

One of the least interesting things about your application will be your college major, especially since the majority of med school applicants major in science. If med schools were that biased, I wouldn’t have gotten in.

    3. Biology majors score better on the MCAT.

Math and stats majors score higher on the MCAT than any other college major (source). The AAMC doesn’t track this information specifically for applicants who studied kinesiology during undergrad, but some schools do their own internal data collection. For example, kinesiology students have higher average MCAT scores than biology students at LSU.

    4. Human anatomy and physiology aren’t part of a pre-med biology curriculum, and das just crazy!!

Yeah it is, couillon!

One of my favorite things about being an ambassador for my college during undergrad was getting to help students decide what they should major in when they were just starting their pre-med journey. I could relate to how confusing the whole process was for someone who didn’t know anyone who’s been to medical school. Just remember that your major will not determine whether or not you get into med school. And always take advice from people who have never been to med school with a grain truckload of salt. As long as your narrative is unique to you and you can communicate why you chose your path, you’ll be prepared to talk about pretty much anything that might come up on a med school secondary application or during an interview. 

If you have any questions or are thinking about changing your major, feel encouraged to reach out here or on Instagram!

Related Articles