Baccalaureate preparation for medical school: does type of degree make a difference?

Four groups of medical school matriculants (43 with a B.A. degree in social sciences, 68 with a B.A. degree in the humanities, 49 with a B.A. degree in science, and 40 with a B.S. degree in science) were studied. No significant difference was found among the four groups on yearly grade-point averages in medical school or on parts I, II, and III of the examinations of the National Board of Medical Examiners. Those with an undergraduate degree in the humanities considered leaving medical school more frequently than the others. A substantial proportion of medical students with an undergraduate major in the sciences and social sciences reported they would choose the humanities if they were once again high school seniors. Those with a science background were disproportionately more likely than the others to choose residencies in internal medicine and surgery, and those with undergraduate degrees in the humanities and social sciences were more likely to choose psychiatry residencies.