Is Social Work a Good Degree For Pre-Med?

Medical school applicants don't need to have a specific major. While many pre-med students earn science degrees, plenty of others major in fields like humanities and social sciences.

Some students choose to earn their bachelor's degree in social work before applying to med school. A social work degree works well as a pre-med program if students still take necessary science courses.

What Is a Social Work Degree?

Social work degree programs teach students about the social welfare system and how to help people through that system. The two most common types of social work degrees are Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) and Master of Social Work (MSW) degrees.

Students in BSW programs learn the ins and outs of social policy and social systems. These programs often include coursework like:

• ethics in social work
• human behavior and the social environment
• social welfare policy
• social work practice
• social work research

Many social work programs require students to complete internships or practicums. Some also offer concentrations like child welfare or public health.

Read more: Is a Social Work Degree Right for Me?

Benefits of a Social Work Degree for Pre-Med Students

There is no specific undergraduate degree required for admission to medical school. Students can major in a variety of fields, including social science fields like social work.

Social work can be a great major for pre-med students as long as you ensure you take the necessary pre-med courses like biology, biochemistry, and organic chemistry. It can also help you score highly on the Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior section on the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT).

Below, we've listed some additional benefits of a social work degree for pre-med students who want to become a doctor.

Improved Communication Skills

One key aspect of social work is the need to know how to effectively communicate with both clients and other members of the social work team. As a result, many social work programs help students develop their communication skills.

Communication skills are also necessary for those in healthcare. Doctors need to have strong communication skills so they can provide the best care to their patients. A bachelor's degree in social work can prepare you for the communication skills you'll need as a doctor.

Exposure to Interdisciplinary Teamwork

Social workers don't work alone; they're part of a multifaceted team that works together to help clients navigate the social welfare system. Social work degrees cover interdisciplinary and interdepartmental teamwork to help students learn collaborative skills.

Doctors don't work alone either. They need to work with other doctors and specialists, nurses, and healthcare administrators, among others. The same teamwork skills taught in social work programs will easily transfer into health professions.

Strengthened Cultural Competency

Social workers often work with underserved communities, which often include a variety of cultures. Cultural understanding and sensitivity are covered in social work programs, and many of these programs also offer elective courses that focus on specific cultures so students can learn more about those they want to help.

One of the skills that doctors need include cultural competency so they can serve their patients in the best way possible, as culture can dictate patient health and treatment. By earning a degree in social work, you'll go into med school with strong cultural competencies already in place.

Advocacy and Leadership Abilities

Another key topic taught in undergrad social work programs is advocacy. Social workers need to be able to advocate for their clients' needs to get them the resources they deserve. These programs also teach leadership skills so students will be prepared to lead in the field of social work.

Doctors also need to be able to advocate for their patients to get them the resources and treatments that their patients need. Leadership is also an important quality for doctors since they need to be able to delegate tasks and lead medical teams. By earning a bachelor's in social work, you'll be prepared to lead and advocate in your medical career.

Better Ethical Decision-Making

Ethics is a huge part of social work. Social workers need to adhere to a strict code of ethics in order to ensure that they're helping each client to the best of their abilities.

Ethics is important for doctors as well, but medical students may not spend a lot of time covering ethics. Learning about ethics in your bachelor's degree program will allow you to make better ethical decisions in the medical field.

How Social Work and Pre-Med Are Connected

Pre-med refers to a curriculum or program made up of prerequisite courses for medical school. Some schools offer these alongside other bachelor's majors and some offer specific pre-med majors.

Social work is focused on helping people through social services. Pre-med programs, meanwhile, are focused on preparing students for medical school admissions by covering all pre-med requirements, especially science courses.

However, there are some ways in which social work and pre-med programs are connected, and we've dug deeper into those ways below.

Patient-Centered Care

Because both social work and healthcare are focused on providing patient-centered care, both social work and pre-med programs cover this type of care. Patient-centered care is care that takes into account each patient's individual medical needs and desired health outcomes to determine heath care plans.

While social work isn't a medical field, the same idea applies. Social workers need to evaluate each client's needs and end goals, and then work with them to develop a plan to achieve these goals.

Health Equity and Advocacy

Equity and advocacy are a core part of social work degrees and the field of social work in general. Social workers must advocate for fair, appropriate services for their clients.

In the same way, doctors and other healthcare workers need to be able to advocate for their patients and promote health equity. Pre-med programs often include a course or two that covers advocacy and health equity.

Interdisciplinary Approach

Social work is part of the social sciences, but within that, it covers multiple topics, including human behavior, public health, and public policy. This interdisciplinary curriculum allows social workers to tackle a variety of client needs.

Medicine is interdisciplinary as well. Not only do doctors need to understand the human body, medical disorders, and treatments, but they need to understand medical laws, human behavior, cultural differences, and more.

Mental Health Support

Mental health is a topic frequently covered in social work programs. These programs usually include courses on human behavior and mental health so that social workers can provide mental health support to their clients.

Pre-med programs also often cover mental health, especially as it relates to psychology. This is important because mental health can often affect a patient's overall health.