Division of Nutrition at Harvard Medical School (2024)

FAQs

Is a nutrition degree good for med school? ›

“nu*trition science is built for pre-health professionals,” Brandley said. “It's built for dental students, PA (physician assistant) students, and doctors. The degree is set up to get your prerequisites so that you can take your entrance exam and get into medical school while also getting a nutrition background.

HMS is renowned for its intense competitiveness, reflected in an acceptance rate of around 3.7%, making it one of the most challenging medical schools to secure admission. For the class of 2027, HMS received about 7,000 applications and granted 789 interviews.

There's little, if any, financial incentive for doctors to keep patients from getting sick in the first place. So why would they invest time in helping patients develop healthier diets? “Nutrition is not really reimbursable,” McWhorter says.

There is a wide range for potential financial growth in both disciplines, but generally, dietitians make more. For nutritionists, pursuing further training and becoming a Registered Dietitian can be a path to higher salary.

In medical school, students receive an average of only 19 hours of nutrition education total over 4 years (often focused on biochemistry and rare disease states) and 0 hours in most physician training after medical school. Furthermore, physicians in practice typically receive no nutrition CME.

If your MCAT and GPA are excellent (517 and 3.8 or higher) or there are other extenuating circ*mstances about your background that distinguish you, try applying. Many people in medicine consider HMS the best medical school in the country so do what is within your control to make yourself a competitive applicant!

What is the lowest GPA accepted to Harvard Medical School? While Harvard Medical School is highly competitive, the lowest GPA accepted tends to be around 3.0. However, this can fluctuate from year to year based on the applicant pool and other factors.

Harvard Medical School Scholarships

This program is funded from endowed funds, current fundraising, and unrestricted income. For a full-need student, the HMS scholarship funding covers both tuition and mandatory fees.

Although nutrition education varies by school, a 2021 survey of medical schools in the U.S. and U.K., published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, found that most students receive an average of 11 hours of nutrition training throughout an entire medical program.

Nutrition is a complex, multidisciplinary field that combines biological sciences, economics, politics, human behavior, and environmental science. Pursuing a Master's in Nutrition online involves a science-heavy curriculum as students complete biology, chemistry, pathophysiology, and biochemistry courses.

Which major is best for medical school? ›

There's a misconception that students should major in biology or another science if they want to get into medical school. In fact, there's no required or even preferred majors that medical schools are looking for. Consider majoring in whatever interests you and will keep you engaged and motivated during undergrad.

Application to medical school requires the successful completion of several courses in the basic sciences. This is true of all American medical schools. Majoring in nutrition has nothing to do with it. You can major in anything you like as long as you fulfill the requirements of all applicants.

Food science and technology is a license to get creative and be analytical or get on a pre-professional track: pre-med, pre-dental, pre-pharm, pre-vet.

A degree in nutrition can lead to various career paths, including becoming a registered dietitian, nutritionist, food scientist, health educator, or working in the food industry. If any of these roles align with your goals, a degree in nutrition might be suitable.