Arguments for Latin:
* Medical Terminology: A significant portion of medical terminology derives from Latin roots. Studying Latin can improve your understanding and memorization of these terms, potentially giving you a slight edge in learning medical vocabulary. However, you can learn the necessary medical terminology without formal Latin study. Many medical schools offer resources to help with this.
* Improved Critical Thinking & Reading Comprehension: Learning Latin can strengthen your analytical and deductive reasoning skills, which are valuable in any academic pursuit, including medicine.
Arguments for Greek:
* Medical Terminology (less direct): While less prevalent than Latin, some medical terms also have Greek roots.
* History of Medicine: Understanding the historical context of medicine can be enriching, and Greek civilization played a crucial role in its development. However, this benefit is largely tangential to medical school success.
Conclusion:
For premed, focusing on strong performance in biology, chemistry, physics, and math courses is far more crucial for medical school applications than learning either Greek or Latin. While Latin *might* offer a slight advantage in memorizing medical terminology, this is easily overcome through diligent study of medical terminology resources.
If you have a passion for classical languages and enjoy the challenge, go for it! But don't choose one over the other, or over other important premed coursework, solely for a perceived advantage in medical school. Prioritize your core science courses and a strong GPA.