Academics

Health Professions > Medical School Preparation

Planning your Pre-Medical Curriculum

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Each medical school may have slightly different admissions criteria.  In addition, these requirements for admission can change from year to year.  Thus, applicants should make it a priority to contact all the schools and colleges to which they are interested in applying as early in their undergraduate career as possible and to refer to the detailed listings of each school in the Medical School Admissions Requirements (MSAR) booklet printed each year by the American Association of Medical Colleges.  Copies of the MSAR can be borrowed from any member of the HPAC.

General requirements – nearly all medical schools require at least one year of the following subject areas:  Biology w/lab, General Chemistry w/lab, Organic Chemistry w/lab, and General Physics w/lab. Most medical schools also require one or two semesters of Calculus/Statistics and English, and one semester of Cellular and Molecular Biology. 

Specific requirements - many schools recommend or require at least one semester of the following courses: public speaking, economics, and critical thinking, as well as courses distributed through the humanities and social sciences.

Recommended elective courses include:  Genetics, Biochemistry, Ethics, and Psychology courses.

In most cases, medical schools matriculate applicants with a cumulative science and pre-medical GPA of 3.7.  The HPAC has prepared recommended course schedules for students considering a major in the natural sciences.  These recommendations will primarily help with scheduling the first year or two, but students may need to adapt these recommendations to their own requirements.

MCAT (MEDICAL COLLEGE ADMISSION TEST):

Nearly all U.S. medical colleges require the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) of all applicants.

The MCAT will assess verbal reasoning, biological sciences, physical sciences, and writing ability.  You should be sure to have completed all or nearly all the required science coursework prior to taking the MCAT.  Also, because medical schools use MCAT scores differently, students should not take the MCAT until they are confident that they have studied effectively and are fully prepared to take the exam.

As of 2007, the MCAT will be administered electronically, and will likely be offered twenty-two times per calendar year, at designated testing locations.  The electronic format of the MCAT does allow for re-checking answers within a section if time allows.  The MCAT is not a progressive exam; all examinees answer the same questions in the same order.

Information about the MCAT is available online at http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/start.htm. This website will allow you to register for the test, view or download additional information, and access electronic practice exams. 

AMCAS:

With the exception of six public medical schools in Texas, and two others, nearly all U.S. allopathic medical schools require applicants to submit applications via AMCAS, a centralized application service.  (Schools for osteopathic medicine have a separate system, AACOMAS, described below.) Applicants who apply through AMCAS will submit a web-based application including biographical data, all colleges attended and coursework completed, work experience, extracurricular activities, and a personal statement.  Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended and MCAT scores are also submitted directly to AMCAS. AMCAS processes each application and checks it for accuracy, then forwards it to the schools the applicant has selected.  Admissions committees at the medical schools make all selection decisions.  If an applicant is selected in the initial screening, individual medical schools may invite him or her to submit a “secondary” or “supplemental” application that typically includes additional essays, school forms, legal residency, letters of recommendation, and an additional fee.  AMCAS also manages a Fee Assistance Program for applicants with financial limitations.  The FAP application must be completed before an applicant has paid either the MCAT or AMCAS registration fee.  For more detailed information you should read the introductory material in the MSAR or contact AMCAS directly:
American Medical College Application Service
Association of American Medical Colleges
2450 N Street, NW
Washington, DC 20037-1123

Phone: (202) 828-0600
E-mail: amcas@aamc.org
Web Site: http://www.aamc.org/students/amcas/start.htm
 

AACOMAS:

In addition to the 117 allopathic medical schools in the U.S., there are 20 osteopathic medical schools that offer a D.O. degree.  The D.O. degree is essentially equivalent to the M.D. but is distinct due to the different philosophies of osteopathic and allopathic medicine.  Osteopathic medicine typically takes a more holistic approach and makes use of hands-on diagnosis and treatment known as osteopathic manipulative medicine in addition to all the other tools and training of modern medicine.  More information on osteopathic medicine can be found at: http://www.aacom.org/home-applicants/.

As with AMCAS, osteopathic medical schools use a centralized application service known as AACOMAS, through which applicants may submit their initial application for verification and distribution to the schools chosen by the applicant.  The process of application to M.D. and D.O. schools is very similar, with the exception that applicants to D.O. schools must shadow a licensed, practicing D.O. and include a recommendation letter from that individual in his or her application.  For more information, download and read the College Information Booklet available on the AACOM website, or contact AACOM directly:
American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine
5550 Friendship Blvd., Suite 310
Chevy Chase MD 20815-7231

Phone: (301) 968-4100
Web site: http://www.aacom.org/

DEVELOPMENT OF PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES:

In addition to academic and scientific preparation, medical schools look for personal attributes in each applicant that indicate the potential to be a capable and caring physician.  Research, service, and leadership in extracurricular activities are all means of building and demonstrating these personal attributes.  In addition, medical schools particularly look for applicants who have a strong familiarity with the practice of medicine through volunteer work and by shadowing a physician.  While a letter of evaluation from a practicing physician is not required (with the exception of osteopathic schools, noted above), taking the opportunity to get to know the profession through extended interactions with one or more physicians is strongly encouraged.  A significant clinical experience with a physician will likely strengthen your personal statement, as well as better prepare you for your future studies.