Pre-Medicine
Preparation for Medical School
What should I major in if I want to go to medical school? There is not a
specific major that is required for admittance into a medical program.
With your advisor’s help you can design a program of study that meets the
admission requirements of medical school while still studying what interests you
the most. Most medical schools are seeking students who have
developed excellent writing and speaking skills, possess analytic and synthetic
thinking ability, are enthusiastic life-long learners and possess an
understanding of the interpersonal aspects of medicine. Your major
does not determine your success in being accepted to medical school. There
are
Allopathic Medical Schools (M.D),
Naturopathic Medical Schools (N.D.) and
Osteopathic Medical Schools
(D.O.).
Undergraduate Preparation
The “pre-med”
suggested 4 year plan
is a beginning point for students. There are certain criteria
that must be fulfilled for admittance to medical school. You
and your academic advisor will need to examine your interests, your academic
record and the requirements to determine the best academic path for you.
Most schools require:
- CHEM 1110/1111 & 1120/1121 - General chemistry with lab, (2
semesters)
- CHEM 3510/3511 & 3520/3521 - Organic chemistry with lab, (2
semesters)
- BIOL 1110/1111 & 3060/3061 - General biology with lab, (2 semesters)
- PHYS 2010/2011 & 2020/2021 - Physics with lab, (2 semesters)
- MATH 1730 or 1830 or 1910 - College level math (some schools also
specify calculus)
- MATH 1530 - Statistics or BIOL 4100 - Biostatistics
- ENG 1010 & 1020 - English Composition
Early in your academic career you need to research the medical schools you
are interested in attending to ensure you will meet all their criteria for
admission. Some basic factors common to all professional
schools include:
- Good undergraduate grades (overall GPA of 3.67, science GPA 3.61,
non-science GPA 3.73)
- Competitive MCAT Test scores (9.7 VR, 9.9 PS, 10.2 BS = 29.8 avg, P WS)
- True interest in profession as demonstrated by shadowing or volunteering
in the field
- Service-related experiences in people-oriented environments – long term
service preferred to short bursts of unrelated service activities
- Exceptional communication skills
- Strong reference letters from professionals who know your character, as
well as, your work ethic
Data source: AAMC Facts average GPA and MCAT scores for 2008 TN
Matriculants. In 2008, there were 42,231 applicants and 18,036 matriculants
to U.S. Medical Schools
