Pre-medical (often shortened to
pre-med) is a term used to describe a track an undergraduate student in the United States pursues prior to becoming a medical student. It refers to the activities that prepare an undergraduate student for
medical schoolMedical school in the United States is a four year graduate institution with the purpose of educating physicians in the field of medicine.-Admissions:...
, such as pre-med coursework, volunteer activities, clinical experience, research, and the application process.
In most colleges and universities, students do not have the option of a pre-medical
majorAn academic major, major concentration, concentration, or simply major is mainly a U.S. and Canadian term for a college or university student's main field of specialization during his or her undergraduate studies which would be in addition to, and may incorporate portions of, a core curriculum...
.
Pre-medical (often shortened to
pre-med) is a term used to describe a track an undergraduate student in the United States pursues prior to becoming a medical student. It refers to the activities that prepare an undergraduate student for
medical schoolMedical school in the United States is a four year graduate institution with the purpose of educating physicians in the field of medicine.-Admissions:...
, such as pre-med coursework, volunteer activities, clinical experience, research, and the application process.
Major
In most colleges and universities, students do not have the option of a pre-medical
majorAn academic major, major concentration, concentration, or simply major is mainly a U.S. and Canadian term for a college or university student's main field of specialization during his or her undergraduate studies which would be in addition to, and may incorporate portions of, a core curriculum...
. A student on a pre-med track is permitted to choose any undergraduate major in any field of study, so long as certain required courses are completed. Such courses are generally focused in scientific fields of
biologyBiology is the natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy...
and
chemistryChemistry is the science concerned with the composition, behavior, structure, and properties of matter, as well as the changes it undergoes during chemical reactions...
, and are necessary for an individual to be prepared for the
Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)The Medical College Admission Test, commonly known as the MCAT, is a computer-based standardized examination for prospective medical students in the United States and Canada. It is designed to assess problem solving, critical thinking, written analysis, and writing skills in addition to knowledge...
and satisfy medical school pre-requisite requirements. It is for this reason students on a pre-med track generally undertake a major associated with one of those fields; however, a large percentage of medical school matriculants do not major in a science field at all as an undergraduate. In fact, "more humanities students have been applying in recent years, and medical schools like them".
Pre-med timeline
Typical pre-med students will structure their coursework in their first year at college to accommodate the required courses. After a semester, many pursue extracurricular activities that demonstrate a commitment to medicine. Once junior year arrives, students register for and take the
MCATThe Medical College Admission Test, commonly known as the MCAT, is a computer-based standardized examination for prospective medical students in the United States and Canada. It is designed to assess problem solving, critical thinking, written analysis, and writing skills in addition to knowledge...
, the required standardized exam that medical schools use to identify qualified candidates. Once the test is taken, students apply to various schools using the automated AMCAS system, or using a non-AMCAS-using school's own application. AMCAS primary applications are verified by AMCAS staff, a process that often takes four weeks. The application process consists of a review of GPA, MCAT scores, coursework, activities, work experience, and a personal statement. Applicants can expect to hear from schools within 1-2 months, at which point they may receive "secondary applications". Different schools have different policies on sending secondary applications to students; many send secondary applications to all students, others "screen" applications prior to inviting an applicant to submit a secondary application. These applications are generated by each individual school. They generally contain essay questions that the applicant must answer related to dedication to medicine, stressful situations encountered, leadership experience, etc. Qualified applicants can next expect to receive invitations to interview at schools. Such an invitation is generally considered an accomplishment with regards to the amount of time and work applicants put into building their candidacies. Upon completion of the interview, the application process is considered "complete," and the student can then wait for letters from schools.
Increasingly, more experienced applicants are pursuing admittance to medical school, often through a "post-baccalaureate" program. These programs may be formal, such as the programs offered through Columbia, Johns Hopkins, Georgetown or Loyola, but often consist of a student informally enrolling in a college to complete science coursework prior to sitting for the MCAT.
Coursework
The
Association of American Medical CollegesThe Association of American Medical Colleges is a non-profit organization based in Washington, DC and established in 1876. It is involved in the accreditation of M.D.-granting medical schools and teaching hospitals in Canada and the United States. It is also the administrator of the Medical...
has created standard required courses that every pre-med student must take. Each school is allowed to place its own further requirements.
The pre-medical coursework is offered at many American colleges and universities; however, it is considered to be a "track" that follows a certain curriculum. Most pre-medical students major in the natural sciences, such as
biologyBiology is the natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy...
,
chemistryChemistry is the science concerned with the composition, behavior, structure, and properties of matter, as well as the changes it undergoes during chemical reactions...
, or
physicsPhysics is a natural science; it is the study of matter and its motion through spacetime and all that derives from these, such as energy and force...
, though this is not a requirement. Approximately 25% of matriculants major in a field other than the natural and physical sciences, such as anthropology, philosophy, or other humanities.
The typical courses that must be taken to meet the pre-medical requirement are:
- General Chemistry
Chemistry is the science concerned with the composition, behavior, structure, and properties of matter, as well as the changes it undergoes during chemical reactions...
2 semesters/3 quarters (with laboratories)
- General Biology
Biology is the natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy...
2 semesters/3 quarters (with laboratories) (some schools allow zoology in place of second semester)
- Organic Chemistry
Organic chemistry is a discipline within chemistry which involves the scientific study of the structure, properties, composition, reactions, and preparation of chemical compounds that contain carbon...
2 semesters/3 quarters (with laboratories) (some schools allow biochemistry in place of second semester)
- General Physics
Physics is a natural science; it is the study of matter and its motion through spacetime and all that derives from these, such as energy and force...
2 semesters/3 quarters (with laboratories)
- Often additional quarters/semesters of math are required. Calculus
Calculus is a discipline in mathematics focused on limits, functions, derivatives, integrals, and infinite series. This subject constitutes a major part of modern mathematics education. It has two major branches, differential calculus and integral calculus, which are related by the fundamental...
1 and either calculus 2 or a course in statisticsStatistics is a branch of mathematics concerned with collecting and interpreting data. According to other definitions, it is a mathematical science pertaining to the collection, analysis, interpretation or explanation, and presentation of data. Statisticians improve the quality of data with the...
are preferential.
- Additional English and Writing courses beyond those needed for undergraduate degree may be required depending on the school.
Pre-medical students may be advised or required to take upper level
biologyBiology is the natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy...
and
chemistryChemistry is the science concerned with the composition, behavior, structure, and properties of matter, as well as the changes it undergoes during chemical reactions...
electives, such as cellular biology,
physical chemistryPhysical chemistry is the explanation of macroscopic, microscopic, atomic, subatomic, and particulate phenomena in chemical systems in terms of physical concepts; sometimes using the principles, practices and concepts of physics like thermodynamics, quantum chemistry, statistical mechanics and...
,
biochemistryBiochemistry is the study of the chemical processes in living organisms. It deals with the structure and function of cellular components such as proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids and other biomolecules....
,
geneticsGenetics, , a discipline of biology, is the science of heredity and variation in living organisms. The fact that living things inherit traits from their parents has been used since prehistoric times to improve crop plants and animals through selective breeding...
, etc. Specific requirements for these courses vary by institution.
Schools may also have requirements for non-science classes. Some schools require a certain number of general
humanitiesThe humanities are academic disciplines which study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytic, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural and social sciences....
credits, while others have specific requirements for courses in
EnglishEnglish studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
,
PsychologyPsychology is an academic and applied discipline involving the systematic, and sometimes scientific, study of human or animal mental functions and behavior...
, or other disciplines.
Other countries
In
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
, a number of universities offer a three or four year Bachelor of Medical Science or Biomedical Science degree, which is similar in content and aim to pre-med courses in the US, as the majority of graduates attempt to gain entry to a graduate medical school. However, it is possible to gain entry to medical school following the completion of secondary school, as an undergraduate.