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Visit our Premed
Forum for details and discussion of medical school requirements
There are no set-in-stone
requirements for every medical school. Many medical schools will
make exceptions or emphasize different courses and topics in their
admissions process. However, there is a basic set of courses and
examinations that is commonly accepted as basic medical school requirements
that will be considered by nearly every school.
Most often, an initial screen of applicants is done by computer
to ensure that basic things like courses taken, GPA and MCAT scores
meet a desired minimum. After that, it's all about the person and
not the numbers. The medical
school admissions process is a mix of science and art. To get
an idea of how competitive your mcat
scores and GPA are, try our Medical
School Search tool.
Coursework
The commonly accepted coursework requirements for medical
school include a minimum of 1 year of:
- General biology
- Physics with lab
- General chemistry (inorganic chemistry) with lab
- Organic chemistry with lab
- Calculus
- English
If you are planning to do your premedical coursework after
you get your undergraduate degree, you can take these courses at
nearly any four-year college.
GPA
Medical school admissions are competitive, so you need to have
a strong GPA. A GPA above 3.5 is preferrable. A GPA below 3.5
can somtimes raise a flag, especially if you attended a school
famous for grade-inflation, like Harvard. While things might have
changed a little at Harvard, there is still the impression that
everyone gets a minimum 3.3, so the GPA cutoff might be more strictly
enforced.
MCAT
Your MCAT scores are important. They say little about you as
a person, but they are given substantial weight by medical schools.
The sections of the MCAT are similar to the required coursework:
physical sciences (physics and inorganic chemistry), biological
sciences (biology and organic chemistry), verbal, and a writing
sample.
It has been estimated that 70-80% of all medical school applicants
have taken an MCAT
test prep course.
Baccalaureate Diploma
You need a college degree. BUT, it does not have to be
in the sciences. In fact, for some schools a science degree is a
negative - Johns Hopkins, for example. You need to show medical
schools you are passionate about something. That you're willing
to spend four years, study a topic you love, learn it, and be able
to build on it. Selecting a college major should not be about getting
into medical school, it should be about study what you love
to think about or do.
Research - optional
If you do enjoy science, then research is one way to show
you're serious about it. If you're going to do a research project
as an undergrad, start early. Freshman year is not too early to
start. That gives you a year or two to learn the ropes, then a year
and a half of serious work before you get to present your work in
your medical school interview. Choose a respected faculty member
doing research that interests you. Work hard. Read. Understand what
you are doing and why you are doing it. You should be able to explain
and defend your work to an educated scientist who doesn't work in
your field.
Physician shadowing - optional
I'm personally not a big fan of shadowing a physician.
It doesn't show much committment, and suggests you're just interested
in getting into medical school. If you're truly not sure you want
to get into medicine, then shadow a physician and find out what
it's like. Don't expect a "shadowing experience" do carry
a lot of weight on your application.
Volunteer service - optional
The impact of volunteer service on your application will depend
on the quality of the service, and your committment to it. Is
this a one month, two-times a week thing organized by someone
else, or is this a project you've involved in for several years
and are taking a leadership role in. How does this project affect
you, and how have you made a meaningful contribution to the project.
Remember, medical schools are looking for people who are willing
to take the time and effort to make a serious contribution. That
contribution can be in a volunteer program, an academic pursuit,
research, or even sport. You just have to show that you are willing
and capable of working hard enough to accomplish an important goal.
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