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Medical School Admissions Guide

Download Medical School Admissions Guide as a printable PDF

For many, the pursuit of a career in medicine has been a longstanding aspiration. Some students enter college having known for many years of their desire to earn a medical degree. Other students come to the same realization much later in their academic careers. Whether the idea of becoming a physician is a new one to you or a goal you have sought for many years, the Health Professions Advising Office is here to facilitate your academic and co-curricular preparations for medical school. There are two types of medical training programs that you can complete in order to become a practicing physician: allopathic medicine (MD) and osteopathic medicine (DO). Medical schools evaluate its applicants on a range of competencies and assess their applicants holistically. These competencies fall into four groups: Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Thinking and Reasoning, and Science.

Prerequisites

Below is a list of general prerequisite courses that most medical schools require for admission; however, there are several other courses that are not required but are highly recommended. Please check with the admissions websites of individual medical school programs to obtain a current listing of admissions course requirements. Please also take note of individual programs’ policies on acceptance of Advanced Placement (AP) credit.

All prerequisite courses must be completed with a grade “C-” or higher.

Subject AreaRecommended Courses
General BiologyBSC 114 and 115 (lab) and BSC 116 and 117 (lab) or honors equivalent
BiochemistryBSC 450 (BSC 300 prerequisite) or CH 461 (prerequisite CH 223, CH 232, and CH 237)
General ChemistryCH 101 and 102 or honors equivalent
Organic ChemistryCH 231, CH 232, and CH 237 (lab)
PhysicsPH 101 and PH 102 or PH 105 and PH 106 (or honors equivalent)
Mathematics2 semesters of Math; MATH 125 required by some schools
StatisticsPY 211 or BSC 380 recommended
EnglishEN 101 and EN 102 or EN 103 or AP credit
Social and Behavioral SciencesPY 101 and SOC 101

The Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT)

The Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT): The Medical College Admission Test is a standardized, multiple-choice examination designed to assess your problem-solving, critical thinking, and knowledge of natural, behavioral, and social science concepts and principles prerequisite to the study of medicine. The exam is divided into the following four sections: Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems; Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems; Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior; and Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills. Our prehealth advisors are here to help you identify resources that will help you prepare for this exam. For more information about the MCAT, please visit AAMC’s About the MCAT Exam Website.

Grade Point Average (GPA)

While the medical school admissions process is holistic, the academic transcript gives an idea of how the student could perform in a medical graduate school program. Applicants are reviewed on both their overall GPA and the average GPA in their science and math courses, which is called the BCPM (biology, chemistry, physics, and math). Minimum GPA requirements vary from program to program, but MOST competitive applicants have a minimum 3.5 GPA in both their overall and BCPM GPAs.

Timeline

Freshman Year

  • Get to know your Health Professions Advisors.
  • Make an appointment.
  • Start taking basic sciences (See chart on first page)
  • Visit your professors during office hours.
  • Begin getting involved with volunteer and service opportunities (campus and community).
  • Look into getting involved in undergraduate research.
  • Join student organizations (AED, etc.)
  • Apply for summer research and enrichment programs (scribe, EMT, internships, etc.)
  • Shadow physicians throughout the year and on school breaks.

Sophomore Year

  • Continue with the next sequence of courses.
  • Stay involved in extracurricular activities (shadowing, volunteering, etc.).
  • Consider leadership positions in your organizations.
  • Visit your professors during office hours.
  • Meet with a Health Professions Advisor to begin to assess competitiveness.
  • Identify MD/DO programs that you may want to apply to.
  • Develop MCAT preparation plan.
  • Apply for summer research and enrichment programs (scribe, EMT, internships, etc.).

Junior Year

  • Fall
  • Talk to Health Professions Advising about competitiveness.
  • Register for OPMA P.H.A.S.E. (Pre-Health Application Support and Education) Blackboard program. Students must be currently taking or registered for Biochemistry to qualify for the program.
  • Register for the MCAT.
  • Work on your personal statement.
  • Obtain 4-5 Letters of Recommendation
  • Spring and Summer
  • Study for and take the MCAT
  • Interview with Health Professions Advising Committee
  • Complete Application in AMCAS, TMDSAS, and/or AACOMAS
  • Continue engaging in activities.

Senior Year

  • Fall
  • Submit Centralized Application (AMCAS, TMDSAS, and/or AACOMAS) if you haven’t already.
  • Work on secondary applications.
  • Wait to be contacted for an interview by medical programs.
  • Continue with activities and service commitments.
  • Spring and Summer
  • Talk with a Health Professions Advisor about Plan B (if necessary).
  • Finish degree requirements
  • Graduate.

Resources

Baffi-Dugan, C., Cannon, R. E., Bingham, R., & Corder, B. W. (2011). Health professions admissions guide: Strategy for success. Champaign, IL: National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions.