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What courses in college do you need to take to get into medical school?
I am a cognitive-science freshman in community college, interested in becoming a medical researcher into learning disorders among children.
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Eric’s Answer
To get into medical school, there are several courses that you will need to take in college, which will provide you with the foundational knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in medical school. Here are some of the essential courses:
Biology: You will need to take multiple courses in biology, including general biology, cell biology, and genetics.
Chemistry: You will need to take multiple courses in chemistry, including general chemistry, organic chemistry, and biochemistry.
Physics: You will need to take at least one course in physics, which will help you understand the physical principles behind medical procedures and technologies.
Mathematics: You will need to take at least one course in calculus, which will help you understand the mathematical principles behind medical research and analysis.
English: You will need to take at least one course in English or writing, which will help you develop your communication skills and prepare you for the written and verbal components of medical school.
In addition to these courses, medical schools often require or recommend courses in social sciences, such as psychology and sociology, as well as courses in humanities, such as ethics and philosophy. It is also recommended that you participate in extracurricular activities related to healthcare, such as volunteering or shadowing, to demonstrate your commitment to the field. It is essential to research the specific requirements of the medical schools you are interested in to ensure that you are meeting all of the necessary prerequisites.
Biology: You will need to take multiple courses in biology, including general biology, cell biology, and genetics.
Chemistry: You will need to take multiple courses in chemistry, including general chemistry, organic chemistry, and biochemistry.
Physics: You will need to take at least one course in physics, which will help you understand the physical principles behind medical procedures and technologies.
Mathematics: You will need to take at least one course in calculus, which will help you understand the mathematical principles behind medical research and analysis.
English: You will need to take at least one course in English or writing, which will help you develop your communication skills and prepare you for the written and verbal components of medical school.
In addition to these courses, medical schools often require or recommend courses in social sciences, such as psychology and sociology, as well as courses in humanities, such as ethics and philosophy. It is also recommended that you participate in extracurricular activities related to healthcare, such as volunteering or shadowing, to demonstrate your commitment to the field. It is essential to research the specific requirements of the medical schools you are interested in to ensure that you are meeting all of the necessary prerequisites.
Updated
Tyrae’s Answer
Great question to ask, my degree isn’t in medicine but fortunately my son is pre-med so I might have some insight. My son told me that your college classes should focus on science classes such as biology, chemistry, physics, biochemistry and psychology. Those classes will get you headed in the right direction.
Thanks Tyrae! I will look into biochemistry classes.
Micah
Updated
Carri’s Answer
Great question! Every medical school will have slightly different requirements, so if you are interested in a particular school, it’s always a good idea to reach out to them to ask for their admission criteria. However, if you aren’t sure which school you want to go to, most colleges have pre-med advisors that you can talk to, who will give you great advice on which courses to take. Most med school candidates will major in either biology, chemistry, or biochemistry, but I even had classmates at my med school who majored in history, psychology, music, etc. Your major doesn’t matter (and in fact, may be something that can make you stand out) as long as you take the required courses, make good grades, and do well on your MCAT. I do recommend against majoring in “pre-med” though, because if you change your mind about medicine or aren’t able to get in to medical school, there isn’t much else that you can do with a “pre-med” degree. So I recommend going for biology, chemistry, or biochemistry if you decide to stick to a science major.
Thank you Carri! I'll look into specific med schools to see their requirements. Thanks,
Micah
Updated
Pamela’s Answer
Hi Micah,
When I was pre-med I had to take physics, cell biology, organic chemistry, statistics, calculus, etc. Prerequisites have likely changed a bit but there is a general pre-med curriculum that will guide you on the right academic path. As some others have mentioned, make sure to stay well-rounded when it comes to your courses; this will not only give you a chance to express the other side of your brain and allow you to relax a bit, but will show others on your path (admissions folks, doctors interviewing you, etc) that you are not one-dimensional. Med school and residency admissions application reviewers and interviewers will want to see that you are human and have interests outside medicine, so feel free to take fun electives and pursue interests outside of medicine and science. It looks great on applications when you have creative hobbies, participate in sports or music, and have done some type of community service/volunteer work. You can't study 100% of the time!
Hope this helps.
Pam
When I was pre-med I had to take physics, cell biology, organic chemistry, statistics, calculus, etc. Prerequisites have likely changed a bit but there is a general pre-med curriculum that will guide you on the right academic path. As some others have mentioned, make sure to stay well-rounded when it comes to your courses; this will not only give you a chance to express the other side of your brain and allow you to relax a bit, but will show others on your path (admissions folks, doctors interviewing you, etc) that you are not one-dimensional. Med school and residency admissions application reviewers and interviewers will want to see that you are human and have interests outside medicine, so feel free to take fun electives and pursue interests outside of medicine and science. It looks great on applications when you have creative hobbies, participate in sports or music, and have done some type of community service/volunteer work. You can't study 100% of the time!
Hope this helps.
Pam