Major At most colleges and universities, students do not have the option of pre-medical
academic major or
minor. A student on a pre-med track may choose any undergraduate major in any field, so long as certain required courses are completed. Such courses are generally focused in the scientific fields of
biology,
chemistry,
organic chemistry,
neuroscience,
behavioral sciences and
physics, which are necessary to prepare for the
Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and satisfy most medical school prerequisites. a situation applauded by medical schools. For example,
Mount Sinai School of Medicine has created a program specifically for
non-science majors. The Humanities and Medicine (HuMed) program admits undergraduates majoring in the humanities or social sciences
without requiring the MCAT, or science coursework.
Pre-med timeline Typical pre-med students will structure their coursework in their first year in
university 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 MCAT, the required standardized exam that medical schools use to identify qualified candidates. Applicants can expect to hear from schools within a few 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 to demonstrate that the applicant possesses qualities that the schools deem necessary to be a good medical student and physician. Qualified applicants can next expect to receive invitations to interview at schools. Upon completion of an interview and receipt of any additional application materials, the application is considered to be complete, and the student then waits for the school's decision to either accept or reject the student.
Coursework The AAMC has created a list of required courses that every pre-med student must take. The latter curriculum model is meant to enhance employability of graduates awaiting admission or choosing not to attend professional or graduate school. The courses that must be taken to meet the pre-medical requirements from the AAMC are three years, with one being in chemistry, one year of biology, and one year of physics. These course requirements are expected to change since the MR5 Committee, charged with revising the MCAT has created a new set of core competencies for success in medical education and practice. Those core competencies will include a greater emphasis on molecular genetics within the biology curriculum and will include biochemistry. In addition, the 2015 MCAT will test in areas related to multicultural sensitivity and in critical analysis of ethics and philosophy. Many colleges of medicine and undergraduate pre-medical advising offices have yet to formalize pre-medical curricular recommendations. Though it did not address changes in the mathematics, physics, psychosocial or humanities portion of pre-medical education, the
American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) developed a set of pre-medical curricular recommendations. ASBMB advocated that the year of biology includes genetics; that general and organic chemistry be taught with an orientation toward the chemistry of molecules encountered in living things; that one semester of biochemistry be required and two semesters of biochemistry be recommended; and that the laboratory course requirement can be taught in biology, chemistry or biochemistry, so long as research methods and data analysis are emphasized. Pre-medical students may be advised or required to take upper-level biology and chemistry electives, such as
cellular biology,
physical chemistry,
biochemistry,
molecular biology and
genetics. Specific requirements for these courses vary by institution. Organic Chemistry is one of the most popular upper-level courses. Schools may also have requirements for non-science classes. Some require a certain number of general
humanities credits, while others have specific requirements for courses in
English,
psychology, or other desired disciplines.
Volunteering and clinical experiences Many pre-medical students volunteer in a health care setting to explore the option of a career in medicine. Past volunteer experience can increase an applicant's chances of acceptance to a medical school. Often volunteer experiences are topics of discussion during medical school interviews. Some students "shadow" a physician, where the student follows a physician, directly observing the doctor as they care for patients. ==See also==