What Classes Do I Need to Take for Medical School

Learn what medical school prerequisites to take and what extracurricular activities to pursue to meet your pre med requirements and maximize your admission chances

Understanding medical school requirements is crucial as you map out your college courses

Introduction

As a premed student, you know that you have to work harder than all of your college peers—except, perhaps, engineering students.

In addition to acing notoriously difficult medical school prerequisites—often dubbed "weeder classes"—you have to pursue multi-year extracurricular activities like research, physician shadowing, clinical volunteering, and community service.

Beyond that, you have to develop close relationships with professors and mentors to eventually obtain strong letters of recommendation for medical school. Additionally, you have to do well on multiple exams like the dreaded MCAT and the newer CASPer, as well as write amazing application essays.

While it's tough to meet all of these medical school requirements, what's worse is that schools' expectations differ. What satisfies one med school might not satisfy another. Moreover, some expectations, like research, are not explicitly stated. Even MSAR—the best up-to-date, organized source for individual med schools' requirements—can only list what a school officially provides.

It can all be very confusing and overwhelming. Perhaps if you knew the undergraduate requirements for medical school, you would appropriately plan ahead.

This resource, along with our guide on how to get into medical school, was created to demystify everything you need to complete for medical school. If you follow the listed guidelines, you'll meet every med school's requirements and be eligible to apply to the widest range of programs.

Medical school degree requirement

What degree do you need to get into medical school?

Every US medical school requires the completion of a four-year degree from an accredited college or university. It doesn't matter whether your degree is a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Science (B.S.).

"Four-year" doesn't mean that you have to be enrolled in school for four years. For instance, you can complete your degree sooner by taking more classes per term to graduate in three or three-and-a-half years. The degree requirement can also be satisfied through a BS/MD program.

In addition, your four-year degree must be obtained prior to matriculatinginto medical school. In other words, you can apply to medical school before you complete your degree. Otherwise, you wouldn't be able to go straight through from undergrad.

Some students choose to pursue graduate degrees before matriculating into med school, such as a Master of Public Health (MPH) or Special Master's program (SMP), but advanced degrees are not required.

Medical school course requirements

Medical school prerequisites are what vary most from school to school, which is why they're so confusing. For instance, a certain set of courses might meet Harvard Medical School requirements but not another program's.

The AAMC website lists the general courses you will need to complete for medical schools, as follows:

• One year of Biology

• One year of English

• Two years of Chemistry, through Organic Chemistry

This list clarifies little, because it's vague and incomplete. Most medical schools will require more, and more specific, courses.

Given how hard it is to get into medical school, you're strongly encouraged to aim beyond the aforementioned minimum requirements. In fact, we recommend that you take courses that will satisfy requirements for every med school, so that you'll have the option to apply anywhere. Completing the following list of courses will help you do just that (Note: Certain science majors have additional course requirements.):

• Biology: Lecture: two semesters or three quarters | Lab: one term

• General chemistry: Lecture: one semester or two quarters | Lab: one term

• Organic chemistry: Lecture: two semesters or two quarters | Lab: one term

• Biochemistry: Lecture: one term | Lab: not required

• Physics: Lecture: two semesters or three quarters | Lab: one term

• Math: Lecture: two semesters or three quarters (must include calculus and statistics)

• English: Lecture: two semesters or three quarters (must include writing)

If you complete the courses above, you will meet every medical school's requirements. The one other recommendation is that you take courses in arts, humanities, languages, literature, and social sciences, though there are no specific guidelines to follow. It's not necessary that you take courses in all of these areas, but definitely aim to take courses in some.

(Note: As with your degree, you have to complete your prerequisites for medical school prior tomatriculating to medical school. In other words, you can apply to medical school even if you have a few outstanding prerequisite courses to complete. So long as you get them all done before matriculation, you'll be just fine.)

(Note: AP credits, even if accepted by your undergraduate institution, might not be used to satisfy certain medical school requirements. Therefore, you should research the websites of schools you're most interested in so that you're not caught off guard by missing course work during your application cycle.)

Medical school major requirements

Your pre med major does not matter when it comes to medical school admissions.

As long as you complete all the prerequisites for medical school, you can major in Anthropology, Biology, Chemistry, English, History, or Physics. Most colleges and universities do not offer a separate premed major; therefore, it is not expected nor required.

Moreover, there is no such thing as a best pre med major. All else being equal, an English major with a 3.8 overall GPA and 3.7 science GPA will be just as competitive of an applicant as a Biochemistry major with the same stats.

Therefore, you should prioritize majoring in an area of interest, one that you feel you could do very well in. Going back to the previous example, it would be preferable to have a 3.8 overall GPA and 3.7 science GPA as an English major rather than have a 3.6 overall GPA and 3.6 science GPA as a Physics major.

This might not seem fair, since certain majors are generally tougher than others. You might believe that, had you chosen an easier major, your GPA would be higher. (Some students also lament having a slightly lower GPA as a result of attending a notoriously difficult institution.) That's where the MCAT, a standardized test, comes in. More on the MCAT in a moment.

We often get asked whether a double major or a minor boosts your odds of getting into med school. While some admissions committee members will likely admire your diverse interests and pursuits, we have not observed the presence or absence of a double major or a minor as a significant factor in medical school admissions. Therefore, you should pursue a double major or minor if you would like, but it would not likely make or break your application.

Medical school GPA requirement

Most medical schools will not post a minimum GPA requirement.

In addition, most medical schools will automatically send you their secondary application once your primary application is verified, regardless of your GPA and MCAT score.

Despite the routine mentioning of "holistic admissions" and no minimum GPA requirements, medical schools have high, yet variable grade expectations. The average matriculant total GPA during the 2019-2020 cycle was 3.73 across MD programs. It's much tougher to get into medical school with a low GPA, so make sure to protect your grades at all times. Some students end up taking too many courses or participating in too many extracurriculars at the start of undergrad, and their grades suffer. A few terms with lower grades early on will make the rest of college an uphill academic battle.

Students routinely ask whether their GPA is "too low" or "good enough" to get into medical school, and whether medical schools employ a cutoff when evaluating applications. Some do, and some don't, but what's most important is that you do as well as possible and apply to a balance school list based on your stats.

When using MSAR, make sure that your GPA is at least at a given school's 10th percentile mark. Below that, and your chances of getting into that school will be extremely slim. Of course, the higher your grades, the better.

(Suggested reading: Average GPA and MCAT Score for Every Medical School)

Medical school MCAT requirement

Unless you're enrolled in certain BS/MD programs or other early assurance programs, you will have to take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). Unfortunately, some BS/MD and early assurance programs require you to achieve a certain minimum MCAT score to remain eligible.

At the vast majority of medical schools, you will be required to submit an MCAT score from within the last three years. If you last took the MCAT over three years ago, you will probably have to retake it.

(Suggested reading: Should I Retake the MCAT?)

The earliest students typically take the MCAT is during the summer after their sophomore year. January of junior year is also a good idea for students who want to apply to med school straight through. (i.e., without taking a gap year or two.) The latest we recommend taking the MCAT is in April of your application year, and even that's pushing it. Regardless, in most instances, you should give yourself 3-4 months of study time and develop a great MCAT study schedule to maximize your score.

(Suggested reading: When Should You Take the MCAT?)

Of course, you should aim to do as well as possible on the MCAT. If you're looking to get into an MD program, your score target should be,at minimum, a 508. This is an incredibly conservative target, as many medical schools post a higher average MCAT score among matriculants. Moreover, the average MCAT score among matriculants during the 2019-2020 application cycle (i.e., students who started med school during the 2020-2021 academic year) was 511.5.

If you're interested in applying to DO schools, your MCAT score does not need to be as high. But whether you're applying to MD or DO programs (or both), the score you'll want to aim for also depends on your GPA. The higher your GPA, the more you can withstand a slightly lower MCAT score.

Students often ask how close to a school's median stats they need to be competitive for that school, incorrectly viewing average stats as a "threshold" for getting in. However, keep in mind that median means "middle score." Therefore, a school with a median MCAT score of, say, 514 admitted half of its students with an MCAT score below a 514 and half of its students with an MCAT score above a 514.

(Suggested reading: What MCAT Score Do You Need to Get Into Medical School?)

Medical school extracurricular activity requirements

Approaching your premed years the right way typically results in you being busy with studying, and especially with extracurricular activities.

Competitive medical school applicants all have good-to-great grades and MCAT scores, which means that stats are not a useful differentiating factor; they simply tell admissions committees whether an applicant is academically ready. Therefore, med school admissions committee members (adcoms) evaluate how you've spent your time outside the classroom.

And while many medical schools state how they want to see the obtainment or demonstration of certain competencies and skills, they almost never provide any details about what specifically to pursue, or how much.

While we've covered specific recommendations in detail in a separate guide—How to Choose the Right Extracurricular Activities for Medical School—adcoms expect you to have obtained the following:

• Shadowing experience: Shadowing refers to observing physicians in any care setting, whether an outpatient clinic, operating room, community clinic, etc. You should aim to observe physicians across two or three specialties, and ideally in multiple settings.

• Clinical experience: This category is sometimes referred to as clinical volunteering or patient exposure. It's different from shadowing in that you will have 1:1 patient contact, delivering some form of care. Popular clinical experiences include working as an emergency medical technician (EMT) or medical assistant (MA).

• Community service: Otherwise known as non-clinical volunteering, this category is infinitely broad. Depending on your interests, you could tutor students from undeserved background, make an impact through a charitable organization, or anything else.

• Research experience: Research experience can be obtained in "wet lab" or "dry lab" (often clinical) settings. The goal is to demonstrate an interest in academic medicine, especially if you're interested in getting into MD programs. Many medical school websites do not explicitly mention requiring research experience. However, most competitive med school applicants, especially at top schools, have completed at least one year of research, preferably in the same lab. Moreover, while publications are not required and many successful applicants do not have publications, publications strengthen your research experiences in the eyes of adcoms.

However, it's not simply the obtainment of a certain number of hours that medical schools are looking for, but rather the demonstration of the following:

• Commitment to medicine

• Knowledge of health care delivery

• Leadership

• Interest in serving diverse populations

• Passion for science

• Communication and interpersonal skills

Leadership is often thought to be its own extracurricular category, but it isn't. It doesn't matter whether you have served as an officer of a club or founded your own organization. What matters is that you have demonstrated leadership skills in various contexts, whether community service, research or elsewhere.

Medical school letter of recommendation requirements

Like coursework and extracurricular activities, medical school letter of recommendation requirements can be quite confusing because they differ across schools.

There are so many layers to understanding med school recommendation letters, in fact, that we published a separate, comprehensive resource on the subject: Medical School Letters of Recommendation: The Definitive Guide

However, the basics are that you should aim to get:

• Two letters from a science professor

• One letter from a non-science professor

• Two to three letters from individuals who have supervised you in an extracurricular setting, such as the principal investigator (PI) of your research lab.

(Note: Science and non-science letters could come from undergrad or grad school professors.)

Some professors or other letter writers may also ask you to write your own letter that they will review, modify, and submit on your behalf. If you're asked to do this, read: How to Write Your Own Letter of Recommendation for Medical School

However, it's important to emphasize that the quality of your letters far outweighs quantity. For example, just because a school accepts up to six letters does not mean you should submit six letters. You should prioritize submitting glowing letters to maximize your chances.

Medical school CASPer requirement

While not a general requirement, allopathic (MD) and osteopathic (DO) medical schools are increasingly requiring that applicants take the CASPer test, which stands for Computer-Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics.

During the exam, you will be presented with various text- and video-based scenarios, followed by three questions that you will have five minutes to respond to. The five minutes per scenario go by quickly, so consider increasing your type speed to maximize your score.

Some people think that it's unnecessary to prepare for CASPer, but we disagree. You'll want to brush up on medical ethics and go through various practice scenarios to familiarize yourself with the exam.

(Suggested reading: How to Prepare for the CASPer Test to Get Into Medical School)

Medical school application requirements

After years of completing required courses and pursuing meaningful extracurricular activities, you'll have to complete your medical school applications. These applications, which require months of work, are organized in the following phases:

• Primary applications (AMCAS [MD] | AACOMAS [DO] | TMDSAS [Texas med schools])

  • Medical school personal statement

  • Work and Activities section

  • Medical school list

  • MD-PhD essays (optional)

  • TMDSAS essays (optional)

• Secondary applications (i.e., supplemental applications)

  • School-specific secondary essays

  • (Suggested reading: Medical School Secondary Essays: The Complete Guide)

  • (Suggested reading: Medical School Secondary Essay Prompts)

• Interviews

  • Traditional or MMI

  • (Suggested reading: How to Ace Your Medical School Interviews (Questions Included))

  • (Suggested reading: MMI Interview: The Ultimate Guide (100 Sample Questions Included))

Primary applications

Primary applications—AMCAS, AACOMAS, TMDSAS—are centralized application systems that collect your demographic information, academic history, and recommendation letters, along with your med school personal statement and Activities section, which is essentially an expanded resume.

Primary applications typically open for submission in May of each year, but it's to get started early because med school operates on a rolling admissions basis. In other words, generally speaking, the earlier you submit, the better. Shortly after you submit your primary application, it will be sent to each medical school on your list.

Secondary applications

Secondary applications are school-specific applications that will be sent to you after your primary application is received. Writing secondary essays is perhaps the most busy you will be during your application process. You will likely have to produce more written work than at any other point during your academic career, so make sure to pre write your essays using prompts from previous years. Otherwise, you might feel overwhelmed when you get flooded with so many applications at once.

Interviews

Medical schools that favorably review your application will invite you for an interview. Generally, the earlier you receive interview invitations, the higher your odds of getting into medical school.

Medical schools mostly come in three forms—traditional, MMI (multiple mini-interview) or a hybrid of the two. Your interview prep should cover general skills for each style of interview and take into account the types of questions you can expect at a given school, which is how we support our students.

After interviews

Waiting for interviews or admissions decisions is the toughest part. During this time, you'll want to consider sending update letters—a letter of interest or letter of intent—to let medical schools know what you've been up to during the application cycle, and also that you continue to be interested in their program.

(Suggested reading: How to Write a Great Medical School Letter of Intent or Letter of Interest)

----

Final thoughts

While there are many medical school requirements to fulfill and it can feel daunting, we hope this resource will be valuable as you navigate your various academic, extracurricular, and application responsibilities. For a more in-depth discussion of how to get into great med schools, we encourage you to sign up for our comprehensive med school admissions ebook below.

What Classes Do I Need to Take for Medical School

Source: https://www.shemmassianconsulting.com/blog/medical-school-requirements

Share this post