Pre-Med Coursework
Medical school admissions committees are interested in candidates who have a broad liberal arts education, including the humanities and the social sciences. They recognize that students who pursue their interests in depth do well when they apply themselves to a vocation. They also recognize that physicians who serve patients well embrace diversity, and are enthusiastic about learning new skills and expanding their personal and social growth.
While medical schools require rigorous pre-medical courses (biology, chemistry, physics), they consider candidates from a wide variety of majors, not just sciences. In fact, Humanities and Social Sciences majors are often admitted at higher percentages than students with more typical science majors.
Click here for a list of courses in the Social Sciences and the Humanities that will be of interest to Pre-Med students.
If you are considering a career in medicine, find out the requirements of individual schools to which you will apply. Consult school bulletins, attend admissions seminars, and examine web sites. You will find that the basic “premed” curriculum consists of one year of biology, two years of chemistry, including courses in organic chemistry and biochemistry, a course in mathematics, and a course in physics. Most schools also require two writing courses in English.
Admissions committees are especially interested in candidates who have strong “people” and writing skills, problem-solving abilities, ethical sensibilities and an appreciation of diversity, including gender, cultural, religious, and ethnic differences.
Below you will find a guide that can help you to plan your pre-med curriculum:
Mathematics
- Required:
- Math 112 (Algebra) and Math 113 (Trigonometry) or
- Math 114 (Algebra and Trigonometry); Math 171 or equivalent.
- Recommended:
- Math 221 (Calculus and Analytic Geometry) or
- Math 211 (Calculus) or equivalent Chemistry
- Statistics
Chemistry
- General Chemistry (Choose one of these three sequences)
- Chemistry 103-104 (General Chemistry)
- Chemistry 109 (General and Analytic Chemistry) and Chemistry 327# or 329#
- Chemistry 109 and Chemistry 311
- Chemistry 115-116 (Chemical Principles)
- Organic Chemistry (all courses are required)
- Chemistry 343 (Introductory Organic Chemistry)
- Chemistry 344 (Introductory Organic Chemistry lab)
- Chemistry 345 (Intermediate Organic Chemistry)
Biological Science (Choose one of these two course tracks)
- General Track
- Zoology 151-152 (Introductory Biology) or
- Zoology 101-102 (Animal Biology), adding Botany 130 is strongly recommended
- Plus Intermediate/Advanced Biology: At least one semester of lecture with one semester of lab is required. If you are a non-science major or wish to strengthen your biology background and record, you would do well to take at least two of these courses.
- Zoology 430 (Comparative Anatomy of Vertebrates)
- Zoology 466 (General Genetics) (UW accepts this as a lab course equivalent)
- Zoology 470 (Introduction to Animal Development)
- Zoology 555 (Lab in Developmental Biology)
- Zoology 572 (Cell Biology Lab)
- Zoology 611-612 Comparative Physiology)
- Zoology 625 (Development of the Nervous System)
- Biochemistry 501 (Introduction to Biochemistry): Recommended in addition to your lab course(s).
- Biomolecular Chemistry 503
- Biochemistry 507-508 (General Biochemistry)
- MM&I 301 & 302 (Pathogenic Microorganisms & Med Micro Lab)
- MM&I 528 & 529 (Immunology)
- MM&I 575 (Biology of Viruses)
- Physiology 335 (UW does not accept this as your ONLY intermediate/advanced biology with lab.)
- Physiology 533 (Molecular Physiology)
* UWSMPH requires 1 semester of Biochemistry in addition to an I/A Biology course with lab.
Please consult your pre-med advisor regarding selection of these and or other upper level biological /physical sciences.
- Biology Core (Biocore) Curriculum Track
- Biocore 301-302 (Evolution, Ecology and Genetics lecture/lab)
- Biocore 303-304 (Cellular Biology lecture/lab)
- Biocore 323-324 (Organismal Biology lecture/lab)
- Biocore 333 (Biological Interactions)
(Two labs are required in total Biocore sequence. Prerequisites to begin Biocore: Completion of Chemistry 104, 109, or 115; Math 221 (not 211) and submission of an application by February 15 of spring semester prior to fall in which initial Biocore course begins. Concurrent enrollment in chemistry 343 and Biocore 301-302 is required. See Guidebook or Undergraduate Catalog for further details on Biology Core Curriculum.)
- Physics (Choose one of these three sequences, all of which are entitled "General Physics"):
- Physics 103-104 (without calculus)
- Physics 201-202 (calculus-based)**
- Physics 207-208 (calculus-based)**
English
You will need six credits of English composition or literature taught in English emphasizing composition.
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FOURTH YEAR
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