Prerequisites for Medical (MD/DO) Schools
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Two semesters of General Chemistry with lab
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CHM 201 + CHM 202
- CHM 207 is an alternative to CHM 201 with a materials science focus
- CHM 215 is an accelerated course that combines content from CHM 201 + CHM 202 and may be appropriate for students with 1 unit of advanced placement in chemistry
- CHM 201 is offered in the fall and CHM 202 and 215 are offered in the spring
- See also Alternative Introductory Sequences.
- Additional questions about Chemistry requirements
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Two semesters of Organic Chemistry with lab
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CHM 301 + CHM 302/304
- CHM 302 and CHM 304 will both be accepted as Organic Chemistry II. The courses present similar material with different focus.
- CHM 301 is offered in the fall and CHM 302/304 are offered in the spring
- Additional questions about Chemistry requirements
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Two semesters of Biology with lab
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MOL 214/215 + EEB 211
- Many schools require “introductory” or “general” biology. At Princeton, that sequence is MOL 214 and EEB 211.
- MOL 215 is an alternative to CHM 201 with a quantitative focus.
- These courses can be taken in either order; unlike chemistry, they are not sequenced.
- MOL 214 is offered in the fall/spring and EEB 211 is offered in the fall.
- Additional questions about Biology requirements
Additional Biology recommendations
- Some state schools, including Texas, require two years (four courses) in Biology.
- Taking advanced Biology courses is valued. Consider courses with medical relevance, such as Genetics (MOL 342), Immune Systems (EEB 327), Microbiology (MOL 380).
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Two semesters of Physics with lab
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PHY 101/103 + PHY 102/104/108
- PHY 101 and PHY 102 (and 108) require working knowledge of algebra.
- PHY 103 and PHY 104 require working knowledge of calculus.
- Students who have already taken a rigorous calculus-based PHY course at college level, or the equivalent, should consider enrolling in PHY 105/106.
- PHY 108 combines content from PHY 101 and 102 with a biology focus. MOL majors often take PHY 101 + 108 to fulfill their requirements.
- PHY 101 and 103 are offered in the fall. PHY 102, 104, and 108 are offered in the spring.
- See also Alternative Introductory Sequences.
- Additional questions about Physics requirements
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Two semesters of Math
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One semester math (any level or AP) & one semester statistics (see below)
- Math requirements vary widely by school.
- We strongly encourage all premed students to take one semester of statistics (regardless of AP credit).
- About 22 schools now require statistics and basic knowledge of statistics will be needed for the MCAT.
- The following statistics courses would be acceptable choices: EEB/MOL 355, ECO 202, ORF 245, POL 345, PSY 251, SML 201, SOC 301, SPI 200, SPI 332.
- Additional questions about the Math requirement.
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Two semesters of English / Literature
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- Writing Seminar will fulfill one semester of this requirement.
- Additional questions about the English/Writing requirement.
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One semester of Biochemistry
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MOL 345
- We strongly encourage premed students to take a semester of biochemistry.
- Over 60 of the U.S. allopathic (MD) medical schools require biochemistry and over eighty more “suggest” or “strongly recommend” it
- MOL 345 is offered in the fall and spring.
- HPA Medical School Biochemistry Requirements Handout (google doc)
- Additional questions about Chemistry requirements
- We strongly encourage premed students to take a semester of biochemistry.
- All requirements should be taken at an accredited college/university in the US or Canada, with grades reported on a US/Canadian transcript.
- All requirements must be taken for a grade, not PDF (with some exceptions during the pandemic).
- Many schools require C or better grades and will not accept a C- to fulfill prerequisites.
- All requirements should be taken in person, not online (with some exceptions during the pandemic).
Academics Intro
Watch this September 2023 information session to learn about prerequisites, advanced placement, majors, grades, and other academic topics.
Advanced Placement
Individual schools may have different policies regarding credit earned through advanced placement (e.g., AP, IB, A-Levels, departmental examinations). Most schools will accept advanced level courses that supplement advanced placement to satisfy requirements. Generally, expect to take at least one advanced course to supplement advanced placement in each discipline except calculus. We have included specific advice by discipline, as well.
Other Required and Recommended Courses
Some schools have additional prerequisites: research schools of interest to check their prerequisites.
- About 70% of students attend medical school in their home state of residence. We recommend that you fulfill any requirements for your public state schools.
- Professional schools may list their prerequisites by required credit hours. One Princeton course = four credit hours (each college/university has its own credit hour system).
- Use the Medical School Admission Requirements, published annually by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) to explore admission to various medical schools. Online access is available in our office, or you can purchase your own access directly from the AAMC.
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Psychology & Sociology
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- Concepts related to the Psychological and Social Foundations of Behavior will be tested on the MCAT.
- No specific course will align perfectly with the subject matter on the exam. Basic familiarity with concepts in psychology and sociology will be helpful but could be studied outside of formal course work.
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Humanities & Social Sciences
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- Some medical schools require a minimum number of courses in humanities and social sciences. Generally, these will be satisfied by courses taken for general education requirements in Social Analysis, Epistemology & Cognition; Ethical Thought & Moral Values; Historical Analysis; and Culture & Difference.
- Research schools of interest to see if they have specific requirements.
- Refer to the Health and Medicine Related Courses list that HPA curates every semester as you select courses.
Alternative Introductory Sequences
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Integrated Science Curriculum
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A few premed students every year--especially those with a strong interest in research--enroll in the Integrated Science Curriculum (ISC). Taking the full year of ISC will fulfill the General Chemistry, Physics, and Calculus requirements for medical school, and part of the Biology requirement. We recommend premed students who complete ISC take at least one (and preferably more) Biology courses, as well as Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Statistics.
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EGR sequences
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Since EGR 151/153 (and previously EGR 191/192) are considered equivalent to PHY 103/104, medical schools will accept them as fulfilling the Physics requirement.
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PHY 109/110
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Since these courses taken together are considered equivalent to the second semester of Physics, medical schools will accept them in partial fulfillment of the Physics requirement.
Health & Medicine Related Courses
Every semester, HPA curates a list of Health-Related & Medically Relevant Courses offered. These courses could broaden your perspective as a future health professional.
- Health-Related courses offered in Spring 2024 (google sheet)
Competency-Based Admissions
Some allopathic medical (MD) schools no longer require specific courses; instead, they focus on expectations for your content knowledge and scientific preparation but leave it to the applicant to choose how to meet these expectations.
See the list (google doc)