Pre-Medicine Handout

Pre-Medicine is a career interest, rather than a major or formal program. Developing this interest involves taking courses to build a foundation for a medical education, performing well in courses, getting health care and other kinds of experience, taking the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), and applying for admission to medical schools. Most people complete a full bachelor's degree, including a major, before entering medical school. Although most requirements are sciences, you can choose any degree and any major.

As a minimum, most medical schools require two semesters each of English, biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, and physics:

• ENGL 101 Composition (3 credit hours)
• ENGL 102 Critical Reading & Writing (3)

• BIOL 150 Principles of Molecular & Cellular Biology (4, fall & spring)
• BIOL 152 Principles of Organismal Biology (4, spring & summer, can substitute BIOL 646 & 647)

• CHEM 184 Foundations of Chemistry I (5, must be eligible for MATH 115, offered fall & spring)
• CHEM 188 Foundations of Chemistry II (5, spring & summer)

• CHEM 624 Organic Chemistry I & 625 Lab (3 & 2, fall & spring)
• CHEM 626 Organic Chemistry II & 627 Lab (3 & 2, spring & summer)
At this time, KU’s organic sequence meets the KU School of Medicine requirement without the 2nd lab, but most students take 627 to meet requirements at other medical schools.

• PHSX 114 College Physics I (4, prerequisite MATH ACT >24 or MATH 104 Pre-Calculus)
• PHSX 115 College Physics II (4)

Some medical schools require BIOL 350 Principles of Genetics, BIOL 600 Introductory Biochemistry, MATH 115 Calculus I, and/or MATH Calculus II. Recommended science courses include BIOL 400 Microbiology, BIOL 416 Cell Structure & Function, BIOL 510 Comparative Anatomy, BIOL 570 Biostatistics, and BIOL 646 Mammalian Physiology and 647 Lab.

Many schools require that prerequisites be taken for letter grades, and a few will not accept AP or CLEP credit for their entry requirements.

A typical first-semester schedule might include English, math, chemistry and biology or foreign language. Most students take chemistry their first year, organic their second year, and physics their third year. You should plan on completing required courses by the end of your junior year, as they cover content needed for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)! There are many ways of putting required and recommended science courses together. Here is one possibility:

1st Fall	1st Spring	2nd Fall	2nd Spring	3rd Fall	3rd Spring	4th Fall	4th Spring
CHEM 184	CHEM 188	CHEM 624	CHEM 626	PHSX 114	PHSX 115	BIOL 570	BIOL 416
BIOL 150	BIOL 152	CHEM 625	CHEM 627	BIOL 600	BIOL 646		BIOL 510
		BIOL 350	BIOL 400		BIOL 647

Some related courses: AAAS 554 Health Issues in Africa, ABSC 150 Community Leadership, ANTH 461 Medical Anthropology, CLSX 332 Scientific Word Power: Greek and Latin Elements in the Vocabulary of Science, HEIM 210 Introduction to Health Care, PHIL 676 Medical Ethics: Life & Death Issues, PHIL 677 Medical Ethics: Professional Responsibilities, REL 580 Illness & Healing, and SOC 600 Health Care and Social Policies in Sweden and Finland.

In addition to coursework, it’s important to volunteer or work in health care settings, and helpful to work on a research project with a faculty member, study abroad, and give back to the community through social service. For some possibilities, see www.medadvising.ku.edu/medicine/medexperience.shtml.

If you're a prospective student, you can contact the Office of Admissions & Scholarships, (785) 864-3911, www.admissions.ku.edu, to schedule a tour and information meetings.

If you are currently a KU student, you can schedule a meeting with Paul Crosby by calling 864-3500.

If you are currently a student in KU's College of Liberal ARTS & Sciences, and you add the pre-medicine interest code, PMEDA, by completing a change of interest code form in 109 Strong Hall, e-mail messages about Premed Club meetings and other information will be sent to your KU e-mail address.

For introductory career information, see the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook at www.bls.gov/oco/ocos074.htm.

For more information, see our pre-medicine web site at www.medadvising.ku.edu/medicine.

If you plan to enter medical school immediately after your senior year, you should begin the application process in the spring semester of your junior year! 

1. Early in the spring of your junior year, call 864-3500, and schedule an application meeting with Paul Crosby. As part of this meeting, you will start a file for evaluation letters, www.medadvising.ku.edu/letters.shtml.

2. Take the MCAT, www.aamc.org/students/mcat/start.htm, usually early in the summer after the junior year. For more information on reviewing and practicing, see www.medadvising.ku.edu/medicine/medMCAT.shtml.

3. Apply, starting early in the summer after your junior year. This usually involves completing the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS), www.aamc.org/students/amcas, completing supplemental applications, and having evaluation letters sent to medical schools.

4. Throughout your senior year, interview at medical schools, www.medadvising.ku.edu/interviews.shtml.

For more information, see the application outline at www.medadvising.ku.edu/medicine/medapp.shtml and AAMC information for applicants at www.aamc.org/students/applying/start.htm.