Pre-Medical Student Course Reference

All prerequisite courses must be taken for a grade (not Pass/No Pass). The courses required for admission to most medical schools are listed below. Consult the web sites or catalogs of the schools to which you plan to apply to determine each school’s specific requirements.

Biology Coursework for Pre-Medical Students

Additional Recommended Courses in Biology^*

^*Recommended courses are based on local program recommendations and the MSAR.

Chemistry Coursework for Pre-Medical Students

Note: Pre-medical students should begin chemistry sequence in their first year in order to be prepared to take the MCAT junior year.

^**A full year of Biochemistry at UP is recommended prior to taking the MCAT.

Physics Coursework for Pre-medical Students

Option 1

Option 2

Mathematics Coursework for Pre-Medical Students

⁺Required by some programs

Note: Many medical schools require at least one college-level math course. Some medical schools require 6 semester hours of math including statistics.

Social Science Coursework for Pre-Medical Students

Note: Topics directly from PSY 101 and SOC 101 are tested on the MCAT.

English Coursework for Pre-Medical Students

Note: Many medical schools require one year of English including at least one course in composition.

Additional Information

Profiles of individual medical schools can be found in Medical School Admissions Requirements (MSAR), published annually by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). In addition, the MCAT Student Manual (a free, downloadable version is available on the AAMC website) provides a complete synopsis of the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). Students are encouraged to consult both publications early in their pre-medical preparation. Information may also be obtained from the Health Professions Advisors.

In selecting schools to which to apply, pay particular attention to non-resident acceptance rates, total number of applicants, average GPA/MCAT of admitted applicants, additional premedical requirements, special programs or curricula, tuition cost, and location. Your best chance of acceptance is to a public medical school in your state of residence or to a private medical school. Oregon residents should be aware that OHSU accepts fewer in-state residents than most public medical schools. Typically, 70 percent of the entering class at OHSU are Oregon residents. Students are encouraged to apply to a variety of medical schools.