Deciding to go to medical school? Before you do, it’s important to know what med school requirements are being set by the nation’s top schools and universities today. The following page will cover what the most current med school requirements are, as well the most up-to-date mandatory and semi-mandatory med school prerequisites. Included will be other information and activities that will help you meet med school requirements and pre reqs.
Med School Requirements
The Medical College Admissions Test, otherwise known as the “MCAT,” is one of the mandatory med school requirements. The MCAT focuses on your knowledge of verbal reasoning, physical sciences and biological sciences. A great score is typically considered to be anything above 36. Scores lower than 28 rarely will be enough to meet most med school requirements.
Most, if not all, med school requirements include at the very least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. A solid grade point average is another of the near-mandatory med school requirements. Most medical schools seek a GPA of 3.5 or above. Applicants with a GPA below 3.3 generally will not be accepted.
Med School Prerequisites
Some med school prerequisites will vary from school to school, but certain courses and classes are universal and mandatory med school prerequisites. The following subjects are standard med school prerequisites.
- General Chemistry
- Organic Chemistry
- Biology
- Calculus
- English
- Physics
Some recommended med school prerequisites include:
- Undergraduate Research
- Extra-Curricular Activities
- Work Experiences
- Volunteer Work
- Computer Literacy
- Letters of Recommendation
Other non-mandatory med school prerequisites include undergraduate research, extra-curricular activities, work experiences and volunteer work.
Which Med School is Right for You?
Choosing a university or institution is one of the most important decisions an aspiring medical student will face during his or her lifetime. Investigate what the specific med school requirements are before applying to any individual school or university.
Even medical schools in the same state or region can be far from alike. Different institutions have different med school requirements. Some are also stricter with their med school prerequisites, while others will be more lax. The road to earning a doctorate is long and difficult. Meeting the med school requirements is the first step.