Pre-medical

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Evidence Based Medicine
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Clinical Trials
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Guidelines / Policies / Govt
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Commentary
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Healthcare Provider Resources
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Overview

Pre-medical (often shortened to pre-med) is a term used to describe a track an undergraduate student in the United States pursues prior to becoming a medical student. It refers to the activities that prepare an undergraduate student for medical school, such as pre-med coursework, volunteer activities, clinical experience, research, and the application process.

Pre-Med Timeline

Typical pre-med students will structure their coursework in their first year at college to accommodate the required courses. After, typically, a semester, many pursue extracurricular activities that demonstrate a commitment to medicine. Once junior year arrives, students typically register for and take the MCAT, the required standardized exam that medical schools use to identify qualified candidates. Once taken, students apply to various schools using the automated AMCAS system, or using a non-AMCAS-using school's own application. The application process consists of a review of coursework, activities, work experience, and a personal statement. Applicants can expect to hear from schools within several weeks, at which point they may receive "secondary applications". These applications are generated by each individual school. They contain essay questions that the applicant must answer. A qualified applicant can expect to receive an invitation to interview at certain schools. Such an invitation is generally considered an accomplishment with regards to the amount of time and work one puts into building his candidacy. Upon completion of the interview, the application process is considered "complete," and applicants can then wait for letters from schools.

Coursework

The Association of American Medical Colleges has created standard required courses that every pre-med student must take. Each school is allowed to place its own further requirements.

The pre-medical coursework is offered at many American colleges and universities; however, it is considered to be a "track" that follows a certain curriculum. Most pre-medical students major in the natural sciences, such as biology, chemistry, or physics, though this is not a requirement. Approximately 25% of matriculants major in a field other than the natural and physical sciences, such as anthropology, philosophy, or other humanities.

The typical courses that must be taken to meet the pre-medical requirement are:

• General Chemistry 1 & 2 (with laboratories)
• General Biology 1 & 2 (with laboratories) (some schools allow zoology in place of second semester)
• Organic Chemistry 1 & 2 (with laboratories) (some schools allow biochemistry in place of second semester)
• General Physics 1 & 2 (with laboratories)
• One or two semesters of math, usually Calculus 1 and either Calculus 2 or a statistics course
• English and Writing

Pre-medical students may be advised or required to take upper level biology and chemistry electives, such as cellular biology, physical chemistry, biochemistry, genetics, etc. Specific requirements for these courses vary by institution.

Schools may also have requirements for non-science classes. Some schools require a certain number of general humanities credits, while others have specific requirements for courses in English, Psychology, or other disciplines.

Other Countries

In Australia, a number of universities offer a three or four year Bachelor of Medical Science or Biomedical Science degree, which is similar in content and aim to pre-med courses in the US, as the majority of graduates attempt to gain entry to a graduate medical school.

See also

• Pre-health sciences

References

Cost Effectiveness of Pre-medical

| group5 = Clinical Trials Involving Pre-medical | list5 = Ongoing Trials on Pre-medical at Clinical Trials.gov • Trial results on Pre-medical • Clinical Trials on Pre-medical at Google

| group6 = Guidelines / Policies / Government Resources (FDA/CDC) Regarding Pre-medical | list6 = US National Guidelines Clearinghouse on Pre-medical • NICE Guidance on Pre-medical • NHS PRODIGY Guidance • FDA on Pre-medical • CDC on Pre-medical

| group7 = Textbook Information on Pre-medical | list7 = Books and Textbook Information on Pre-medical

| group8 = Pharmacology Resources on Pre-medical | list8 = AND (Dose)}} Dosing of Pre-medical • AND (drug interactions)}} Drug interactions with Pre-medical • AND (side effects)}} Side effects of Pre-medical • AND (Allergy)}} Allergic reactions to Pre-medical • AND (overdose)}} Overdose information on Pre-medical • AND (carcinogenicity)}} Carcinogenicity information on Pre-medical • AND (pregnancy)}} Pre-medical in pregnancy • AND (pharmacokinetics)}} Pharmacokinetics of Pre-medical •

| group9 = Genetics, Pharmacogenomics, and Proteinomics of Pre-medical | list9 = AND (pharmacogenomics)}} Genetics of Pre-medical • AND (pharmacogenomics)}} Pharmacogenomics of Pre-medical • AND (proteomics)}} Proteomics of Pre-medical

| group10 = Newstories on Pre-medical | list10 = Pre-medical in the news • Be alerted to news on Pre-medical • News trends on Pre-medical</small>

| group11 = Commentary on Pre-medical | list11 = Blogs on Pre-medical

| group12 = Patient Resources on Pre-medical | list12 = Patient resources on Pre-medical • Discussion groups on Pre-medical • Patient Handouts on Pre-medical • Directions to Hospitals Treating Pre-medical • Risk calculators and risk factors for Pre-medical

| group13 = Healthcare Provider Resources on Pre-medical | list13 = Symptoms of Pre-medical • Causes & Risk Factors for Pre-medical • Diagnostic studies for Pre-medical • Treatment of Pre-medical

| group14 = Continuing Medical Education (CME) Programs on Pre-medical | list14 = CME Programs on Pre-medical

| group15 = International Resources on Pre-medical | list15 = Pre-medical en Espanol • Pre-medical en Francais

| group16 = Business Resources on Pre-medical | list16 = Pre-medical in the Marketplace • Patents on Pre-medical

| group17 = Informatics Resources on Pre-medical | list17 = List of terms related to Pre-medical

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