Table of Contents
Introduction
Before heading to medical school, there are some prereqs that need to be completed before the entire process of applying towards medical school. Many of the courses that are required from most medical schools are science-oriented. This is why many individuals who attend college focus on science-oriented majors so they are able to fulfill the majority of the science classes as part of their curriculum. In terms of the science courses that are prerequisites to most medical schools, these include Inorganic (General) Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Biology, Physics, and Biochemistry. Behavioral Sciences is also required (psychology). In addition, English, Calculus, and Statistics are generally required at most if not all medical schools. As you can see, the courses mentioned here are key staples of the MCAT and that is why the MCAT focuses upon these topics. This is why it is crucially important as to why students need to do really well learning these courses and doing well on the courses, as not only is it affecting your GPA, it also affects your future MCAT score.
Mandatory Classes for (Most) Med Schools1
Biology: One of the core required prereqs every premed must take if one wants to apply and attend medical school. Biology as we all know it is the study of the building blocks of life and quite imperative to understand if one wants to treat patients in the future. Understanding biology will allow students to understand the basics of the body and how it functions. This knowledge will become the foundation for medical school to build upon. In addition, the basic concepts learned in this class will be brought up again in biology-based classes that you take (Physiology, Anatomy, Genetics, etc).
Physics: Another required class by most medical schools. Physics allows one to calculate velocity, acceleration, rotation, among many other real-world attributes. A lot of premeds might think that physics is useless to becoming a physician, but if you apply physics to the human body there can be a lot of applications. For example, the speed and pressure of blood can be measured through physics, a necessity for high blood pressure patients. Physics also allows determining how certain organs like the heart and lungs are functioning properly. Not only this, but physics is on the MCAT as well, so taking this class will allow you to excel on the infamous exam.
General Chemistry (Inorganic): Also a core prereq required for medical school applications. Here one learns how molecules are made, and how certain reactions take place. The reactions that occur allow one to understand how specific reactions take place in the body and in the broader universe. Through taking general chemistry you will develop a foundation for learning how drugs will function in the body and how organic molecules work to create organic reactions.
Organic Chemistry (Ochem): A core class needed for medical school. Ochem is the study of organic molecules which end up being the building blocks of all life. Life is centered around carbon and hydrogen bonds, and that is the backbone of Ochem. By learning Ochem, you will be able to understand how drugs, proteins, and other nature-based substances are created.
Biochemistry: A major prereq that is required for medical school admissions. Biochemistry is the study of how biological processes within the bodywork in a chemical-like fashion. Through biochem, you will be able to learn many important facts such as the Krebs cycle, electron chain transport, and many other things necessary for your medical foundation. The knowledge learned from this class will be key to understanding how more complex diseases and drugs affect the body.
Psychology: An additional requirement for pre-meds. Psychology consists of studying how humans think, interact, speak, and a whole lot of other interesting facts. This may seem useless to some people, but with psychology under your belt, you will be able to understand why certain people act differently in certain situations. For example, as a physician, you need to know the stages of grief and how to help your patient and their family when they are diagnosed with a big disease. On top of this psychology will help you learn how to build trust with patients, which is crucial in healthcare if you want to help someone.
Genetics: Another class required by most medical schools. The class teaches how certain traits are passed onto prodigies and how multiple traits combining together could create different traits or even disable some traits. The study of genetics is important to future physicians as it can help students learn how their future patients contract certain diseases or pass them on. For example, a lot of cancers tend to have genetic patterns that should be identified to properly treat the disease at hand.
Calculus: This is a further prereq needed to be taken by most premeds. Calculus allows one to learn how to solve complex equations and determine how to solve certain questions. It may be one of the most questioned classes that is required for pre-meds but is essential to understanding how medicine works as a whole. It can be used as a way to measure and understand the chemical reactions occurring in the blood, blood flow, tumor growth, and many other things. Even though this class may not seem that necessary, knowing the knowledge from here will help you become a better doctor.
English: English is a requisite in nearly all majors and for the medical field is an important class as well. English is not just about reading and writing but also involves communication. Being clear and cohesive in one’s reading, writing, and communication in the real world and medical field is quite essential to be successful in the outside world! With that being said, it is important to develop these skills when the opportunities are presented.
Statistics: The final class required by most medical schools in the states is statistics. Statistics is the study of how probable something is and how significant something may be. This class is critical to understand and calculate risk factors, morbidity, mortality, survival rate, etc. All of these measurements would not be possible without statistics and are used by doctors regularly to give their patients the best outcome that is statistically possible.
Recommended Classes to take (may be required for some schools)2
Medical Terminology: This class is quite helpful to many students as they in a way get a small precursor to many of the classes students take in medical school and anatomy. Learning these basic terms as well as prefixes, roots, and suffixes enable you to be more prepared and knowledgeable in medical-related environments. This class teaches a variety of diseases and relations in the body and in our personal opinion is a great class that you should take if you have the time!
Physiology: This is a prereq in which concepts are not only in the MCAT, but are also involved with other classes. This class goes hand in hand with many topics you learned and will learn. Physiology enables you to see another perspective and connect with classes such as anatomy to gain a greater understanding of how the body works.
Anatomy: This class may be a no-brainer, but it still must be mentioned as one of our recommended classes. Anatomy is studied in medical school and so it is recommended that you have taken the course and have some idea of the concepts and things that you are learning in medical school, so that way you are not going in blind into medical school. You get to learn about many basic concepts that are also mentioned in the MCAT. Knowing your anatomy allows you to be ahead of the game when it comes to medical school, so that way when you see things that you already knew, you can recollect on it and remember quicker.
Philosophy: This prereq is an interesting pick for recommended classes, however, let us explain why it may be a valuable pick. Philosophy tends to dive into the variety of things and ways people talk, and with that being said it can be very eye-opening to future healthcare professionals. It is one of those classes that make you think from multiple perspectives and makes you support your decision. These skills are very important as a future healthcare professional!
Service-Oriented/Leadership Classes: These classes are focused on enabling you to develop core skills that you will be able to utilize in the medical field and your day-to-day life. With that being said, these classes tend to provide you opportunities that enrich your curriculum vitae and make you a more well-rounded person. You learn more about yourself and the variety of issues as well as biases that exist in the world. Remember enriching yourself and developing a variety of perspectives puts you at the best of your game and lets you succeed wherever the world takes you!
Tips
Intro Classes
Courses that can help, but are not mandatory are Introduction to Inorganic Chemistry and Organic Chemistry. These courses can help build foundations for the actual lecture classes. They can be very helpful, especially for those not strong in the chemical sciences. But be wise when taking these classes. By this we mean look at reviews from previous students. This is because there are certain people we know that have taken introductory courses that have been worthless and timewasters. If this is the case for the introductory course at your school, you may be better off doing some self-studying. Again look at the reviews, and know what suits you better. Regardless of what path you choose, try to build your foundation to these classes in a way that suits you best, it will pay off!!
Professors
Getting to know the professors that teach your classes, especially your core classes, is essential! To do this go to office hours, attend all lectures, and do a majority of what the professor asks of you. Not only will this build a great relationship with the professor, but your grades should increase as well. Through this you may be able to gain an insight into upcoming assignments/exams and may be on the lenient side of the professor’s grading. On top of this, building this connection will allow you to request and receive a great letter of recommendation (LOR). LORs are needed for all medical schools and depending on what school a variety may be needed. A good LOR goes a long way as it shows what type of person you are within and outside the classroom. Professors can pave many opportunities for you as well! Professors have the ability to recommend you for tutoring positions, research positions, or other positions around your university and these can play a huge role in your application process!
Classmates
Becoming friends with one or multiple classmates for each class is CRUCIAL!! These are the people who will be going through the journey with you in that specific class. There is no one better than these classmates who you can rely on to study with and work with for class projects/exams. Studying and working together is beneficial for both or all of you. You guys can feed off each other, quiz each other, and even teach each other. Personally, we loved to study all the material by ourselves first and then have group discussions with others to see where we have gaps in knowledge. You guys can also use Anki together and see if you remember the overall terms/concepts. Remembering deadlines is something that we sometimes struggle with; even if one of us writes it down, we still forget. This is why having someone reliable in the class can be very useful in keeping you in check. Having classmates who are in pursuit of their own doctor’s journey can be beneficial as well! When your classmates see opportunities, they can share with you and you can share with them your opportunities and together become successful physicians someday in the future!
Websites
Utilize ratemyprofessor.com to see which professor’s teaching styles may be a better fit for your education! Also use online resources such as YouTube, Reddit, and other sources to search for help and sometimes there can be full-on guides that can lead you to victory!
A great website for those of you struggling in Ochem is: masteringorganicchemistry. They provide a good through explanation about almost all organic reactions and help give a good grasp on the concept.
The Basic Spiel
D.O., M.D., or both?
Most D.O. and M.D. schools require about the same amount of mandatory courses, but it doesn’t hurt to see what each school requires on their website. To get more information about the differences between MD and DO check out our other article3.
MCAT
Put a lot of time into preparation. Purchase books that are best for you, each set of books varies depending on your content knowledge. Also, doing well in your primary courses can play a big role in how much you would have to prepare/study for the MCAT. Remember the MCAT will still play a huge role in placing you into the medical program/school that you want to be able to go to.
GPA
Put a great emphasis on all of your courses and always aim for a high GPA. Especially when working on science courses make sure to get the highest grades and understanding you can as it leads to your very own science GPA as well as future MCAT score. Also, your great work ethic for studying in your courses will pay dividends when you enter the MCAT studying phase!
Major during Undergrad
A specific major is not needed for medical school acceptance, although most premed students end up choosing biology majors. It is recommended to choose a major that interests you and allows you to excel in your classes. If you want more details on specific majors for medical school acceptance check out our other article4.
Application
For the applications, make sure to always start early! Inputting courses, getting transcripts, and working on your personal statement take quite a bit of time, so make sure to get it started early and not procrastinate. Have someone you trust to go through your personal statements and improve it! This can even be one of your professors with who you have made a close bond with. In addition, make sure to ask for your letters of recommendation (LOR) early. Not only does this show responsibility, but it allows the writers to have adequate time to give you a great LOR. Even though many medical schools do say something along the lines of people are evaluated holistically, in our personal opinion timing of submission plays a great role in acceptance rates as well!
TL;DR
The basic gist of this article is that most medical schools require the same required prereqs. These prereqs are general chemistry, organic chemistry, biology, physics, biochem, genetics, calculus, statistics, and English. Some of these classes may not be mandatory for some schools but make sure to check the school you’re applying to. In addition to these classes, there are a few other science and community-based classes one should try to take. These classes are: medical terminology, physiology, anatomy, philosophy, and service-learning.
Not only are these prereqs required by medical school, they are also important for excelling on the MCAT! So try your best to learn as much as possible from these courses. We also put a few tips about how to succeed such as studying effectively with others, getting to know the professors better, and using online resources to supplement your studying.
By Kartik Goswami and Joel Varughese