Pre-Med Requirements: What High School Students Need to Know about Applying to Medical School
Becoming a doctor is often a lifelong dream for many students. For others, studying medicine and becoming a physician is a newfound passion. Either way, medical school is a common career path–but the application process is daunting and competitive.
In order to become a physician, you’ll need to complete a rigorous course load as an undergraduate, attend medical school, and complete a residency. The entire process typically takes over a decade! But despite some of the feelings of overwhelm that may accompany the path ahead, becoming a doctor is rewarding–and oftentimes comes with a high salary.
As a high school student, you shouldn’t be too worried about prospective medical schools yet. That being said, planning ahead can certainly be useful in a career path that has so many prerequisites! In this blog post, we are discussing pre-med requirements and what you need in order to attend medical school.
What is pre-med?
It is a common misconception to think that pre-med is a major. It is actually not a major but a track – or series of courses needed to meet medical school requirements. In fact, you can actually select any major and still apply for medical school. You will, however, need to make sure that you are meeting both major and pre-med requirements by graduation.
There are certainly students who major in English and history who become doctors. But, it is a bit more common to see students studying Biology and Chemistry, for example, since there is overlap in courses students take for those majors with the courses they need to be pre-med.
We will share more information about pre-med majors below.
What prerequisites do most medical schools require?
Prerequisites for medical school vary from school-to-school. That being said, most medical schools do agree on basic course requirements:
Biology (2 semesters with lab)
General Chemistry (2 semesters with lab)
Organic Chemistry (2 semesters with lab)
Physics (2 semesters with lab)
About ⅔ of medical schools require English and math courses (Kaplan). Other schools may require psychology and writing.
In general, it’s a good idea to look up different medical schools to review their requirements as you plan out your undergraduate course load. You can also reach out to a pre-med advisor at your university who can help ensure you are on the right track to meet all necessary requirements by graduation.
How should I choose an undergraduate major?
As a high school student, you may already be thinking about potential majors. When you apply to college, you will typically be asked to indicate your intended major. But how should you go about choosing a major as a future pre-med student?
Like we shared earlier, pre-med is a track, not a major.
Science majors tend to be the most common choice for pre-med students. That is likely due to the fact that there is natural overlap between science majors and pre-med requirements. A biology major, for example, will take biology courses, which are also a prerequisite for medical school.
Some common med school majors include:
Physics, Chemistry, and Physical Sciences
Biology and Human Biology
Economics, Psychology, and Social Sciences
Math and Statistics
Medical schools do stress the importance of having a well-rounded background. This means that they do not prioritize science majors. Science majors can certainly take humanities and social science classes to help diversify their backgrounds and transcripts. However, majoring in a social science or a humanities may help students have more diverse backgrounds in the application pool.
Despite all of this, the most important thing for you to consider is…
Choose a major that excites you.
Admissions officers want to accept students who are genuinely interested in the courses they take. Do not choose a major because you think it’ll increase your chances of getting into your dream medical school. Take classes that excite YOU. By majoring in a subject you enjoy, you’ll perform better in school–and enjoy your time as an undergraduate more!
What are the other prerequisites for medical school?
In order to apply to medical school, you will need to submit a/an:
Application (and secondary applications): To apply to medical school, you will need to complete an application, which is usually administered by the American Medical College Application Service. After you submit the application, you’ll be asked to submit a secondary application to the school–or you will be rejected.
Transcript: Your transcript will show schools the courses you completed and your grades.
MCAT score: The MCAT is the standardized examination that is required to apply to medical school. Many students cite the MCAT as the most challenging aspect of medical school applications. Some schools have minimum MCAT scores to filter out students who do not meet those requirements.
Letters of recommendation: Most medical schools require 3 letters of recommendation from both science and non-science undergraduate faculty members.
Extracurriculars and clinical experience: You will also be asked to share more information about your extracurriculars and any relevant clinical experience you have. Clinical experience is critical to showing your interest in medicine, as well as gaining important skills for the field.
How can high school students prepare for pre-med programs in college
As a high school student interested in medicine, you are already ahead–so take a deep breath. You have plenty of time before you need to start thinking too deeply about medical school applications.
That being said, high school students who are interested in pursuing a premed program in college can take several steps to prepare themselves for success.
Build a foundation in science and math courses
Focus on developing a strong foundation in science and math courses such as biology, chemistry, physics, and calculus. It is also essential for students to develop excellent study habits and time-management skills to handle the rigorous coursework they will encounter in college.
Gain practical experience in healthcare settings
Take advantage of opportunities to gain practical experience in healthcare settings, such as volunteering at hospitals, clinics, or nursing homes, to gain exposure to the healthcare industry and build a strong resume.
Reach out to advisors and counselors for tips
Seek out guidance from their high school guidance counselors and college advisors to learn about premed requirements and get advice on how to navigate the premed program at their future college.
Above all, as a high school student, the best way to prepare for pre-med requirements is to confirm your interest in studying medicine! You may not have had too much work experience yet–or even knowledge about the industry beyond what you have read or seen from afar. Use this time to familiarize yourself with the field more to make sure you actually want to be a doctor. To do this, consider applying to a medical internship. Check out this list of medical internships for high school students.
About Inspirit AI and AI + Healthcare Projects
At Inspirit AI, we also offer research programs for high school students interested in applying AI to different fields, including healthcare and medicine. Apply to one of our programs to learn about how artificial intelligence is transforming medicine, such as diagnosing disease and discovering new medicines. You can learn more about AI Scholars here.
