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What exactly is pre-med?

I've realized that pre-med is not a major, but it's defined as a path. What encompasses the pre-med path, and what would I major in? #premed #medicine

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Estelle’s Answer

Any major works. Pre-med requirements can be slightly different depending on the med school you choose. Richard's answer is thorough. Shadowing is also required.
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Yasemin’s Answer

HI Iliyah! Very important question! I agree with the previous comments about choosing whichever major you would like and taking the prerequisites. They help prepare you for medical school by being a foundation in college. In addition, I would definitely advise to keep up with your premed adviser as they will help guide you on the path to medical school. Make sure to volunteer as well, both clinical- with patients- and nonclinical- in your community like a soup kitchen, tutoring, etc. Also there are health careers services as well that may be available on your college campus so make sure to take advantage of the opportunities there and get in some shadowing hours so that you may see how physicians interact with patients.

Best of luck!

Yasemin recommends the following next steps:

keep up with premed adviser
make sure to volunteer and get experience in medical field
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Tammy’s Answer

Pre-med is the course of study you take to prepare for admission to medical school. It is kind of a guiding principle for your education designed to increase your chances for admission into a medical school of your choice. This website has a list of careers you could have with pre-med. https://www.livecareer.com/career/advice/jobs/pre-med-majors

Some pre-med students major in Biology, Chemistry, Religion, Philosophy, English, Sociology, etc. You can really choose any undergraduate major, as long as certain required courses are taken. There is no specific major required for admission to medical school, but you must obtain a bachelor's degree in something before you can be admitted into a medical school. Check this site out for more information. admissions.berkeley.edu/pre-med


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Richard’s Answer

Pre-med is just an intention to apply for medical school.

In the US, to apply to medical school, you need a bachelor's degree. Any 4-year university should suffice.

Pick a college that suits your personality and a major that interests you. You will need to get good grades in college in order to apply for medical school. At the medical school I attended, the average GPA is reported to be 3.85, so even one or two B's can hurt your chances of acceptance.

Aside from this, any major is acceptable as long as you complete the prerequisite courses.

Typical medical school prerequisites include:
Biology: Lecture – 4 semesters; Lab – 1 semester
General Chemistry: Lecture – 2 semesters; Lab – 1 semester
Organic Chemistry: Lecture – 2 semesters; Lab – 1 semester
Biochemistry: Lecture – 1 semester
General Physics: Lecture – 2 semesters; Lab – 1 semester
Math: Statistics – 1 semester
English: Rhetoric (Composition) and Literature – 2 semesters
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Rachel’s Answer

Pre-med is a track for students wanting to go to medical school. You need to complete the pre-med requirements, preferably with A’s. These include at least a year of biology, 1 year inorganic chemistry, 1 year organic chemistry + labs, physics, calculus, and biochemistry. Your junior year, you will need to take an MCAT study course prior to taking the MCAT. With a solid GPA and MCAT score, you should be a competitive applicant.
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