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What are the specific classes that I have to take in college if I want to go in the medical field?
I'm asking this question because I like to be prepared for everything. #doctor #obstetrics #career #hospital-and-health-care #hospital #medicine
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4 answers
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James’s Answer
hi jada,
i graduated med school in 1993 and have been a family physician for 20 years.
in my day the required courses were:
calculus, physics, biology, chemistry, and organic chemistry.
i think they also required a social science. but since most majors also require that i tend to forget about that one.
i agree with the previous respondent that your particular major is completely up to you just as long as you complete the pre-med required classes. personally, i majored in business management. however, the majority of med school students still major in biology or chemistry.
also want to encourage you during college to go beyond the "required" courses and try to take one or more of the "recommended" pre-med courses. they help prepare you for the med school curriculum and the admissions commitees look very favorably on them. some of those classes are:
microbiology, immunology, biochemistry, physiology, anatomy.
good luck!
i graduated med school in 1993 and have been a family physician for 20 years.
in my day the required courses were:
calculus, physics, biology, chemistry, and organic chemistry.
i think they also required a social science. but since most majors also require that i tend to forget about that one.
i agree with the previous respondent that your particular major is completely up to you just as long as you complete the pre-med required classes. personally, i majored in business management. however, the majority of med school students still major in biology or chemistry.
also want to encourage you during college to go beyond the "required" courses and try to take one or more of the "recommended" pre-med courses. they help prepare you for the med school curriculum and the admissions commitees look very favorably on them. some of those classes are:
microbiology, immunology, biochemistry, physiology, anatomy.
good luck!
Updated
Effie’s Answer
You must first get a four year degree. Generally people take “pre-med” but you can take any type of science as long as you have a pre-req classes for the next set of classes which is called speciality. The best way to know the classes to take is to see your career counselor either in your high school or the college you are interested in. They will have lists of classes they recommend. They may even be able to suggest some free seminars or events where you can ask more questions.
Updated
Richard’s Answer
In the US, to apply to medical school, you need a bachelor's degree. Any 4-year university should suffice.
Pick a major that interests you so you don't mind devoting a majority of your hours to studying. 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
Pick a major that interests you so you don't mind devoting a majority of your hours to studying. 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
Douglas Romney
Disaster Medicine Fellow, Emergency Medicine Physician
7
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Gardner, Massachusetts
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Douglas’s Answer
You will need to look at the prerequisites for the medical schools you want to apply to. Nearly all med schools require 2 semesters of biology, 2 semesters of chemistry, and 2 semesters of physics. Other common requirements include anatomy and physiology, calculus, and there may be others for specific schools. Your major does not matter, I majored in philosophy during my undergraduate as a premed.