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What would I need to major in and what classes do I have to take in college to attend medical school?
How many classes do I have to take and is it possible to speed up the process?
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3 answers
Updated
Akhilesh’s Answer
To attend medical school, you generally need a strong foundation in science, so most students major in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, neuroscience, or psychology. However, any major is acceptable as long as you complete the required pre-med courses for medical school, which often include:
Typical Pre-Med Course Requirements
1. Biology with lab – 2 semesters
2. General Chemistry with lab – 2 semesters
3. Organic Chemistry with lab – 2 semesters
4. Physics with lab – 2 semesters
5. Biochemistry – 1 semester
6. Mathematics – often calculus and/or statistics
7. English or writing-intensive courses – 2 semesters
8. Social Sciences (e.g., psychology, sociology) – 1-2 semesters
Some schools may also recommend genetics, physiology, or human anatomy. Medical schools require you to perform well in these courses, so achieving a strong GPA is essential.
Accelerating the Process
There are ways to potentially speed up your pre-med journey:
1. Taking summer courses: This can help you complete required courses faster, allowing you to spread out your workload and even finish in three years.
2. AP/IB credits: If you took Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses in high school, some colleges may accept these credits, potentially reducing the number of college courses required.
3. Concurrent enrollment: In some schools, you may be able to take higher-level courses concurrently (like biochemistry and organic chemistry) if you can manage the workload.
Recommended Steps
1. Work with a pre-med advisor: They can help ensure you’re on the right track and meeting requirements for the medical schools you want to apply to.
2. Prepare for the MCAT early: The MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) is an essential part of your application. Ideally, you should plan to complete the required courses before taking the MCAT.
3. Gain relevant experience: Volunteering, shadowing doctors, or conducting research will strengthen your application.
In terms of class count, you’re typically looking at around 10-12 specific courses in addition to your general education and major requirements. Some students complete their coursework and are ready to apply to medical school in about three years, but the average student takes four years to complete their undergraduate studies before applying.
Typical Pre-Med Course Requirements
1. Biology with lab – 2 semesters
2. General Chemistry with lab – 2 semesters
3. Organic Chemistry with lab – 2 semesters
4. Physics with lab – 2 semesters
5. Biochemistry – 1 semester
6. Mathematics – often calculus and/or statistics
7. English or writing-intensive courses – 2 semesters
8. Social Sciences (e.g., psychology, sociology) – 1-2 semesters
Some schools may also recommend genetics, physiology, or human anatomy. Medical schools require you to perform well in these courses, so achieving a strong GPA is essential.
Accelerating the Process
There are ways to potentially speed up your pre-med journey:
1. Taking summer courses: This can help you complete required courses faster, allowing you to spread out your workload and even finish in three years.
2. AP/IB credits: If you took Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses in high school, some colleges may accept these credits, potentially reducing the number of college courses required.
3. Concurrent enrollment: In some schools, you may be able to take higher-level courses concurrently (like biochemistry and organic chemistry) if you can manage the workload.
Recommended Steps
1. Work with a pre-med advisor: They can help ensure you’re on the right track and meeting requirements for the medical schools you want to apply to.
2. Prepare for the MCAT early: The MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) is an essential part of your application. Ideally, you should plan to complete the required courses before taking the MCAT.
3. Gain relevant experience: Volunteering, shadowing doctors, or conducting research will strengthen your application.
In terms of class count, you’re typically looking at around 10-12 specific courses in addition to your general education and major requirements. Some students complete their coursework and are ready to apply to medical school in about three years, but the average student takes four years to complete their undergraduate studies before applying.
Updated
Julia’s Answer
Hi Allen,
I would recommend that you research which medical schools you are interested in attending and looking at the classes that they require as prerequisites. They should have it listed on their website, or you can reach out to their admissions team to ask. Since these are required, you can look at which majors in the college you are looking to go to have most of these classes. Typically majors in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, or neuroscience have most of these classes. But you will need to take more than just science classes, since some of these require prerequisites for the prerequisites. This typically could look like calculus, physics, psychology, writing, public speaking, etc. As for speeding up the process, I recommend that you take your time with the classes to build a solid foundation in these courses because when you enter medical school, they will expect you to know those subjects well. This will also benefit you when you have to take your MCAT as part of the entrance requirement. It doesn't hurt to ask the medical school admissions if they prefer you to have a bachelor's degree before matriculation. Some schools will accept students as long as they took the required prerequisite courses and without a degree, but that depends on the school. But since most classes are covered in a bachelor's degree, it makes sense just to get the bachelor's degree. Sometimes the school will have students that they can get you in touch with so that they can also offer guidance in their medical school journeys.
I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Best of luck!
I would recommend that you research which medical schools you are interested in attending and looking at the classes that they require as prerequisites. They should have it listed on their website, or you can reach out to their admissions team to ask. Since these are required, you can look at which majors in the college you are looking to go to have most of these classes. Typically majors in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, or neuroscience have most of these classes. But you will need to take more than just science classes, since some of these require prerequisites for the prerequisites. This typically could look like calculus, physics, psychology, writing, public speaking, etc. As for speeding up the process, I recommend that you take your time with the classes to build a solid foundation in these courses because when you enter medical school, they will expect you to know those subjects well. This will also benefit you when you have to take your MCAT as part of the entrance requirement. It doesn't hurt to ask the medical school admissions if they prefer you to have a bachelor's degree before matriculation. Some schools will accept students as long as they took the required prerequisite courses and without a degree, but that depends on the school. But since most classes are covered in a bachelor's degree, it makes sense just to get the bachelor's degree. Sometimes the school will have students that they can get you in touch with so that they can also offer guidance in their medical school journeys.
I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Best of luck!
Updated
Michael’s Answer
Hi Allen:
While in high school, one will need to focus on science and math classes to prepare to be a Physician or a Surgeon. Chemistry and biology will be the core science courses. For math, algebra, calculus and statistics will be needed. Both concentrations will enable you to focus and refine your analytical skills for research; complex problem solving; investigative and innovative critical thinking; attention to detail; etc.
Other skills that will need to be built upon center around team building, team work and communication. In any work culture, collaboration among team members, staff and partner departments occur on a daily basis. As a Physician or a Surgeon, communication is essential and critical when dealing with hospital staff and patients. A college course in Public Speaking, Communication and English will help with one's communication and writing skills.
Physicians and Surgeons are similar in their responsibilities and duties in taking care of patients and in dealing with hospital staff and medical personnel. The main difference between the two professionals is that Surgeons operate on patients whereas Physicians do not. Physicians diagnose patients and treat their medical conditions. Operations performed by Surgeons can be treating injuries like broken bones, removal of diseases like tumors and cancers, deformities, etc.
To become a Physician or a Surgeon, a Bachelor Degree in Biology, pre-med or another science related field has to be earned at a college or university. Afterwards, a doctorate degree from an accredited medical school has to be obtained. The next phase will be training through a medical residency as well as medical certification and licensing.
For education and training, it will take up to 14 years to become a Physician or a Surgeon. The Bachelor Degree will be between 4-5 years. Medical school will be another 4-5 years. Medical residency, medical certification and licensing can take up to 3-4 years.
Being a Physician or a Surgeon can be a demanding and rewarding profession, especially depending if there is a specialized field or concentration. Remember, as a Physician or a Surgeon, you are the professional who saves lives. Your patients are impacted by you.
While in college, here are some undergraduate degrees to major in order to become a Physician or a Surgeon:
- Organic Chemistry
- Biochemistry
- Biology
- Chemistry
It will be best to seek advice from your high school guidance counselor as well as teachers to help you focus your interests for a specific major in college.
According to U.S. News & World Report, here is an overview of pursuing medical school:
https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-medical-schools
According to U.S. News & World Report, here are the top colleges and universities to consider for Medical School:
- Harvard University
- John Hopkins University
- University of Pennsylvania (Perelman)
- Columbia University
- Duke University
- Stanford University
- University of California (San Francisco)
- Vanderbilt University
- Washington University (St. Louis)
- Cornell University (Weill)
- New York University (Grossman)
- Yale University
https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-medical-schools/research-rankings
When reviewing colleges and universities, it is best to check the following:
- In-State vs Out of State Tuition
- Internships
- Scholarships
- Career Placement upon graduation
- Course work and offered classes
- Post-Graduate Degrees - Master and Doctoral
There will be a application fee to pay for when submitting college applications. The amount of application fee will depend on the college that you are applying to. If there are questions about the college application process, please reach out to the college's Registrar Office.
There are scholarships based on need, academic performance, school activities, sports involvement and community service. So, it will be to your advantage to seek out these types of scholarships. All of the academic staff at your high school that you interact with can write letters of recommendations for you based on what was just stated above. These recommendations can greatly help when filling out college and scholarship applications.
College and scholarship applications can start to be submitted during your Junior year and will continue throughout your Senior year in high school. It is best to ask your Academic Advisor/School Counselor on the timeline process as well. College and scholarship applications will have specific deadlines and requirements to meet in order to be submitted for review and consideration.
You may want to start to compile your resume/portfolio since a majority of college and scholarship applications will require academic grade point average (GPA), academic accomplishments, school activities (clubs, sports, etc.), community involvement (volunteer, church, etc.), academic and personal recommendations, etc. There may be essay requirements on why you are a qualified candidate to receive the scholarship and gain entry to the college of your choice, what your future goals are academically and professionally and other questions centering around who you are, your beliefs, etc.
Here are a couple of links for College Scholarships:
https://www.mometrix.com/blog/scholarships-for-college/
https://www.nchchonors.org/students/awards-scholarships/national-scholarships
Also, it will be best to check with the colleges and universities that you will be applying to. You can check with the School/Department of your desired major, the Campus Career Center and the Register's Office for additional information for college scholarships and grants and specific requirements for qualifications.
There should be no limit on the amount of scholarships that one can apply to. It will take time to fill out the scholarship applications and provide all of the necessary required information. Also, there should no fee and no cost to fill out and submit scholarship applications. If there is a fee or cost that is associated with a scholarship application, then please do not send this particular scholarship application in. It will be a scam and money will be lost.
Best wishes for your education and medical career!
While in high school, one will need to focus on science and math classes to prepare to be a Physician or a Surgeon. Chemistry and biology will be the core science courses. For math, algebra, calculus and statistics will be needed. Both concentrations will enable you to focus and refine your analytical skills for research; complex problem solving; investigative and innovative critical thinking; attention to detail; etc.
Other skills that will need to be built upon center around team building, team work and communication. In any work culture, collaboration among team members, staff and partner departments occur on a daily basis. As a Physician or a Surgeon, communication is essential and critical when dealing with hospital staff and patients. A college course in Public Speaking, Communication and English will help with one's communication and writing skills.
Physicians and Surgeons are similar in their responsibilities and duties in taking care of patients and in dealing with hospital staff and medical personnel. The main difference between the two professionals is that Surgeons operate on patients whereas Physicians do not. Physicians diagnose patients and treat their medical conditions. Operations performed by Surgeons can be treating injuries like broken bones, removal of diseases like tumors and cancers, deformities, etc.
To become a Physician or a Surgeon, a Bachelor Degree in Biology, pre-med or another science related field has to be earned at a college or university. Afterwards, a doctorate degree from an accredited medical school has to be obtained. The next phase will be training through a medical residency as well as medical certification and licensing.
For education and training, it will take up to 14 years to become a Physician or a Surgeon. The Bachelor Degree will be between 4-5 years. Medical school will be another 4-5 years. Medical residency, medical certification and licensing can take up to 3-4 years.
Being a Physician or a Surgeon can be a demanding and rewarding profession, especially depending if there is a specialized field or concentration. Remember, as a Physician or a Surgeon, you are the professional who saves lives. Your patients are impacted by you.
While in college, here are some undergraduate degrees to major in order to become a Physician or a Surgeon:
- Organic Chemistry
- Biochemistry
- Biology
- Chemistry
It will be best to seek advice from your high school guidance counselor as well as teachers to help you focus your interests for a specific major in college.
According to U.S. News & World Report, here is an overview of pursuing medical school:
https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-medical-schools
According to U.S. News & World Report, here are the top colleges and universities to consider for Medical School:
- Harvard University
- John Hopkins University
- University of Pennsylvania (Perelman)
- Columbia University
- Duke University
- Stanford University
- University of California (San Francisco)
- Vanderbilt University
- Washington University (St. Louis)
- Cornell University (Weill)
- New York University (Grossman)
- Yale University
https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-medical-schools/research-rankings
When reviewing colleges and universities, it is best to check the following:
- In-State vs Out of State Tuition
- Internships
- Scholarships
- Career Placement upon graduation
- Course work and offered classes
- Post-Graduate Degrees - Master and Doctoral
There will be a application fee to pay for when submitting college applications. The amount of application fee will depend on the college that you are applying to. If there are questions about the college application process, please reach out to the college's Registrar Office.
There are scholarships based on need, academic performance, school activities, sports involvement and community service. So, it will be to your advantage to seek out these types of scholarships. All of the academic staff at your high school that you interact with can write letters of recommendations for you based on what was just stated above. These recommendations can greatly help when filling out college and scholarship applications.
College and scholarship applications can start to be submitted during your Junior year and will continue throughout your Senior year in high school. It is best to ask your Academic Advisor/School Counselor on the timeline process as well. College and scholarship applications will have specific deadlines and requirements to meet in order to be submitted for review and consideration.
You may want to start to compile your resume/portfolio since a majority of college and scholarship applications will require academic grade point average (GPA), academic accomplishments, school activities (clubs, sports, etc.), community involvement (volunteer, church, etc.), academic and personal recommendations, etc. There may be essay requirements on why you are a qualified candidate to receive the scholarship and gain entry to the college of your choice, what your future goals are academically and professionally and other questions centering around who you are, your beliefs, etc.
Here are a couple of links for College Scholarships:
https://www.mometrix.com/blog/scholarships-for-college/
https://www.nchchonors.org/students/awards-scholarships/national-scholarships
Also, it will be best to check with the colleges and universities that you will be applying to. You can check with the School/Department of your desired major, the Campus Career Center and the Register's Office for additional information for college scholarships and grants and specific requirements for qualifications.
There should be no limit on the amount of scholarships that one can apply to. It will take time to fill out the scholarship applications and provide all of the necessary required information. Also, there should no fee and no cost to fill out and submit scholarship applications. If there is a fee or cost that is associated with a scholarship application, then please do not send this particular scholarship application in. It will be a scam and money will be lost.
Best wishes for your education and medical career!