Pre-medical (often shortened to pre-med) is a term used to describe a track an undergraduate student in the United States pursues prior to becoming a medical student. It refers to the activities that prepare an undergraduate student for medical school, such as pre-med coursework, volunteer activities, clinical experience, research, and the application process.
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At most colleges and universities, students do not have the option of a pre-medical major. A student on a pre-med track is permitted to choose any undergraduate major in any field of study, so long as certain required courses are completed. Such courses are generally focused in the scientific fields of biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, and physics and are necessary for an individual to be prepared for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)[1] and satisfy most medical school pre-requisite requirements.[2] It is for this reason students on a pre-med track generally undertake a major associated with one of those fields; however, an increasing number of students with a background in humanities have been applying in recent years[3], a situation applauded by medical schools.[4] For example, Mount Sinai School of Medicine has created a program specifically for non-science majors. The Humanities and Medicine Program grants admission to undergraduates majoring in the humanities or social sciences without requiring the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) or science coursework.[5]
Typical pre-med students will structure their coursework in their first year at college to accommodate the required courses. After a semester, many pursue extracurricular activities that demonstrate a commitment to medicine. Once junior year arrives, students register for and take the MCAT, the required standardized exam that medical schools use to identify qualified candidates.[4] Once the test is taken, students apply to various schools using the automated AMCAS system, or using a non-AMCAS-using school's own application. AMCAS primary applications are verified by AMCAS staff, a process that often takes four to six weeks.[4] The application process consists of a review of academic records, MCAT scores, activities, work experience, and a personal statement.[6] Applicants can expect to hear from schools within a few months, at which point they may receive "secondary applications".[7] Different schools have different policies on sending secondary applications to students; many send secondary applications to all students, others screen applications prior to inviting an applicant to submit a secondary application. These applications are generated by each individual school. They generally contain essay questions that the applicant must answer to demonstrate that the applicant possesses qualities that the schools deem necessary to be a good medical student and physician.[8] Qualified applicants can next expect to receive invitations to interview at schools. Upon completion of an interview and receipt of any additional application materials, the application is considered to be complete, and the student then waits for the school's decision to either accept or reject the student.[8]
Increasingly, more non-traditional applicants are pursuing admittance to medical school through a "post-baccalaureate" pre-medical program. These programs may be formal, such as the programs offered through Columbia, Johns Hopkins, Georgetown and Loyola, or semi-formal, such as the program offered at Harvard, but often consist of a student informally enrolling in a college to complete science coursework required for admission to medical school prior to sitting for the MCAT. The AAMC maintains a list of all formal and semi-formal post-baccalaureate pre-medical programs in the United States.[9]
The Association of American Medical Colleges has created determined required courses that every pre-med student must take. [2] Each school is allowed to place its own further requirements.
The pre-medical coursework is offered at many American colleges and universities; however, it is considered to be a "track" that follows a certain curriculum. Most pre-medical students major in the natural sciences, such as biology, chemistry, or physics, though this is not a requirement.
The courses that must be taken to meet the pre-medical requirements as set forth by the AAMC are two years of chemistry, with one being in organic chemistry, one year of biology, and one year of physics.[2] Most medical schools require that laboratory courses are included or taken alongside the aforementioned courses. In addition, some allow for substitutions, such as taking one semester of biochemistry in place of one semester of organic chemistry, or one semester of zoology in place of one semester of biology.[10][11] Some schools require or recommend additional coursework for admission to certain schools including mathematics, and English and writing courses beyond those needed for an undergraduate degree.[10][12][13][4]
Pre-medical students may be advised or required to take upper level biology and chemistry electives, such as cellular biology, physical chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology and genetics. Specific requirements for these courses vary by institution. Schools may also have requirements for non-science classes. Some require a certain number of general humanities credits, while others have specific requirements for courses in English, Psychology, or other disciplines.
In Australia and the United Kingdom, a number of universities offer a three or four year Bachelor of Medical Science, Bachelor of Health Sciences or Biomedical Science degree, which is similar in content and aim to pre-med courses in the US. However, it is also possible to gain entry to a professional degree program in medicine (usually the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degree) directly from secondary school if the applicant achieves high grades upon graduation and is successful in the Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admission Test (UMAT).