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Medicine

Physicians and surgeons diagnose and treat injuries or illnesses. They examine patients, take medical histories, prescribe medications and interpret diagnostic tests. Physicians often work closely with other healthcare staff including physician assistants, registered nurses, and medical records and health information technicians.

Within their area of focus, they also may specialize or subspecialize.

Learn More About Specialties and Subspecialties 

So you're pre-med...now what? The following are topics you need to consider for your pursuit of a medical career:

Admission requirements include a bachelor's degree from an accredited U.S. college or university, with a curriculum including:

  • Two semesters of general biology and lab
  • Two semesters of general chemistry and lab
  • Two semesters of organic chemistry and lab
  • Two semesters of physics and lab
  • Biochemistry
  • Two semesters of math
  • Two semesters of english

For a more in-depth list of required coursework consult our Pre-Medical Curriculum.

It is a student's responsibility to check with individual programs regarding the coursework needed to matriculate at their institution.

Being a competitive applicant:

Students completing applications for Allopathic Colleges of Medicine (MD) programs in the United States are generally competitive only if they maintain a GPA (in the sciences and all other areas) above 3.5. Some foreign medical schools offering the MD are fully recognized within the U.S., particularly some Caribbean schools; students may successfully seek admission to one of these schools with a GPA that is somewhat lower than that required by U.S. colleges or schools of medicine.

The academic admission requirements for Osteopathic Colleges of Medicine (DO) span a wider range than those for U.S. MD programs. As the number of high-quality applicants has increased, so have the average admission scores and grades for U.S. Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine.

Use our GPA Calculator Spreadsheet to see where you stand. 

If you are an international applicant we encourage you to check with individual medical colleges on specific admissions requirements.

 

With the medical school application process taking one full year, students are highly encouraged to think about their application timeline in advance:

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* Note: Additional requirements might be needed: CASPer & Situational Judgement Test (SJT) 

It is the responsibility of the student to review all program requirements.