Medical School Course Prerequisites

All medical schools in the US and Canada have their own course prerequisites. You must learn all required information for each medical school that you apply to.

You should purchase a Medical School Admissions Requirements book (MSAR).

_______________________________________________________

Here is information and a video from the Univeristy of Minnesota Medical School:

Video Presentation: The New Prerequisites

A 14 minute presentation by Paul T. White, J.D., Assistant Dean of Admissions

The MCAT and a bachelor's degree from an accredited U.S. or Canadian college or university are required.

Required Courses	Semesters	Quarters
Biology (with lab) Biological sciences coursework with emphasis on general principles, cell biology and/or physiology.	1	1
Chemistry (with lab) General or Organic Chemistry	1	1
Life Sciences (additional courses) Biology, genetics, zoology, botany, parasitology, biochemistry, chemistry (general or organic, but must be in addition to the general or organic chemistry listed above), physics, etc. At least two must be upper-level courses. >	4	4
Humanities or Social Sciences One upper-level course in the humanities or the social sciences, with an intensive writing requirement	1	1
Recommended Courses
Biochemistry Ethics Genetics Psychology Statistics Foreign language Independent learning courses Seminar-type courses involving small group discussions Social and behavioral sciences and humanities

Note:

All prerequisite courses must be completed and bachelor's degree earned by July 1st of the year of matriculation
These course requirements CANNOT be fulfilled with CLEP credits.
These course requirements CANNOT be fulfilled by AP credits. Those who received AP credit for courses such as general chemistry or biology still will need one semester of chemistry and biology with labs. This can be an advanced chemistry, organic chemistry, or any advanced biology course. Do not re-take coursework for which you already received AP credit.
International applicants should refer to the Policy for International Applicants for specific information on degree and course requirements.

_______________________________________________________

Here is information for the Mayo Medical School

For additional information the Mayo Medical School prerequisite requirements, please see http://www.mayo.edu/mms/md-prerequisites.html Mayo’s required courses include:

     •    One year of biology and/or zoology (with lab)
     •    One year of inorganic chemistry (with lab)
     •    One year of organic chemistry (with lab)
     •    One year of physics (with lab)
     •    One course in biochemistry