Pre-Medical School

• Medical schools vary in their course requirements! These are some common requirements we've seen, but it will be important to research admission requirements for a few different schools.  

• See the University of Minnesota's Prerequisite Courses and AAMC Required Premedical Coursework and Competencies for more information.  

• See this page for a different overview of these expected pre-med competencies.

Chemistry - High Priority

• Usually two semesters of general chemistry and then 1-2 semesters of organic chemistry.

• If no prior college credit, usually start with the general Chem 1061/1065.

  1. Only start with the life science-specific Chem 1081/1065 if you're very certain about majoring in life sciences. 

Biology - Medium Priority

The best class depends on your major, so it's often better to take this only once you're pretty sure of your major (see below). 

• College of Biological Sciences ("CBS") majors: Start with Biol 1951/1961, preferably after you've started college chemistry. 

  • Warning: Biol 1009 and AP Bio do not count towards CBS majors.

• Other majors: Usually start with Biol 1009, but some majors may sometimes accept Biol 1951/1961. Check major requirements for details.

Physics - Low Priority

One or two semesters of physics are often required, but they're taken later in college for two reasons:

1. It does not serve as a prerequisite for core pre-med courses in chem and bio. 

2. The med school entrance tests (MCAT) uses physics, so it helps to take physics closer to the test date after junior year of college.

So if you want to take physics in PSEO, which should you take? 

• If you want to do pre-med but won't major in science: Phys 1101W + 1102W

• If you're set on a science major, but not sure whether it'll be biology-focused: Phys 1301W + 1302W is most flexible.

• If you're very sure you'll pick a biology or life science major: Phys 1221 + 1222.

More Advanced Science

After completing biology, chemistry, and (often) physics, consider also expanding into courses like biochemistry, genetics, and pharmacology. These usually come later in your college career. Check with your PSEO advisor for details.

Math

• Many medical schools recommend taking at least through Calculus 1 (Math 1271 or an equivalent course). 

• Warning: Math 1241 is a CBS-specific calculus option. It is generally closed to PSEO students.

Statistics

Depends a lot on your chosen major, so check the major requirements to ensure you don't take the wrong one.

• Stat 3011 (most common):  Solid first stat course. Also counts towards some life science majors.

• BA 2551: Common statistics for business majors in the Carlson School of Management.

• Stat 3021: First stat class course that requires calculus 2 to access. Required in some science & engineering majors.
  
  

Upper-Level Humanities or Social Science Course

There's a huge variety to choose from for this course. It can come from fields such as English, history, psychology,  philosophy, psychology, theater, political science, and many more! A few examples that may be especially interesting as a pre-med student:

• PHIL 3305, "Medical Ethics"

• HMED 3xxx: courses about the history of medicine

• PSY 3xxx: advanced psychology courses, many of which are open after first completing PSY 1001, "Intro to Psychology"

The first thing to know is that there's no "best" major for pre-med. You don't even need to major in a science, as long as you're completing the pre-med requirements above! Some reasons pre-med students might pick different majors:

• Develop a skill set to help you as a physician.

• Prepare for another career should you later decide to not pursue med school. 

• Pursue a personal passion. 

It's important that you feel connected to your major - and not just for some vague "pursue your passion" reason. Honest connection to your major makes you a better med school applicant. Articulately showing med schools how your major has helped you grow and how it will influence you as a physician is far more impactful than just saying, "yeah, I majored in biology because I figured it was good for pre-med, I guess." 

Three common pre-med major categories:

Check out CAPE's Explore Health Majors page and the PSEO majors & careers guide for more. 

The University invites a very small number of first-years (12) to join the BA/MD Scholars Program. Admitted scholars complete an undergraduate major of their choice alongside a pre-med curriculum, and continue onto the Medical School after meeting various milestones along the way.  Students are well-supported and guided during this transition. 

The program includes students from rural communities and medically-underserved communities, first-generation college students, and those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

The program is invite-only. Students must be admitted to the University by the end of January to be considered.