Prehealth Requirements

Students in prehealth programs must take the same sequence of courses no matter what college they attend. These courses are required by the professional schools, not by the undergraduate colleges. Fortunately, the requirements for the four-year doctoral programs in most of the health-care professions are similar.

You should plan on taking the following courses, or their equivalents:

Course No. Course Title Prerequisites
V40.0100 Writing the Essay
V41.xxxx English Elective V40.0100 (we advise choosing a course in the English department appropriate for non-English majors)
V23.0011 Principles of Biology I V25.0101 (pre- or co-requisite)
V23.0012 Principles of Biology II V23.0011 or permission, V25.0102 (pre- or co-requisite)
V25.0101 General Chemistry I V63.0009 (or calc ready)
V25.0103 General Chemistry Lab. I V25.0101 (co-requisite)
V25.0102 General Chemistry II V25.0101
V25.0104 General Chemistry Lab. II V25.0103, v25.0102 (co-requisite)
V25.0243 Organic Chemistry I V25.0102/4
V25.0245 Organic Chemistry Lab. I V25.0243 (co-requisite)
V25.0244 Organic Chemistry II V25.0243
V25.0246 Organic Chemistry Lab. II V25.0244 (co-requisite)
V85.0011 General Physics I V63.0121
V85.0012 General Physics II V85.0011

These courses are the minimum requirements. Some schools may require additional courses, particularly in mathematics and/or biochemistry. You should familiarize yourself with the requirements for those schools to which you think you may apply. The best source for this information is the AAMC publication "Medical Schools Admissions Requirements."

The specific prehealth requirements outlined above must be completed before you matriculate into medical school. Since the MCAT is based upon the assumption that you have completed these courses, the normal procedure is to complete them before sitting for this examination.

You are probably most concerned about the science requirements and we will certainly address that below. For the moment, begin by noting the first two requirements: Writing the Essay and English. Take them and all your liberal arts courses, even MAP requirements, seriously; medical and other health professional schools want and value applicants who can write well and conduct research. A word to the wise: the English course really DOES need to be taken in the English Department, as this is what medical and other schools expect! Do not take a course on literature in translation and hope that the schools will accept it; some will, but others may challenge it and require you to send them your course description and syllabus. Save yourself the trouble and take a V41 class.

As a general rule of thumb, all prehealth students will take General Chemistry (plus labs), Calculus (if no AP credit), and Writing the Essay as freshmen, regardless of their intended major. Potential Biology, Biochemistry, and Neural Science majors should take Biology during the first year in addition to General Chemistry. Students must take General Chemistry either before or with Biology.

Physics majors must take the “majors only” Physics I-II-III (V85.0091, 0093. 0095) and Lab II-III (v85.0094, 0096) - not General Physics I and II (V85.0011-12) - with General Chemistry.

After the first year, non-science majors traditionally take Biology as sophomores, along with either Organic Chemistry (plus labs) or General Physics, because medical and other schools prefer applicants who take at least one year of “double science.” This leaves one science sequence for non-science majors to take in their junior year. They are strongly advised to take additional science as seniors.

In addition to these prehealth courses, you will also need to complete all the requirements for your Bachelor’s degree.