Preparing to Apply to Medical School

Deciding on a Major

 The pre-professional courses of study recommended on this web site do not lead to bachelors' degrees; rather they are courses that you will take to gain admission to a professional school or program while completing a degree in a field of study of your choice. Many students elect to major in one of the sciences because of interest in those fields and because doing so can lay a strong foundation for the rigorous science courses encountered in professional school. However, it must be emphasized that a science major is neither required nor favored for admission by professional schools, and you should not major in the sciences simply because you believe this will increase your chances for acceptance. If fact, rates of acceptance to professional schools are frequently higher for non-science majors than for science majors. Professional schools are much more concerned with the overall quality, scope and difficulty of your undergraduate work than your undergraduate major.

Advisors of students interested in the health professions recommend to students that they major in subjects that they are most interested in. The advantage of majoring in what you like is that your grades will be better and if you should change your mind about pursuing a career in health care you will already be working on plan B.

Because students have to major in a degree granting program, the Pre-medical Sciences Director will not be your academic advisor. You need to talk to an academic advisor in your major department to work out courses needed to meet general education and degree requirements. However, you need to maintain contact with the Pre-medical Sciences Director regarding your progress toward completing the pre-professional/prerequisite courses.