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What classes should I take?

Different programs require different skill sets, and pre-requisite courses are designed to help you develop the skills you’ll need.  Each program is a little different from the others, and there are even some schools within the same profession that want you to have different backgrounds.  Math is the best example – some medical schools require no math courses (although most applicants likely have a math background to take their science courses), and some may require two semesters of calculus, or some calc and some statistics.  So, there’s no easy way to know exactly what courses to take, but the following is a basic guideline for a few of the programs.

Some health professions schools require additional courses. For course requirements at a particular medical school, consult Medical School Admission Requirements. This book is available in the Health Professions Resource Library located in the Office of Undergraduate Academic Affairs and can be purchased through the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). See the resources page for links to individual schools to check their requirements, or contact the health professions advisor to go over your program of interest and its pre-requisite coursework.

A note about Mathematics courses
Many health professions schools require a year of Mathematics, including one or two semesters of Calculus.  To be sure that you will be eligible for admission to the greatest number of health profession schools possible, we recommend that you take at least one year of college-level mathematics with at least one semester of calculus.  Harvard, and Washington University are among the few allopathic medical schools that currently require two semesters of Calculus.

A note about English courses
The English requirement can be fulfilled by taking UWS (University Writing Seminar), along with the two requisite writing intensive course(s), one of which can be an oral communication course. This course sequences will suffice for many health profession schools.  Many schools like to see at least one additional English class in a student's undergraduate career, so students may want to consider enrolling in an English literature course.