Pre-medical

Pre-medical (often shortened to pre-med) is a term used to describe a track of study of an undergraduate student in the United States. It refers to the coursework that prepares an undergraduate student for medical school. It is usually not a major, but a set of courses required for admission to the medical school. In addition to the specific college's requirements, there are also standard requirements set forth by the Association of American Medical Colleges.

The pre-medical program is offered at many American colleges and universities; however, it is considered to be a "track" that follows a certain curriculum. Most pre-medical students major in the natural sciences, such as biology, chemistry, or physics, though this is not a requirement. Approximately 25% of matriculants major in a field other than the natural and physical sciences.

Typical courses that must be taken to meet the pre-medical requirement:

• General Chemistry 1 & 2 (with laboratories)
• General Biology 1 & 2 (with laboratories)
• Organic Chemistry 1 & 2 (with laboratories)
• General Physics 1 & 2 (with laboratories)
• Calculus 1 & 2
• English and Writing

Pre-medical students may be advised or required to take upper level biology and chemistry electives, such as cellular biology, physical chemistry, biochemistry, genetics, etc. Specific requirements for these courses vary by institution.

Schools may also have requirements for non-science classes. Some schools require a certain number of general humanities credits, while others have specific requirements for courses in English, Psychology, or other disciplines.

In Australia, a number of universities offer a 3 year Bacholer of Medical Science or Biomedical Science, which is similar in content and aim to pre-med courses in the US, as the majority of graduates attempt to gain entry to a graduate medical school.

See also

• Pre-health sciences