MedicineFour Year Pre-requisite Plan

 

Medicine Four Year Plan

Requirements for professional schools vary from school to school and can change year by year, students must carefully examine the pre-requisite requirements of the schools they are interested in to be current and accurate when registering for courses at Gustavus. Consult the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) guide for requirements and admission statistics to the 130+ Medical Schools for the most accurate information, Medical School Admission Requirements.

Indicated in italic type (MCAT) means the course is also recommended for the Medical College Admission Test.


First Year: Fall

BIO 110 Principles of Biology (MCAT) & BIO 111 Lab

*CHE 110 General Chemistry (MCAT) & CHE 111 General Chemistry Lab OR CHE 105 Foundations of Chemistry I (MCAT) & CHE 106 Foundations of Chemistry I Lab 

*Before you can register for CHE110, you are required to take the Chemistry placement exam. (CHE 105/106 offered Fall only and CHE 107/108 offered Spring only) taking both are equivalent to CHE 110. Find out more about the CHE placement exam, click here.

FTS 100 First Term Seminar (Writing Intensive course- WRIT)

S/A 112 Introduction to Sociology (MCT) (offered Fall, flexible)


First Year: Spring

BIO 120 Organismal Biology (MCAT) & BIO 121 Lab

CHE 120 Organic Chemistry I (MCAT) & CHE 121 Organic Chemistry I Lab (offered Fall and Spring)

*CHE 107 Foundations of Chemistry II (MCAT) & CHE 108 Foundations of Chemistry II Lab *(CHE 105/106 offered Fall only and CHE 107/108 offered Spring only) taking both are equivalent to CHE 110)

PSY 100 Introduction to Psychology (MCAT) (offered both Fall and Spring, flexible) 


Second Year: Fall

CHE 220 Organic Chemistry II (MCAT) & CHE 221 Organic Chemistry II Lab (offered Fall only)


Second Year: Spring

CHE 230 Inorganic Chemistry I (MCAT recommended) & CHE 231 Inorganic Chemistry I Lab (offered Spring only)

*MCS 142 Introduction to Statistical Methods (or equivalent) and/or MCS 121 Calculus I

* Some MD programs require EITHER Statistics or Calculus and some require BOTH. Calculus I is required for many of the Science majors at Gustavus. 


Third Year: Fall

PHY 120 General Physics I (MCAT) & PSY 121 General Physics I Lab (offered Fall only) (Biochemistry & Chemistry majors will take PHY 200 & PHY 201 Lab)

CHE 270 Biochemistry (MCAT) & CHE 271 Biochemistry Lab (offered Fall or Spring)


Third Year: Spring

PHY 170 General Physics II (some content on MCAT) & PHY 171 General Physics II Lab (offered Spring only) (Biochemistry & Chemistry majors will take PHY 210 and PHY 211 Lab)


Fourth Year: (research your schools for any additional specific prerequisite requirements)

Recommended- Humanities and Social Science 200 or 300 upper-level course (University of Minnesota & *University of WI School of Medicine requirements below). *writing intensive Humanities/Social Science upper level 

*Writing designation course examples:

EAS 253 Vampires Russia/East Europe WRITL (even years)

*ENG 256 Writing Creative Nonfiction WRITD (offered annually)

GWS 285 Sex, Power and Politics WRITL (Fall semester)

REL 355 Buddhist Philosophy WRITD (Fall semester) 

REL 393 Sex/Race/Money/God WRITD (Fall semester, even years)

*Additional English course (if planning to also apply to D.O. Osteopathic Medicine)

Recommended- Advanced Biology 200 level or above with lab (University of Iowa, Medical College of WI)

Recommended- MCS 121 Calculus I and MCS 142 Statistics (research programs to see if both are required where you are applying)

 

Regional MD Programs Pre-requisite Requirements:

University of Minnesota Minneapolis/Duluth 

Required:

  • Humanities and Social Science 200 or 300 upper-level course
    • Examples of acceptable subject areas include (but are not limited to) courses that carry an Institution designation in: Humanities, Religious Studies and Philosophy, or Human Behavior and Social. 
    • For questions on if the course meets the requirement, email medadmis@umn.edu, include in your message the: course prefix, title, and course catalog description. 
    • NOTE: for the U of MN any science course with a LAB, the LAB component must be taken in person/on campus.

University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health 

Required:

  • Statistics or equivalent
  • *Upper-level Intensive writing course Humanities or Social Sciences 200 or 300 level
    • The course must be in a humanities or social sciences field (i.e., no “science writing” courses or foreign language). Examples of acceptable subject areas include (but are not limited to) courses that carry an Institution designation in: Humanities, Religious Studies and Philosophy, or Human Behavior and Social. 

    • *Writing designation course examples:

      EAS 253 Vampires Russia/East Europe WRITL (even years)

      ENG 256 Writing Creative Nonfiction WRITD (offered annually)

      GWS 285 Sex, Power and Politics WRITL (Fall semester)

      REL 355 Buddhist Philosophy WRITD (Fall semester) 

      REL 393 Sex/Race/Money/God WRITD (Fall semester, even years)

    • For questions on if the course meets the requirement, email medadmissions@med.wisc.edu , include in your message the: course prefix, title, and course catalog description. 
    • Admission to the Wisconsin Academy of Rural Medicine (WARM) program at the University of WI School of Medicine and Public Health is limited to applicants whose state of legal residence is Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois or Iowa.

University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine 

Required: 

  • Advance Biology: One course with lab, 200 level or above.
  • Math- One course, statistics or another advanced course
  • Four courses Social and Behavioral Sciences, Humanities: 4 courses, (One course- PSY 100). Applicants are strongly encouraged to complete coursework that addresses race/racism in the United States. Examples of acceptable subject areas include (but are not limited to) psychology, sociology, foreign language, and other non-science writing-intensive courses.
  • English: 2 courses (composition and literature). If you satisfy the English requirement for your undergraduate degree program, you also satisfy our English requirement. 

Creighton University School of Medicine No specific pre-requisite coursework for admission. 


Medical College of Wisconsin
Required:

  • Advance Biology: One course with lab, 200 level or above.
  • Math: One course, statistics recommended.
  • English: One course, may use a writing-intensive course to satisfy (FTS-100)
    • CASPer exam required.
    • Includes campuses: Milwaukee, Green Bay & Central 

University of North Dakota No specific pre-requisite coursework for admission. 


Loyola University Chicago Stritch


Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine No specific pre-requisite coursework for admission. 


 University of Michigan School of Medicine

  • Core competencies vs. prerequisite (see core competencies below)
    • Biomedical and Social Sciences (including skills in Written and Verbal Communication)
    • Statistical Analysis and Epidemiology
    • Hypothesis Development and Investigation
    • Analytical Thought and Problem-Solving Skills

Tulane University School of MedicineNo specific pre-requisite coursework for admission, CASPer exam required.


Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine

Required:

  • Calculus: One course, Statistics may be substituted
 
Consult the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) guide for requirements and admission statistics to the 130+ Medical Schools for the most accurate information, Medical School Admission Requirements.

CASPer® is a selection tool run and developed by Altus Assessments Inc. It is used by academic programs to help assess applicants for non-academic attributes or people skills. Review more details about the CASPer.

Updated 7/15/2024 HB