Ahh the question that is always asked. What exactly is the “premed tract” at college, and how do you take the right classes in order to be prepared for medical school, maximize your score on the MCAT, and get the most out of your tuition. The answer is a little bit complex, but ultimately very straightforward once you start college. Let’s begin with the basics:
To apply for medical school, you almost always need these set of classes –
1) Two semesters of physics
2) Two semesters of general chemistry
3) At least one semester of biochemistry
4) Two semesters of organic chemistry
5) One semester of math/statistics
6) Two semesters of biology
In addition to these courses, taking a psychology and a sociology course in college can help you with the MCAT.
The above classes are all that is required for the MCAT. Does this sound like a lot of information? Well, it is, which is why the MCAT is such a difficult exam to study for. However, if you do very well in these classes and go above and beyond, then a lot of the groundwork in your MCAT prep will be much easier.
In addition to these courses, some courses that may help you with the MCAT and that will definitely help you in medical school (if you remember their content!) are human physiology, anatomy and development, and cell biology.
Now these are a lot of classes. The good thing to keep in mind is that generally if you’ve completed all the necessary courses towards premed requirements, then you’ve also almost obtained a biology minor at your school. This means that even though you are simply completing required courses for MCAT prep and for medical school applications, you’ve also completed a large portion of your undergraduate studies.
Always talk to your premed advisor and some upperclassmen who are on the same tract as you. They will be helpful because your first semester at college will be extremely confusing and difficult in terms of the courses you select.
That’s it for now! Stay safe!
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