The UT Martin Pre-Medical Plan is designed to prepare students for application to medical school. The courses listed below are recommended by the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) for preparation for the MCAT. By following the Pre-Medical Plan recommendations, students will be eligible for admission into most allopathic (M.D.) and osteopathic (D.O.) medical schools; however, students are strongly encouraged to review the requirements for their school(s) of choice. Additionally, the Pre-Medical Plan is not a major and does not fulfill the requirements for a baccalaureate degree at UT Martin. The courses listed below are recommendations and are not required for degree completion unless also listed under the student’s chosen major.
Most M.D. and D.O. programs do not require applicants to earn a baccalaureate degree before matriculation into the professional program; however, students who have earned a baccalaureate degree are often viewed as more competitive than those who have not. The Biology-Cellular and Molecular Biology Concentration as well as the B.S. in Chemistry major and the Bachelor of Science in Chemistry (B.S.Ch.) include many of the courses listed below; however, students may choose to major in any subject area they wish as long as they also complete the courses required by their chosen medical program(s).
For most M.D. and D.O. programs:
- Students are eligible to apply after completing a minimum of 90 semester hours of course work; however, most medical schools expect applicants to earn a bachelor’s degree prior to matriculation.
- Applicants must demonstrate that all required course work will be completed with a grade of C or better prior to admission.
- Satisfactory scores on the Medical College Admission Test are required.
- Applicants are expected to have some knowledge of the field from direct observations as part of their pre-professional experiences.
- A personal interview is a part of the admissions process at most medical schools.
- Applications should be submitted directly to each medical school or through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) or the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS) in the summer or fall of the year preceding the desired admission date.
The minimum requirements recommended by the AAMC for preparation for the MCAT are as follows:
- Two semesters of introductory biology
- Two semesters of physics
- Two semesters of general chemistry
- Two semesters of organic chemistry
- One semester of biochemistry
While the above list of classes meets the minimum requirements for most medical schools, successfully admitted students take classes well beyond the minimum and students are strongly encouraged to pursue as rigorous a schedule of courses as possible to be competitive. In addition, medical schools are particularly interested in well-rounded students who have pursued a course of study which achieves a balance between both science and non-science coursework. Students should consider taking courses in computer science, history, language, literature, microbiology, philosophy, political science, and fine arts.
While not an exhaustive list, the following courses are strongly recommended for students considering applying to medical school. Students should always check with their adviser and/or school(s) of choice before deciding which classes to take.