Pre-medical
Some pre-med programs providing broad preparation are referred to as “pre-professional” and may simultaneously prepare students for entry into a variety of first professional degree or graduate school programs that require similar prerequisites (such as medical, veterinary, or pharmacy schools).
[2] While there are no standarized pre-medical courses, some private institutions have been offering such in conjunction with the regular secondary school curriculum.
For the medical universities, the primary factor by which the applications are gauged is the secondary school exit exam score, chiefly in biology and chemistry, though sometimes also mathematics is considered.
A student on a pre-med track may choose any undergraduate major in any field, so long as certain required courses are completed.
Such courses are generally focused in the scientific fields of biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, neuroscience, behavioral sciences and physics, which are necessary to prepare for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)[3][4] and satisfy most medical school prerequisites.
[8] Typical pre-med students will structure their coursework in their first year in university to accommodate the required courses.
Once junior year arrives, students register for and take the MCAT, the required standardized exam that medical schools use to identify qualified candidates.
[7] The application process consists of a review of academic records, MCAT scores, activities, work experience, and a personal statement.
These programs may be formal, such as the programs offered through Columbia, Johns Hopkins, George Washington, Mayo Clinic with Barrett, The Honors College, Bryn Mawr, Goucher and Scripps, or semi-formal, such as the program offered at Harvard, but often consist of a student informally enrolling in a college to complete science coursework required for admission to medical school prior to sitting for the MCAT.
The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) maintains a list of all formal and semi-formal post-baccalaureate pre-medical programs in the United States.
Some pre-professional degree programs in agriculture prepare students for direct entry into the workforce in fields in high demand, while also meeting requirements for medical or veterinary schools.
[5] These course requirements are expected to change since the MR5 Committee, charged with revising the MCAT has created a new set of core competencies for success in medical education and practice.
In addition, the 2015 MCAT will test in areas related to multicultural sensitivity and in critical analysis of ethics and philosophy.
Many pre-medical students volunteer in a health care setting to explore the option of a career in medicine.
