Dental School Prerequisites
Curriculum
Because undergraduate education is the foundation on which
medical training is based, medical schools scrutinize their
applicants' undergraduate records carefully. Few schools require
that their applicants hold a baccalaureate degree, but rarely do
they admit students who have completed less than four years of
undergraduate study. Accordingly, it is recommended that you choose
a major and work toward fulfilling degree requirements as you
prepare yourself for medical school.
There is no such thing as a "pre-med" major. This means that you
may choose from the college's list of more than eighty majors. You
may note that many pre-meds major in one of the biological sciences.
In some ways this is the most convenient program, because its
requirements include all courses which are the prerequisites for
medical school. The deciding factors in selecting your major,
however, should be your own interests and abilities. Your major
should also provide an alternative path should you be unsuccessful
at gaining admission to medical school.
Since medical studies are more intense and more concentrated than
most undergraduate programs, admissions committees will take into
account both the grades you received in courses as well as the
nature of your academic program. A 3.65 grade-point average is more
impressive when achieved in study loads of 16-20 units per quarter
than when earned in programs of 12-15. Course selection will also be
considered, for some courses are recognized as being more rigorous
than others. This does not mean that as a pre-med you should always
burden yourself with heavy loads or that you must always select the
most rigorous courses. Evaluate your abilities and responsibilities
realistically. Don't look for the easy way out just to be sure of
earning good grades, but avoid dooming yourself to failure by taking
on more than you know you can manage.
In addition to fulfilling requirements (pre-medical or major),
take courses outside your area of primary emphasis. During your
undergraduate years, the goal is to acquire a broad education. If
you are afraid that taking courses outside your field of maximum
expertise will jeopardize your grade-point average, use the
passed/not passed (P/NP) grading option. Admissions committees will
want to see that you have taken most of your courses on a graded
basis, but a limited use of the P/NP option will not weaken your
application.
There are 126 medical schools in the United States and
fortunately they all have essentially the same requirements. On the
following page are listed the essential elements of these
requirements. You should consult the Medical School Admissions
Requirement Handbook (published by the Association of American
Medical Colleges) to ascertain specific requirements for a given
medical school.
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