Medical Requirements
Course requirements vary by school; it is important to learn early on which courses are required for each medical school to which you plan to apply.
Prerequisites for Medical School
Chem 120 + Chem 263 or Chem 120 + Chem 265 or Chem 120 + Chem 270
- Chem 263 is only offered in the fall.
- Chem 265/270 is only offered in the spring and has a prerequisite of Chem 190 (organic chem 1).
Chem 190 + Chem 255
- Chem 190 is only offered in the spring
- Chem 255 is only offered in the fall
Bio 100 + any 200-level biology course
- Bio 100 is offered in both the fall and the spring.
- Hamilton does not have a second semester of general biology.
- Bio 211 is a part of the biology, biochemistry, and neuroscience majors.
- Other courses could include Human Anatomy, Invertebrate Physiology or any other 200 level bio
Phys 100 + Physics 105
Phys 200 + Physics 205
- Hamilton has two sequences of introductory physics
- the 100 level is for students who have no physics or calculus background
- the 200 level is for students who have taken physics or calculus previously
- Phys 100 and 200 are only offered in the fall
- Phys 105 and 205 are only offered in the spring
Math requirements vary widely by school.
- it is strongly encouraged that all pre-health students take at least one semester of math.
- Math 113 (Calculus 1) or Math 152 (Statistics) will be helpful in studying for admissions tests.
Any Literature department or Creative Writing department course will count.
- Writing intensive courses do not always fulfill this requirement.
- Hamilton WI courses can be in any department, and a WI in the Math department will not count for health profession schools.
Follow the guidelines below:
Reading works of literature (poetry, novels, plays, short stories, memoirs) and applying techniques of literary analysis (exploring plot, character, narrative, imagery, etc.) to study them, AND written assignments count for more than 50% of your grade. If you use literary analysis to study works from other genres (music or film), your written assignments account for more than 50% of your grade.
Bio 346 is only offered in the fall.
- Prerequisites include bio 100 and chem 190
Chem 270 can also be a biochemistry requirement, but not if you use it as a second semester of general chemistry.
Dental Schools all have different requirements beyond the courses listed above:
- Psychology (1 semester)
- Sociology (1 semester)
- Statistics (Math 152, Psych 201, Econ 166)
There are two options for fulfilling the chemistry and biochemistry requirements (option #1 will provide better preparation for the MCAT):
Principles of Chemistry (Chem 120F), Organic Chemistry I (Chem 190S), Organic Chemistry II (Chem 255F), Biological Chemistry (Chem 270S), and Biochemistry (Bio 346F)
Principles of Chemistry (Chem 120F), Organic Chemistry I (Chem 190S), Organic Chemistry (Chem 255F), Inorganic Chemistry and Material (Chem 265S), and Biological Chemistry (Chem 270S)
Note: students planning to major in Biochemistry AND study abroad in spring of junior year should take physics during sophomore year in order to fulfill the prerequisites for Physical Chemistry I/II.
All schools appreciate mathematical competence as a strong foundation for understanding the basic sciences. In addition, a working knowledge of statistics helps both medical students and physicians to become critical evaluators of the medical literature. Thus, success on the MCAT will likely depend on a solid understanding of statistics.
Furthermore, calculus courses may be required as prerequisites for many of the upper level science courses in the Hamilton curriculum. For many students, it may be a good idea to take one semester of calculus.
Contact
Contact Name
Courtney Hance
Director of Health Professions Advising
