Pre-Med Career Track: "Path to Medical School" (2024)

This is a guide for Biology Majors who want to attend medical school.

1. REQUIRED AND RECOMMENDED COURSEWORK

1. PRE-REQUISITES

   Every medical school has different expectations in terms of coursework that is required or recommended. We encourage you to start researching medical school requirements to better understand what exact classes you will need to take. You may need to exceed the requirements of some schools to meet the requirements of other schools.

   The courses listed below are courses that are required by most medical schools (as listed by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)).

   Most Texas medical schools require:
   All prerequisites must be completed with a letter grade of C or higher.

   Courses most Texas medical schools require

   Biology	Lecture – 12 hrs; Lab – 2 hrs
   Chemistry	Lecture – 6 hrs; Lab – 2 hrs
   Organic Chemistry	Lecture – 6 hrs; Lab – 2 hrs
   Biochemistry	Lecture – 3 hrs
   General Physics	Lecture – 6 hrs; Lab – 2 hrs
   Math	Statistics* or Calculus – 3 hrs
   English	Rhetoric (Composition) and Literature – 6 hrs

   Texas medical schools, including UTRGV SoM, only require Statistics. Some out-of-state schools may require calculus.

   UTRGV BSc in Biology recommended courses that satisfy prerequisites
   All prerequisites must be completed with a letter grade of C or higher.

   UTRGV BSc in Biology recommended courses that satisfy prerequisites

   Subject	Course Code		Course Name	Course Hours
   Biology	BSc in biology “Biological Foundation” and “BIOL electives” degree requirement satisfies this prerequisite
   Chemistry	CHEM 1311		General Chemistry I	3
   	CHEM 1111		General Chemistry I laboratory	1
   	CHEM 1312		General Chemistry II	3
   	CHEM 1112		General Chemistry II laboratory	1
   Organic Chemistry	CHEM 2323		Organic Chemistry I	3
   	CHEM 2123		Organic Chemistry I laboratory	1
   	CHEM 2325		Organic Chemistry II	3
   	CHEM 2125		Organic Chemistry II laboratory	1
   Biochemistry	CHEM 3303		Biochemistry	3
   General Physics	PHYS 1401		Physics I (includes lab)	4
   	PHYS 1402		Physics II (includes lab)	4
   Math	Choose one	MATH 1342	Elementary Statistical methods	3
   		MATH 1343	Intro to Biostatistics	3
   English	Choose two college English courses		Prerequisite usually fulfilled with UTRGV Core Curriculum courses	6 in total

   For a detailed list of accepted UTRGV courses, please visit The Texas Medical and Dental Schools Application Service's (TMDSAS) course listings webpage. NOTE: New BIOL courses beginning in Fall 24 are not yet on the list, but TMDSAS has confirmed that all BIOL courses will automatically count toward the "Biology" subject requirement.

   Some medical schools may not accept online courses to satisfy prerequisites. The UTRGV School of Medicine requires that science prerequisites be completed in person (traditional face-to-face modality).

   See Also

   Pre-Med Requirements: Courses You Need for Medical School15 Best Pre-Med Schools in the US in 2024 & How to Choose OneThe 6 Essential Med School Prerequisites | BestColleges.com10 Best Pre-Med Schools in the U.S. | IvyWise

   NOTE: School requirements can change. Check often for updates and review application service and school websites for changes that may occur between updates.

2. RECOMMENDED

   In addition to prerequisite courses, the courses listed below are recommended and will strengthen your application to medical school.

   BIOLOGY

   Recommended biology courses to strengthen medical school application

   Code	Name	Credit Hours
   BIOL 2401	Anatomy and Physiology I*	4
   BIOL 2402	Anatomy and Physiology II*	4
   BIOL 3401	General Microbiology*	4
   BIOL 3405	Histology*	4
   BIOL 3406	Developmental Mechanisms	4
   BIOL 4313	Endocrinology	3
   BIOL 4317	Disease Epidemiology	3
   BIOL 4333	Immunology*	3
   BIOL 4361	Neuroscience	3
   BIOL 4316	Environmental Toxicology	3
   BIOL 4335	Cancer Biology	3
   BIOL 4435	Mammalian Disease Diagnosis and Clinical Applications	3

   * highly recommended courses

   OTHER DISCIPLINES

   Recommended multidisciplinary courses for a strong medical school application

   Code	Name	Credit hours
   PSYC 2301	General Psychology*	3
   SOCI 1301	Introduction to Sociology*	3
   MATH 2412/2413	Pre- and Calculus I	3 each
   HLTH 3325	Latino Health	3
   HPRS 4312	Applied Pathophysiology	3
   SPAN 2317/2318	Spanish for Healthcare Professionals I/II	3 each
   MEDH 2311	Introduction to Medical and Health Humanities.	3
   MEDH 4301	Medical Humanities: Critical Perspectives.	3

   * The MCAT ^® has a Psychology/Sociology section

   You are strongly encouraged to take courses in Spanish, especially if you want to live and work in the healthcare industry in the Rio Grande Valley.

   Work with your academic advisor to incorporate these courses into your degree plan.

3. MINORS

   You may declare a minor as part of your undergraduate education. Popular minors among pre-med students include:

   • Chemistry
   • Biochemistry
   • Psychology
   • Health
   • Spanish for Healthcare

   NOTE: Keep in mind that while preparing for professional school and taking the MCAT®, DAT, etc., you still must fulfill the University core requirements, the requirements for a BSc in Biology degree, and requirements for a minor (if applicable).

   See Also

   What Are the Best Classes to Take in High School for Pre-Med - Scholarships360

2. RECOMMENDED COURSE ROADMAP

This course roadmap includes the pre-medical course requirements for Texas and most U. S. medical schools. These courses also help prepare students for the MCAT®.

Pre-requisites and recommended courses for MCAT® and extracurricular activities typically need six semesters or more, regardless of age or college year.

Many students complete prerequisites in Year 4 or later, requiring a bridge/transition year or years. The transition from undergraduate to medical school can boost competitiveness and prepare students for the challenges of professional education and training.

NOTE: Your personal timeline may differ from this recommended roadmap. Consult with your Academic Advisor about incorporating these courses into your course selection.

1. SENIOR YEAR OR BRIDGE YEAR

   Continue in relevant course work and premedical extracurricular activities to become well-prepared for medical school and to strengthen your competitiveness if it becomes necessary to reapply.

   Take additional courses that may be required by individual medical schools.

3. GRADE POINT AVERAGE

To be competitive for medical school, you need average overall and science GPAs of at least 3.5 to 3.8 or higher, depending on the schools to which you intend to apply. This means you need to be making As and Bs with more As than Bs . If you are behind in your classes, don’t wait until you get your first poor test score or F in a course to ask for help; instead schedule a meeting with the Professor early on.

4. CLINICAL EXPERIENCE

In addition to courses, you should actively gain clinical exposure. You are encouraged to get both professional-facing (shadowing - observing physicians in a professional setting) and patient-facing experience (experience volunteering or working in a clinical setting with exposure to patients). Both are instrumental in demonstrating that you are a good fit for the profession with capabilities to be a good physician as well as being able to work and empathize with patients. You are encouraged to document your clinical experiences so that you may look back on them later in the application process.

5. RESEARCH

Why should you do research? Although research is not technically required by many medical, dental or veterinary schools, some schools do require it. Furthermore, doing research has many benefits including:

1. Demonstrating that you are intellectually curious and engaged.
2. Explore the intersection of science and medicine.
3. Helping you synthesize and get a deeper understanding of the material you learn in class.
4. Showing you have good written and oral communication skills when you present your research.
5. Allowing you to develop a relationship with your research mentor, who can then write a strong letter of recommendation highlighting your strengths.
6. Making your application stand out!

You can engage in research over the summer, volunteer to do research in labs, or take independent research for credit using the BIOL 4199/4299/4399 course. To get started, see what professors do by looking at the School Faculty Webpages, and then contact a professor about working in their lab.

Most professors have research opportunities available, and ALL professors are happy to talk to you about their work. Email to set up an appointment or catch a professor before or after class. Your research does not have to be medically related for it to be helpful in getting in to medical, dental, or veterinary school.

Please check your email frequently, as the School sends out numerous research opportunities during the semester.

6. LEADERSHIP AND VOLUNTEERING

Leadership can be demonstrated in many ways. You are encouraged to reflect on what leadership looks like in medicine and how your involvement in clubs, volunteering, employment, research, sports, PLTL leader, and/or supplemental instructor (SI) might help you demonstrate the leadership skills you will need.

You are encouraged to participate in volunteering and/or community service. Medical Schools see volunteering and community service as proof that you have a commitment to helping people.

7. ESTABLISHING RELATIONSHIPS – LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

Letter of Recommendations are a vital part of your medical school application. Professional schools vary in terms of how many letters you require and from whom. Establishing relationships with faculty, professors, mentors, principal investigators, and supervisors early on can help with creating strong letter of recommendations.

Admissions committees want an honest assessment of personal traits that go beyond simply the grade someone achieved in a course. As well as intellectual merit, references are asked about attributes such as: Does the person work well in groups? Can they work independently? Are they reliable? Etc. Working with a faculty member on a project, doing research, and working with faculty on peer lead teaching for a course, are some ways that faculty can get to know you and write a strong letter. Do not be worried or embarrassed about approaching faculty members to write letters of recommendation or to act as references, it is something that faculty do on a regular basis, and they are happy to support students. However, make sure to give them enough time to write a letter and make sure to provide them with information about what the letter is for. Remind them when (what semester, etc.) you took their class. You may want to send them your resume and personal statement.

8. MCAT® PREPARATION

The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT®) is required for medical school admission. The MCAT® score is usually valid for three years from date of the exam. If your MCAT® score is older than three years, the test will have to be retaken.

The MCAT® exam is analysis based; answers will be within the question and you will need to think through the question to get the answer. The exam is 7hrs and 30 minutes (including completing demographics, etc). Actual test time is 6hrs, 15 min.

The four categories tested on the MCAT are:

Each of the four subsections are scored on a scale of 118-132 with 125 being at the center of the bell curve. The overall scale is 472-528, with 500 at the center of the bell curve. They chose to center the scale at 500, since their national data with the previous exam showed that students at the center succeeded in medical school. The score report will include total score, section scores, percentile ranks, confidence band, and score profile showing strengths and weaknesses. To be competitive you will want to aim for a score of 511+ with at least 126-127 in each of the categories.

Students are recommended to take the MCAT ^® in the Spring (April/May) of their third year; or the Spring before their application.

Although preparing for the MCAT ^® is an ongoing process, you should take the following courses BEFORE taking the MCAT ^® :

The SIBCS School, in collaboration with Kaplan, offers free Medical College Admission Test (MCAT®) and Dental Admission Test (DAT) exam preparation courses. Application required.

9. USEFUL WEBSITES AND RESOURCES

• Occupational outlook
• Association of American Medical Colleges
• American Medical Association
• Texas Medical Association
• American Osteopathic Association
• Texas Osteopathic Medical Association
• The Premed Competencies for Entering Medical Students
• Anatomy of an Applicant
• First Generation Medial student resources
• Aspiring Docs Fact Sheets
• MCAT ^® Very helpful information about preparation and planning for taking the MCAT.
• UTRGV Office of Pre-Professional Development
  Tue. - Brownsville–BMAIN 1.402
  Wed. Thu. Fri.–Edinburg - EITTB 1.402
  Web: https://www.utrgv.edu/studentsuccess/for-students/pre-professional/