Admission to U.S. Medical Schools

Medical school admission requirements vary from school to school. Each school's specific prerequisites are detailed in the Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR™), an annual publication of the AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges). The MSAR™ is highly recommended to all prospective applicants and is available at most school libraries, premedical advising offices, and can be purchased from AAMC Publications.

The MSAR aims to help students approach their goals realistically and to plan their education carefully. The book contains information on choosing a school, the admissions process, financing your education, opportunities for minorities, the nature of modern medical education, as well as the detailed admission requirements of each medical school in the United States and Canada.

In general, most medical schools will expect applicants to have taken the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), and to have completed the following types of courses:

• One year of Biology
• One year of Physics
• One year of English
• Two years of Chemistry (through Organic Chemistry)

Applicants should consider volunteering at a local hospital or clinic to gain practical experience in the health professions. A well-rounded sampling of extra-curricular activities or work experiences, both related and unrelated to medicine, will help broaden an applicant's knowledge and development.

Students interested in medicine are encouraged to research the wide variety of jobs available in the health professions, to discuss the nature and demands of medicine with a pre-medical advisor or health professional, and to ask a lot of questions before embarking on the application process.