Pre-Medicine
Pre-Medicine
No matter the type of medicine you want to practice—from being a physician or a surgeon—your main role of diagnosing, healing, and caring for patients will be consistent throughout your specialty. Depending on your degree of choice, you'll become a doctor that can provide direct patient care or concentrate on applied research, medical education, administration, or a combination of all areas.
Why Consider Med School?
Are you self-motivated, confident, and compassionate? Acceptance into medical school is competitive and you will spend many years studying and training to become a doctor, but if you have a strong desire to heal and prevent disease this is the right path for you!
According to the , 91,400 new jobs and 13-percent growth in employment—faster than the 7 percent projected for all occupations—for physicians and surgeons overall from 2016 to 2026, but all types are medicine are on the rise.
Explore: Medical Pathways
Become a student at USM and obtain the necessary requirements to apply to medical programs, with the guidance of our pathways expert!
| Undergraduate Credit Required | Bachelor’s degree |
| Exam Prep | MCAT |
| Professional Schooling Required | 4 years medical school; 3-8 years residency; M.D. or D.O. degrees |
| Professional Organization Websites | | |
There are two types of medical schools in the United States: Medical Doctor (M.D.) or a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.). Here are some of the local or surrounding area professional schools:
- (M.D.) (Jackson, MS)
- (D.O.) (Hattiesburg, MS)
- (M.D.) (New Orleans, LA )
- (M.D.) (New Orleans, LA)
- (M.D.) (Birmingham, AL)
- (D.O.) (Dothan, AL)
Navigating the Application Process
Beginning early with the application process allows students to structure an academic plan of study and ensures you are on track. Medical programs have relatively similar requirements for admission that we can help prepare you for, including competitive scores from the nationally administered Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), clinical experience, research, the application process, and more!
We encourage you to contact our pathways expert to support you in your professional development endeavors.
Some students already have a B.A. or B.S. and then decide to pursue becoming a physician. Students in this category should consult with our pre-professional office. In general, these students lack some of the science courses required by most medical schools; in some cases, the required courses may be over 10 years old, which most medical schools do not accept. It is common for these students to take the prerequisite science or non-science courses for medical school at USM as post-baccalaureate students while also working on polishing their applications and taking the MCAT.
Some post-baccalaureate students take the prerequisite courses as a non-degree student while other students choose a second major to pursue at USM. In either case, students must go through the University 51¶şÄĚ Office to be admitted (or re-admitted for former students) before enrolling in courses.
While medical school admission requirements and deadlines vary by school, most programs have relatively similar minimum requirements. It is the student’s responsibility to check requirements for their specific desired schools; however, the has compiled admission information for most medical schools that grant an M.D. degree. Similarly, the has compiled admission information for osteopathic medical schools. Typical medical school minimum requirements are as follows:
- Completion of a series of specified courses with laboratories in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics (BCPM) and other General Education Curriculum (GEC) courses*
- Completion of a baccalaureate degree; although consideration is given to exceptional students with a minimum of 90 credit hours, an undergraduate degree is strongly preferred
- A competitive GPA, both overall and in the BCPM areas (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics)
- Competitive scores from the nationally administered Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)
- Evidence of compassion for others as often shown through community service and/or employment
- Multiple positive character traits, such as effective communication skills, initiative, ability to work with diverse populations, integrity, ability to manage heavy workloads, leadership ability, motivation (including motivation to enter the medical field), and a desire to learn
*AP credit is traditionally not accepted for required courses (and should be replaced with the course equivalent or higher). Most medical schools allow a maximum of 65 hours at an accredited community college for required courses. Online coursework is traditionally not accepted for required courses. Required courses should be taken within the last ten years (or retaken/taken at a higher level if older).
These meet the course requirements of most medical schools and provide content preparation for the MCAT exam.
- BSC 110/L & BSC 111/L (Principles of Biological Science)
- CHE 106/L & CHE 107/L (General Chemistry)
- CHE 255/L & CHE 256/L (Organic Chemistry)
- CHE 420 or CHE 421 (Biochemistry)
- PHY 111/L & PHY 112/L or PHY 201/L & PHY 202/L (Physics)
- ENG 101 & ENG 102 (English Composition)
- MAT 103 (Trigonometry), or MAT 114 or MAT 167 (Calculus)
- PSY 110 (Psychology)
- SOC 101 (Sociology)
- PSY 360 or CSS 211 or MAT 320 (Statistics)
- Choose at least two life science courses from the following list:
- Anatomy – BSC 361/L
- Cellular Biology – BSC 360
- Embryology – BSC 465/L or BSC 466/L
- Genetics – BSC 370
- Histology – BSC 461/L
- Immunology and Serology – BSC 486/L
- Infectious Diseases – BSC 403
- Microbiology – BSC 282/L
- Molecular Biology – BSC 476
- Neuroscience – BSC 457
- Pharmacology – BSC 460 or CHE 460
- Physiology – BSC 450 or 451 or 452 (only one physiology course will be counted by UMMC)
- Virology – BSC 484/L or BSC 485/L
Students should begin MCAT preparation when they decide to begin their pre-medical path. The courses necessary for entry into medical school generally reflect the material presented on the MCAT, which comes in four sections:
- Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
- Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
- Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior
- Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills
The official MCAT should not be taken as a practice test. The following are suggestions how to be prepared.
- Focus your attention on core prerequisites, specifically biology, chemistry, physics, and social science courses. Keep study materials such as lectures, lecture notes, and textbooks for regular review.
- Visit the to determine what specific content areas are tested on the MCAT.
- before registering for the MCAT.
- Consider purchasing the or another similar guide. It is important to take practice tests frequently along
the way to identify strengths and weaknesses. provides practice exams and study materials at their official site. offers free MCAT video tutorials and practice questions. Other materials can be found
online, either through a Google search or at the following sites; please note that
the pre-professional office does not endorse any specific brand or guide.
- Make use of USM’s MCAT Preparation course, BSC 399. This is typically taken the spring of a student’s junior year.
- Many students choose to develop a specific MCAT study pattern. It is best to study daily for the MCAT for up to a year before testing, and in the weeks before the exam it is critical to set aside additional time to complete final preparations.
The mean national score for the MCAT is 500, with scores ranging from 472 to 528. This means that a score of 500 is approximately in the 50th percentile. The 90th percentile mark is approximately 514, while scores of 485 are at the 10th percentile. The mean score for individual sections is 125.
What Should I Major In?
The “pre-medical curriculum” is just a list of courses that are required for admission to medical school. It is NOT an academic major, a minor, or an emphasis area. Prerequisite courses can vary between medical schools, so it is important to check with individual schools about their requirements and deadlines.
Medical schools do not require a particular major—pursue a major in which you feel the most comfortable with! Many students choose a major at USM in one of the sciences, but also look into the humanities or social sciences. Explore related majors:
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