Pre-Medicine
Essential Courses
| Course # | Title | Credit Hours | Prerequisites |
|---|---|---|---|
| BI 105 | Biological Diversity and Ecology | 3 | None |
| BI 121 | Biology Lab I | 1 | BI 105 (corequisite) |
| BI 106 |
|
3 | BI 105 and CH 105 |
| BI 122 | Biology Lab II | 1 | BI 105 and BI 121; CH 122 (corequisite) |
| CH 105 | Organic Chemical Concepts I | 3 | None |
| CH 121 | Organic Chemistry Lab I | 1 | CH 105 (corequisite) |
| CH 106 | Organic Chemical Concepts II | 3 | CH 105 (with C or better) |
| CH 122 | Organic Chemistry Lab II | 1 | CH 121; CH 106 (corequisite) |
| CH 230 | Intro to Bioinorganic Chemistry | 3 | CH 105 |
| CH 250 | Analytical Chemistry | 5 | CH 115 or CH 230 |
| PC 200 | General Physics I | 3 | PC 206 (corequisite) |
| or | |||
| PC 202 | Introductory Physics I | 3 | MA 130 and PC 206 (corequisite) |
| PC 206 | Physics Lab I | 1 | PC 200 or PC 202 (corequisite) |
| PC 201 | General Physics II | 3 | PC 200; PC 207 (corequisite) |
| or | |||
| PC 203 | Introductory Physics II | 3 | PC 202 and MA 130; PC 207 (corequisite) |
| PC 207 | Physics Lab II | 1 | PC 201 or PC 203 (corequisite) |
| Varies | 6 credits of Sociology, Psychology, or Philosophy* | 6 | Varies |
| EN ___ | English Course | 3 | Varies |
Some MD and DO Schools are now REQUIRING Biochemistry. You will need to take BI 207 as a prerequisite for our CH 301 course.
* Sociology and Psychology preferred
Important Notes:
- Some schools (ex. Hershey) require up to one year of math; Calculus I + either Calculus II (required by some Ivy League schools) OR statistics. Also recommend dynamics of biological processes, genetics, biochemistry (required for some schools (DO and MD; including New England College of Osteopathic Medicine) ; check the websites) , comparative anatomy, microbiology, physiology, foreign language (especially Spanish), sociology, ecology, economics, business courses, communication courses, ethics, psychology/behavioral sciences, and advanced sciences.
- These courses reflect program requirements for our affiliations with Tulane University School of Medicine and the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine only. Although this course list will be sufficient for most other programs (including Naturopathic Medicine), make sure to check requirements of other schools in which you are interested no later than your sophomore year.
- This course list does NOT represent a POE, nor does it cover College requirements. Design a POE, preferably in an academic area, in consultation with your advisor. Note: If you are in a 3 +_ program, course work during the first year of professional school can count toward upper level POE requirements.
- Make sure to have an advisor on the Health Professions Committee who advises premedical students.
- In addition to your course work you are urged to gain some experience in medicine either during the school year or over the summer.
2008-09 REQUIREMENTS
Tulane University School of Medicine*
Regular Progression (4 years at Juniata) OR 3 + 4 B.S./M.D. Early Acceptance Program
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine**
Regular Progression (4 years at Juniata) 3 + 4 B.S./D.O. Accelerated Program in Primary Care
| Classes | Credits |
|---|---|
| General Biology and Lab | 6* or 8** |
| Inorganic Chemistry and Lab | 6* or 8** |
| Organic Chemistry and Lab | 6* or 8** |
| Physics and Lab | 6* or 8** |
| English (composition and literature) | 6 |
| Behavioral Sciences (Psychology, Sociology, or Philosophy; first two preferred | 6** |
Biochemistry, social sciences, and additional English courses are strongly recommended; also recommended are anatomy, embryology, genetics, math, and physical chemistry
90 credit hours maximum
MCAT scores must be no more than 3 years old
Competitive Credentials:
Tulane: Science and overall GPA of 3.5 or better and MCAT score of 30 or better
LECOM: Science and overall GPA of 3.2 and MCAT scores of 24 with 7 or higher in each section.
LECOM accepts ONLY U.S. citizens and permanent residents. LECOM does NOT accept AP (advanced placement) credit for any prerequisites.
Students applying for the early acceptance and/or accelerated programs should take the MCAT in late spring or early summer and apply through AMCAS or AACOMAS by July 15th. Students applying to Tulane must also submit a letter to Tulane by July 15th covering their reasons for applying for the program. Students applying to LECOM must have a letter from a D.O. sent to LECOM by March 1 of the junior year. Secondary application should be in by August 15th. Note: Students applying to the Accelerated Program at LECOM may apply ONLY to LECOM.
The affiliation with Tulane also includes several combined degree options including M.D./Ph.D., M.D./M.P.H. (Master of Public Health), M.D./M.S.P.H. (Master of Science in Public Health), M.D./M.P.H. & T.M. (Master of Public Health and Tropical Medicine), and M.D./M.S.
In addition to the Committee letter, LECOM requires a letter from an osteopathic physician.
Helpful websites:
American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine - http://www.aacom.org/
Association of American Medical Colleges - http://www.aamc.org/
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine - http://www.lecom.edu/
Tulane University School of Medicine - http://www.tulane.edu/
Minority information resource for MD applicants- http://www.aspiringdocs.org
SUGGESTED CORE PROGRESSIONS FOR
Pre-MEDICINE
Regular Start; No Acceleration and No Study Abroad Junior Year
Bolded courses are offered only in the indicated semester and/or require a specific sequence due to Juniata prerequisites. Non-bolded courses are either offered in both semesters or represent open-ended choices, making them more flexible in when they can be taken. Course progressions after the freshman year are not carved in stone. Your particular course sequence may be different, depending on your situation. Consult with your advisor.
| FALL | SPRING | |
|---|---|---|
| Freshman Year | BI 105 | Biology Lab II |
| Biology Lab I | Organic Chemistry Concepts II (if C or better in OCC I) and Lab | |
| Organic Chemistry Concepts I and Lab | Psychology, Sociology or Philosophy Course |
| FALL | SPRING | |
|---|---|---|
| Sophomore Year | BI 106 | Analytical Chemistry |
| Bioinorganic Chemistry | English |
| FALL | SPRING | |
|---|---|---|
| Junior Year | Physics I and Lab | Physics II and Lab |
| Psychology, Sociology or Philosophy Course |
If you delay the start of Organic Chemistry I to the spring of freshman year be aware that Organic Chem Lab I is offered ONLY in the fall and Organic Chem II lab is offered ONLY in the spring. Also consider whether or not it is wise in your particular situation to take Organic Chem II with Bioinorganic Chemistry your sophomore year.
If you do an accelerated program plan to finish most or all of the prerequisite courses the year before your final year at Juniata. If you have one or two courses to complete your final year at Juniata, you could be conditionally accepted to professional school based on your academic record up to that point and on successful completion of the remaining prerequisite courses.
If you study abroad the SAFEST strategy is to take ALL prerequisite courses for professional school in the U.S., which may require you to take courses in the U.S. over the summer, preferably at a 4 year institution. However, if this is extremely difficult for your situation, check with the professional schools you wish to attend to see if they will accept courses taken abroad and if so, get their response in writing. Also if you have a Biology POE and will not have BI 207 by the time you go abroad, check with the Biology Department to see if there is a Cell and Molecular course you can take abroad that will enable you to take upper level biology offerings at Juniata your senior year that require BI 207 (ex. Physiology, Immunology, and Microbiology)
Be mindful of your POE courses, which are NOT indicated here. For example, if you have a Biology POE, you will need to take Freshman seminar the fall of your freshman year, Frontiers of Biology either semester your sophomore year, and Biology 207 at your earliest opportunity after completing Bioinorganic Chemistry.