Registration time is here! As a pre-medical student, planning out classes is especially important
to ensure that all prerequisite courses required are taken. Many pre-medical related majors
have degree plans that incorporate many, if not all, of the needed prerequisite courses, such as
Biology and Biochemistry.
Each medical school may require or recommend different pre-requisite courses! Do research
early for the medical schools of your interest to ensure those classes fit into your degree plan.
Many medical schools may not accept AP/IB credits to count toward prerequisite courses, so it
is often better to take science courses at the university level.
The Texas Medical and Dental Schools Application Service (TMDSAS) is the application for all
Texas medical schools, except for Baylor College of Medicine and University of Incarnate Word
Osteopathic Medical School. According to TMDSAS, prerequisite courses for Texas
medical schools generally include:
● 6 semester hours of English
● 3 semester hours of Statistics
● 8 semester hours of Introductory Biology with lab
● 6 semester hours of Upper Level Biology
● 8 semester hours of General Chemistry with lab
● 8 semester hours of Organic Chemistry with lab
● 8 semester hours of Physics with lab
● 3 semester hours of Biochemistry
Here is a general 4-year plan for pre-requisites for a Texas pre-medical student:
Freshman Year:
● 8 semester hours of General Chemistry with lab
● 8 semester hours of Introductory Biology with lab
Sophomore Year:
● 8 semester hours of Organic Chemistry with lab
● 8 semester hours of Physics with lab
Junior/Senior Year:
● 3 semester hours of Biochemistry
● 6 semester hours of Upper Level Biology
Courses that can be taken during any year(s):
● 6 semester hours of English
● 3 semester hours of Statistics
Some prerequisite courses are straightforward, such as General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry,
Biology, and Physics. However, Upper Level Biology, English, and Statistics can be slightly
vague. To fulfill the English requirement, any English course that counts towards the general
education English requirement of a baccalaureate degree will be accepted. For the Statistics
requirement, inferential and descriptive statistics must be topics covered in the course. Upper
Level Biology courses to fulfill the requirement can include Anatomy & Physiology, Bacteriology, Biophysics, Cellular Biology, Cellular Physiology, Ecology, Genetics, Histology, Immunology, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Neurobiology, Neuroscience, Parasitology, Pathophysiology, Virology, and Zoology. For more details about class requirements for the TMDSAS application, visit https://www.tmdsas.com/PLAN/medical/start-your-app/coursework/coursework-definitions.html.
Many medical schools require and recommend taking additional coursework, such as Anatomy
& Physiology, Humanities, Social/Behavioral Sciences, and Foreign Languages. For example,
Baylor College of Medicine recommends taking Spanish. Some schools may require Calculus
courses in addition to Statistics or Biostatistics.
For DO schools, the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application
Service (AACOMAS) requires students to have a Bachelor’s Degree. For prerequisite
coursework, the AACOM lists the following:
● 1 year of Biology
● 1 year of Physics
● 1 year of English Composition
● 2 years of Chemistry
For a complete list of medical schools and required premedical coursework, visit
https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-medical-school/article/required-premedical-coursework-and-competencies/ to view individual schools and specific requirements.
For DO school requirements, visit https://choosedo.org/us-colleges-of-osteopathic-medicine/ to
explore individual schools and specific requirements.
I hope this guide is helpful! Thank you all for reading!
Stay safe & take care,
Joy
SOURCES
1. “Education Eligibility Requirements.” Texas Medical and Dental Application Service, 29 July
2. “Prescribed Coursework Definitions.” Texas Medical and Dental Application Service, 29
July 2020, https://www.tmdsas.com/PLAN/medical/start-your-app/coursework/coursework-definitions.html.
3. “Osteopathic Medical School Admission Requirements - ChooseDO.” Choose DO,
4. “Required Premedical Coursework and Competencies.” AAMC Students, Applicants and
Residents, 30 Sept. 2015, https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-medical-school/article/required-premedical-coursework-and-competencies/ .
5. “Learn More About The US Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine - ChooseDO.” Choose
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