One
of the most common questions for beginning pre-med & pre-dent students
is "If I can't major in pre-med/pre-dent, what is the best major
for pre-med/pre-dent?" The best major is the one that you will enjoy
and for which you have aptitude.
You
may choose any major and still be pre-med/pre-dent. Medical & Dental
schools have no preference for science majors over other majors, they
simply want you to complete their prerequisite courses (the pre-med/pre-dent
program) and to earn an undergraduate degree.
The
advantage of majoring in one of the sciences (Biology, Chemistry, or Physics)
is that much of the pre-med/pre-dent curriculum "fits" into
those degree programs. Students do successfully gain
admission into medical/dental school with a non-science major, but to
do so, those students must fit the pre-med/pre-dent courses into their
degree program largely as additional courses to the requirements for their
degrees.
The
Pre-Med/Pre-Dent Curriculum
The pre-med/pre-dent curriculum can be summed up as two years of Biology,
two and a half years of Chemistry, one year of Physics, and one year of
Math. The specifically required courses to fulfill this curriculum and
to meet the entrance requirements for medical/dental school are listed
below.
Biology
- 16 hours 
BIOL 2107/L -Principles of Biology I/Lab (4 hrs.)
BIOL 2108/L -Principles of Biology II/Lab (4 hrs.)
BIOL 3030 - Genetics (4 hrs.)
*BIOL XXXX (4 hrs.)
* = Biology courses at the 3000 level or above. Click here
to see specific course recommendations.
Chemistry
- 16 - 20 hours
CHEM 1145 - Principles of Chemistry I (4 hrs.)
CHEM 1146 - Principles of Chemistry II (4 hrs.)
CHEM 3341 - Organic Chemistry I (4 hrs.)
CHEM 3342 - Organic Chemistry II (4 hrs.)
CHEM 5541 - Biochemistry I (4 hrs.) - while not required by many medical/dental
schools, Biochemistry is a must have before taking the MCAT or DAT and
before beginning medical/dental school.
Physics
- 8 hours
PHYS 2211/1113 - Principles of Physics I w/ lab (4 hrs.)
*PHYS 2212/1114 - Principles of Physics II w/ lab (4 hrs.)
(PHYS 1111 & 1112 - Intro to Physics may be substituted for 2211 &
2212, but this substitution is not recommended.)
* = Pre-dentistry requires only one course in Physics
Math
- 4 - 11 hours
MATH 1112 - Trigonometry (3 hrs.) (if needed)
MATH 1441 - Calculus I (4 hrs.)
MATH 2242 - Calculus II (4 hrs.) (required for Chemistry majors, strongly
recommended for all pre-med/pre-dent students)
Printer
friendly version of the Pre-Med/Pre-Dent Curriculum
Recommended
Biology Courses
Biology majors MUST take the following two courses (no other major is
required to take these courses):
BIOL 3132/3112 - Biology of Organisms w/ Lab (4 hrs.)
BIOL 3133/3113 - Evolution and Ecology w/ Lab (4 hrs.)
To
complete the Biology requirement, all pre-med/pre-dent students should
select courses from the following list to complete the required 16 hours.
BIOL 5132 Eukaryotic and Molecular Genetics (3 hrs.) or BIOL 5148 Human
Genetics (4 hrs.) or BIOL 5142 Molecular Biotechniques (4 hrs.) - (These
three courses all have a strong genetics component and all pre-med/pre-dent
students should complete at least one of these courses prior to taking
the MCAT/DAT.)
Consult with your advisor about which of the following courses to take:
BIOL 5240 Histology (4 hrs.)
BIOL 3230 Introduction to Immunology (3 hrs.)or BIOL 5248 Immunology (4
hrs.)
BIOL 3240 Biology of Microorganisms (3 hrs.) or BIOL 5140 Bacteriology
(4 hrs.)
BIOL 5341 Parasitology (4 hrs.)
BIOL 5241 Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy (4 hrs.)
BIOL 5230/5210 Comparative Animal Physiology w/ Lab (4 hrs.)
BIOL 5431 Virology (3 hrs.)
BIOL 5246 Human Pathophysiology (4 hrs.)
BIOL 5146 Developmental Biology (4 hrs.)
Click here
for the recommended chronology for the Pre-med/Pre-Dent Curriculum
|
