Pre-Medicine

Training to become a medical doctor is a rigorous process taking about eight years of college-level study. However, it is interesting to note that a student is not required to have a BS degree to be admitted into most medical programs; this is true at both Medical Schools in South Carolina (USC and MUSC).

The typical admission committee looks at three important criteria in making the decision for admission:

• Score on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT).
• The applicant’s college transcript of course selection and grades.Note: The higher the GPA the better, with a typical minimum of about 3.2 on a 4.0 scale (the actual minimum changes each year with the pool of applicants).
• Evidence of the applicant’s interest in the medical profession as demonstrated by volunteer or work experience in hospitals or similar settings where doctors are needed.

Recommended Coursework

To best prepare for the application process, we recommend majoring in either biology or chemistry and completing the courses listed below.

• Biological Science (BIO 121, 4 hours)
• Zoology (BIO 122, 4 hours)
• Human Anatomy and Physiology (BIO 215-216, 8 hours)
• General Chemistry (CHE 113-114, 8 hours)
• Organic Chemistry (CHE 231-232, 8 hours)
• Calculus I: Differential Calculus (MAT 211, 4 hours)
• Physics for Science and Engineering Students (PHY 213-214, 8 hours)