Oberlin College & Conservatory

Preparing for Medical School

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Deciding | Preparing | Timeline | MCAT | Choosing | Contacts

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Most schools of medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and veterinary medicine have similar prerequisites for admission. However, individual schools vary in details, so consult the admissions requirement book for the profession of interest to you. You can meet the requirements for most medical and related professions by taking the following sequences for each subject.

Pre-professional Requirements

Courses Available at Oberlin:

• Two semesters of Biology (BIO 100 and BIO 213)
• Two semesters of General Chemistry (CHM 101, CHM 102 or CHM 103
• Two semesters of Organic Chemistry (CHM 205, CHM 254)
• Increasingly, schools are requiring or recommending a semester of Biochemistry as well (CHM 374)
• Two semesters of General Physics with laboratory. (usually PHY 103, PHY 104, or PHY 110, PHY 111)
• Always take the lab connected with a science course, if it is listed separately
• Two semesters of Mathematics (recommended, but not always required)
• (MTH 133 (may be replaced by MTH 131 and 132) and MTH 114
• Two semesters of English
• (Any course in English, Expository Writing (RHET) or Literature in Translation)

Many Oberlin students enter the college with AP or IB credits and want to enter the science and math sequences at an advanced level. In some cases, especially if you are contemplating a major in the area where you have advanced placement, using the credits and entering in upper level classes makes very good sense. In other cases, however, it is good to start the Oberlin course sequence at the beginning, since the rigor of these classes exceeds that of most AP classes, and you can be in for a difficult time entering the upper level class. It is very important to talk with a premed advisor and with professors teaching the classes in question before you make a final decision on your schedule.

Also, be careful not to overload yourself with science and math classes in your first semester. If you are a really strong science student, you may be fine taking both BIO and CHEM in the first semester, but many people start with a single science class.

Because medical schools are seeking people who know what they are getting into, it is also essential that you have at least a year's worth of medically-related volunteer experience during your college career. For students who are very involved in research, fulfilling this unwritten requirement can be difficult, but you do need to address it somehow. Perhaps several winter term projects would be possible, or a summer hospital volunteer stint, even for 3 hours a week, in a hospital associated with your research internship site. Medical schools also look favorably on a strong background in research. Find ways to assist faculty members in their laboratory work, and perhaps do research of your own. There are lots of summer research options to explore, as well.