Pre-Medicine

Preparation Timetable

In order to apply for medical school you will need to have strong grades and Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) scores as well as a combination of volunteer hours, job shadowing, clinical hours, possibly research among other activities. 

At Alma a comprehensive evaluation of topics covered on the MCAT was recently conducted.  It was determined that the following classes best cover the information required for the MCAT while at the same time meeting the requirements for most medical schools. 

Recommended Courses

BIO 121 General Cell Biology
BIO 204 Genetics
BIO 308 Microbiology
BCM 321 Biochemistry
CHM 115 Introduction to Chemistry — Chemical Analysis
CHM 223 Organic Chemistry I
CHM 224 Organic Chemistry II
CHM 230 Intermediate Inorganic Chemistry
IPH 225/226 Human Physiology I & II  OR  BIO 307 Gen Physiology
PHY 112 General Physics I
PHY 113 General Physics II
PSY 121 Introduction to Psychology
SOA 101 Principles of Sociology

While it will be important for you to begin early researching the medical schools in which you are interested in applying to and verifying the requirements of those schools.  Typically, your four years at Alma will look similar to the chart below. *Arrows indicate additional courses from major, DRs, and other courses required for graduation.

It will also be important that you are looking for volunteer hours, job shadowing opportunities, clinical hours, research and other activities.  You will want to talk with your advisor, join organizations such as United Health Professionals of Alma College (UHPAC) and the Integrated Health Studies Institute (IHSI), in order to learn important information regarding your path to medical school.

You will also want to begin to keep a journal of your experiences.  Track what the experiences was, dates, hours, what did you gain from the experience, and a contact person as well as their information.  This will become very important as you enter the application process. 

In addition, you should frequently refer to the AAMC resources for Aspiring Docs.