Pre-Medicine and Osteopathy

This course of study is designed for a student who believes that medicine might be his or her chosen field for life. Although no specified CMU major is required, a student should plan to earn an undergraduate degree from CMU and must select a degree program from those found elsewhere in this Bulletin and successfully complete all its requirements.

Requirements: Most medical schools have the following minimum requirements of one year each in: biology (with laboratory), general chemistry (with laboratory), organic chemistry (with laboratory), physics (with laboratory), English, and behavioral science. Most require ninety semester hours of college credit, but a baccalaureate is strongly recommended, in order to apply. Some schools recommend other courses. Further information about these requirements and other pertinent information concerning medical schools may be obtained from the advisor and from a book entitled Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR). The admission requirements for Osteopathic Schools can be obtained from a book entitled Osteopathic Medical College Information Book.

Note for Transfer Students: The recommended prerequisite courses have been chosen to provide students with the appropriate background to be successful in the professional curriculum. For students transferring from other institutions, the specific courses taken may vary and the equivalency of the content in those courses to meet the prerequisite requirements will be determined by the faculty of the program.

Medical College Admission Test (MCAT): This test, required by most medical and osteopathic schools, is usually administered as a computer based test on multiple dates throughout the year. Students can register for the exam online. It is strongly suggested that students plan on taking this test between April and June, just prior to the beginning of the application process. The new MCAT Student Manual will be useful in preparation for this test and it may be obtained from the Association of American Medical Colleges.

Application to Medical Schools: These materials should be obtained and prepared during the spring semester prior to the application process, which normally occurs during the summer. Most medical schools use the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS), while osteopathic schools use the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS). These application services can be found online.