Getting into medical school starts way before you take the MCAT or submit your application. It starts in the classroom during your undergraduate years. Understanding premed requirements early helps you plan your college schedule, avoid common mistakes, and set yourself up for success on the MCAT.
Medical schools have specific courses they want to see on your transcript before they’ll consider your application. While these requirements vary somewhat from school to school, there’s a solid core that nearly every medical school expects. The good news? Once you know what these courses are, you can plan your college years strategically to check all the boxes while maintaining a strong GPA.
The American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) provides a detailed breakdown of premed requirements for each medical school, which you can find in their official course requirements document. This resource is incredibly helpful when you’re researching specific schools, but we’ll cover the general requirements that apply to most programs.
Core Premed Prerequisites
Almost every medical school in the country requires the same basic science and writing courses. These form the foundation of your premed education and directly connect to what you’ll see on the MCAT.
Biology with Lab (Two Semesters)
General biology courses cover cell biology, genetics, evolution, and other fundamental concepts. The lab component is just as important as the lecture because medical schools want to see that you have hands-on scientific experience. Most students take these courses during their freshman or sophomore year.
General Chemistry with Lab (Two Semesters)
General chemistry, often called “gen chem,” covers atomic structure, chemical bonding, reactions, and stoichiometry. Like biology, the lab component is required. This course sequence builds the foundation for organic chemistry and biochemistry, which come later.
Organic Chemistry with Lab (Two Semesters)
Organic chemistry has a reputation for being tough, but it’s absolutely essential for medical school. This course focuses on carbon-based molecules and their reactions. About a quarter of the MCAT chemistry content comes from organic chemistry, so you’ll definitely want a solid understanding before test day.
Physics with Lab (Two Semesters)
Physics covers mechanics, electricity, magnetism, waves, and optics. Many premed students wonder why they need physics for medical school, but these concepts appear throughout medical practice (think X-rays, ultrasounds, and how the cardiovascular system works). The MCAT also tests physics concepts, so you can’t skip this one.
English or Writing (Two Semesters)
Medical schools want doctors who can communicate clearly in writing. Most schools require two semesters of English composition or writing-intensive courses. Some schools are flexible about what counts here, accepting humanities courses that involve substantial writing.
A Quick Note on AP Credits
Many incoming college students have AP credits from high school. While some medical schools accept AP credits for prerequisites, most strongly prefer or require that you take college-level coursework for science courses. If you have AP credit for biology or chemistry, consider using it to place into higher-level courses rather than skipping the requirement entirely. Always check the policies of schools you’re interested in, as this varies significantly.
Increasingly Common Requirements
A decade ago, the courses above were pretty much all you needed. Today, most medical schools have added several more requirements to their list. These additions reflect changes in the MCAT and recognition that future doctors need a broader scientific foundation.
Biochemistry (One Semester)
Biochemistry has become nearly universal as a requirement. This course covers how biological molecules function in living systems, including metabolism, protein structure, and genetic information. If you only take one additional science course beyond the core premed requirements, make it biochemistry. The MCAT heavily emphasizes biochemistry content, and you’ll be at a significant disadvantage without formal coursework in this subject.
Psychology (One Semester)
The MCAT now includes a section on psychological, social, and biological foundations of behavior. To prepare for this, most medical schools now require at least one semester of psychology. This course introduces you to human behavior, cognition, and mental processes. Understanding psychology also helps you relate to patients and understand the human side of medicine.
Sociology (One Semester)
Like psychology, sociology became a common requirement after the MCAT added its behavioral sciences section. Sociology courses examine how social structures, institutions, and cultural factors affect human behavior and health. This knowledge is increasingly important as medicine recognizes how social determinants impact health outcomes.
Statistics or Calculus (One Semester)
Medical practice increasingly relies on data analysis and research interpretation. Most schools now require either statistics or calculus. Statistics is often the more practical choice because understanding research studies and clinical trials requires statistical literacy. Some schools accept either math course, while others specifically require statistics.
These four courses matter for both admissions and MCAT success. The psychology and sociology requirements directly align with a large section of the MCAT. Biochemistry appears throughout the exam. And math skills help with the critical analysis and reasoning skills the test measures.
Less Common But Valuable Courses
Beyond the standard premed requirements, some medical schools ask for additional courses. Even when these aren’t required, they can strengthen your application and MCAT preparation.
Genetics
Some schools require a dedicated genetics course beyond what’s covered in general biology. Genetics dives deeper into inheritance patterns, molecular genetics, and population genetics. This knowledge helps with both the biology section of the MCAT and your understanding of many disease processes. Even if your target schools don’t require it, genetics coursework builds valuable knowledge.
Microbiology
Microbiology covers bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. While relatively few schools require this course, it provides a helpful background for understanding infectious diseases. If you have room in your schedule and interest in the subject, microbiology can round out your biology knowledge.
The Biochemistry for Organic Chemistry Swap
A small number of schools allow students to substitute a second semester of biochemistry for the second semester of organic chemistry. This option is rare, and most advisors recommend against it. Two semesters of organic chemistry provide better MCAT preparation, and the vast majority of medical schools still want to see that full year of organic chemistry on your transcript.
Planning Your Premed Track
Understanding what courses you need is just the first step. How you schedule these courses throughout your undergraduate years can make or break your medical school dreams.
Avoid Overloading Your Schedule
One of the biggest mistakes premed students make is cramming too many difficult science courses into one semester. Taking organic chemistry, physics, and biochemistry all at once sounds efficient, but it often leads to lower grades across the board. Medical schools care deeply about your GPA, and a semester of mediocre grades can hurt your application more than spreading courses out helps.
A strategic schedule might look like taking general chemistry your freshman year, organic chemistry your sophomore year, and biochemistry your junior year. This spacing gives you time to master each subject without overwhelming yourself.
Poor Planning Leads to Low GPAs
The connection between poor course planning and low GPAs is real. Students who don’t map out their premed requirements often find themselves in difficult situations. Maybe they realize senior year that they’re missing a required course. Or they end up taking three lab sciences in one semester because that’s the only way to fit everything in.
Low GPAs don’t just hurt your medical school application directly. They also impact your MCAT performance because you’re trying to learn material while stressed and struggling in your courses. Students who plan strategically tend to understand the content more deeply and retain it better.
Build Strong Learning Skills Early
Medical school requires you to learn massive amounts of information quickly. The premed years are your chance to develop effective study strategies. If you’re barely keeping up with organic chemistry by cramming before exams, that’s a red flag. Medical school will be even more demanding.
Use your premed courses to experiment with different study methods. Figure out what works for you. Learn how to truly understand material rather than just memorizing it for the test. These skills will serve you on the MCAT and throughout your medical career.
The MCAT Connection
Here’s something many premed students don’t realize early enough: your MCAT preparation starts the first day of general chemistry. The exam isn’t something separate from your coursework. It directly tests the content from your premed requirements.
Your Classroom Learning IS MCAT Prep
Students who score well on the MCAT often say they only studied for a few months. But that’s misleading. What they really mean is they only did focused MCAT practice for a few months. The actual preparation happened over years in their science courses.
These high scorers built their content knowledge “accidentally” through their classes. They understood organic chemistry mechanisms deeply when they took the course. They could explain physics concepts to their study group. They engaged with psychology and sociology material beyond just memorizing terms for the exam.
When it came time to study for the MCAT, they were reviewing content they already knew rather than learning it for the first time. That’s why their focused study period could be relatively short.
Skipping Prerequisites Means Longer MCAT Prep
Some students wonder if they can skip one of the main prerequisites and just self-study that content for the MCAT. Technically, yes. Realistically, it’s not a great strategy.
If you skip physics and try to learn it during MCAT prep, you’re essentially learning a full year of college physics in a few weeks or months. That’s possible if you’re exceptionally good at self-study and have strong foundations in the other subjects. But for most students, it means either a much longer MCAT preparation period or weaker performance on physics questions.
Why Struggling Students Need to “Redo College”
Many students who come to MCAT tutors with low practice scores discover they have significant content gaps. They took all the required courses, but they didn’t really learn the material deeply. Maybe they crammed for exams and forgot everything after. Maybe they got through with memorization rather than understanding.
These students essentially need to relearn their premed coursework during MCAT preparation. Instead of a three-month study plan, they might need six months or more. They’re not just learning how to take the MCAT. They’re filling in holes in their foundational knowledge.
This is why the premed requirements matter so much. They’re not arbitrary hoops to jump through. They’re the knowledge base you need for both the MCAT and medical school itself. Taking these courses seriously and really learning the material saves you time and stress down the road.
School-Specific Premed Requirements
While the premed requirements covered above apply to most medical schools, there’s still variation from program to program. Some schools have additional requirements. Others are more flexible about certain courses.
The AAMC publishes a comprehensive breakdown showing exactly what each medical school requires. You can find this in their Medical School Admission Requirements document. This resource lists every medical school and their specific course requirements side by side.
Once you’ve identified schools you’re interested in, check their requirements carefully. If you’re a Texas resident interested in staying in-state, make sure you meet the requirements for Texas medical schools. If you’re interested in research-focused programs, check what those schools want to see.
Don’t wait until application season to do this research. Check requirements early, ideally before or during your freshman year. That gives you time to adjust your course plan if needed.
Start Planning Now
Understanding premed requirements is the first step toward medical school. These courses build the scientific foundation you need for the MCAT and for your future medical education. Take them seriously, plan your schedule strategically, and focus on really learning the material rather than just earning grades.
The core requirements are consistent across almost all schools: two semesters each of biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, and English, all with labs for the science courses. Most schools now also want biochemistry, psychology, sociology, and statistics or calculus. Some add genetics or microbiology to the list.
But knowing the requirements is only part of the equation. How you approach these courses matters just as much. Avoid overloading your schedule. Build strong study skills. Recognize that these classes are the beginning of your MCAT preparation, not separate from it.
Start mapping out your four years of college courses now. Meet with your premed advisor. Check the requirements for schools you’re interested in. And remember that every class is an opportunity to build the knowledge and skills you’ll need as a doctor. Your future patients will benefit from the solid foundation you’re building right now.
