There are additional courses that are required or recommended for some medical, dental medicine, and veterinary medicine schools. The Medical School Admissions Requirements (MSAR), published online annually by the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC), includes information about course prerequisites for individual medical schools. In general, many medical schools require or recommend the following additional courses:

• One or two additional science courses , especially if you are not majoring in a science, one of which should be Biochemistry (Haverford: Bio 300A, Bio 300B / Bryn Mawr: Bio 354). Students are able to cover topics in biochemistry in multiple 300 level science courses.
• Statistics (Math 103 or 203) or Calculus (Math 105 or 118) depending on the results from the math placement test and their intended major.
  • Approximately 40% of U.S. medical schools require math
  • Schools may accept AP/IB math credits listed on your Haverford transcript
  • Students may also take statistics courses through the Economics, Psychology, Sociology departments or the Health Studies minor.
• A related Social Science course such as psychology, sociology, or health studies.

There is no “right way” to schedule your four years at Haverford, but it’s a good idea to make a tentative master schedule in order to visualize when you need to take certain courses in order to achieve your personal goals.

Use this template as a guide to create your own master schedule.

While at Haverford, your primary goal should be to explore all of your intellectual interests. Most Haverford students take one to two years between college and medical school, meaning they they apply after graduation. This eliminates the rush to complete the pre­medical course requirements. If you’re uncertain you want to prepare for medical school, but want to keep your options open, remember that the best way is to perform well in your classes.

Factors to Keep in Mind While Planning Your Coursework

There are many ways to complete the core pre­medical courses. The following are some suggestions:

Course Sequencing

• Consider taking chemistry and calculus in your freshman year. The chemistry courses need to be taken in sequence, and calculus is a requirement for physics and other science majors at Haverford.
• You can’t take biology at Haverford until you have completed a laboratory course. Most students take biology in their sophomore year after having taken a year of chemistry or physics with lab.
• You should not take two lab sciences during the first semester of your first year unless you have a very strong science background, and have performed well on your high school placement exams.
• While students have taken Biology 200 and Organic Chemistry during their sophomore year, many find taking these courses together extremely time consuming and challenging. Don’t rush through the requirements and overextend yourself academically, especially if you are not a science major, or you have not performed well in Chem 111/113, 115 and/or 112, 114.
• All science and math courses should be taken for a grade instead of pass/fail. Medical schools look for applicants who have consistently challenged themselves throughout the undergraduate years.
• In addition to the courses mentioned above, the following are courses that students can take that includes biochemistry. These courses are .5 credits each.
  • Bio 301 (Genetics)
  • Bio 302 (Cell Architecture)
  • Bio 303 (Structure and Function of Macromolecules)
  • Bio 304 (Biochemistry: Metabolic Basis of Disease)
  • Bio 306 (Inter- and Intra-Cellular Communication)
  • Bio 308 (Immunology)
  • 310 (Molecular Microbiology
  • Bio 314 (Photosynthesis)
  • Bio 351 (Molecular Motors and Biological Nano-Machines)
  • Bio 357 (Topics in Protein Science)
  • Chem 351 (Bioinorganic Chemistry) (Prereq for this course is Chem 320, inorganic chem)
  • Chem 352 (Topics in Biophysical Chemistry)
  • Chem 357 (Topics in Bioorganic Chemistry)
  • Chem 359 (Topics in Proteins Chemistry)

Medical schools want to see that students can handle college level science and laboratory work. At minimum, you should take as many college level science courses as are listed in the core pre-medical courses. If you have AP/IB credits, consult with that particular department to see if you can enroll in upper level science courses instead of introductory courses.

• Medical schools appreciate applicants who are culturally sensitive, and welcome study abroad experiences.
• Medical schools prefer that students take all core pre­medical courses at Haverford (or at Bryn Mawr), not while studying abroad or during the summer.
• It is possible to study abroad, complete the core pre­medical courses, and apply to medical school, especially if you don’t go to medical school directly from college. Students who study abroad usually use senior year as a time to complete their remaining pre­medical course requirements.

Your state or country of legal residence is a key factor in medical, dental, and veterinary school admissions processes; many schools reserve the majority of their seats for in-state residents. Plan your pre-medical course work around the requirements for your state medical school, as the costs may be more reasonable, and your chances of being accepted there may be much better than your chances of being accepted to other schools.