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 do not major in science, one of which should be Biochemistry (Haverford: Bio 300A or 300B / Bryn Mawr: Bio 354). Note: Science 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) if no AP credit depending on the results from the math placement test and their intended major
  • Approximately 40% of U.S. medical schools require some type of math; they typically prefer statistics.
  • Schools may accept AP/IB math credits listed on the Haverford transcript in lieu of taking math.
  • 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 sequence and complete the core pre­medical courses. The following are some suggestions:

Course Sequencing

• Consider taking chemistry in your freshman year. The chemistry courses need to be taken in sequence, and calculus is a requirement for physics and some science majors at Haverford.
• Students should consult with the Math and Physics departments before deciding what, if any, math classes they should take in their first year. Although calculus is not a required course for most medical schools, it is a requirement for physics and several science majors. Statistics is a preferred course for medical schools and is offered through several departments.
• 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.
• While students have taken Biology 200 and Organic Chemistry during their sophomore year in the past, many find that 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 Chemistry during your first year.
• 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 biochemistry courses mentioned above, if you are a science major, there are multiple ways to cover topics in biochemistry in upper level biology and chemistry courses.
• Courses can be completed at Bryn Mawr College, Swarthmore College, and the University of Pennsylvania.
• Although students may decide to take a premedical course in the summer, please seek advising first.

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.

You absolutely can study abroad and still go to medical school! And if that is something you want to do—you should absolutely do it. With careful planning, it is easy. Please be sure to seek out advising from your major advisor and the Coordinator of Health Profession Advising.

• 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. There are no standard ways to teach those courses in other countries and most abroad grades do not get factored into your grade point average; they only count as transfer credits.
• For most medical school programs, study abroad grades are counted as transfer credits.
• For most programs, as long as the study abroad record is listed on your Haverford transcript as transfer credits, you will not need a separate transcript from your program. Be sure to follow the specific directions on the medical school application itself.
• 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.

Please review our information for International Students page to learn more.