Pre-Health Advising
Academic Prerequisites
Medical, Dental, and Veterinary School Academic Prerequisites
Required Courses
Most medical, dental, and veterinary schools require the following core courses. These are required to complete the pre-health requirements at Haverford College. Doing so will allow for the Haverford College Pre-Health Faculty Committee to write a Committee Letter.
| Number | Courses |
| 2 semesters of General Chemistry with lab | CHEM 111, 113 OR 115 and CHEM 112 OR 114 (depending on Chemistry placement test results) |
| 2 semesters of Organic Chemistry with lab | CHEM 222 and CHEM 225 |
| 2 semesters of Biology with lab | BIOL 200A and BIOL 201B |
| 2 semesters of Physics with lab | PHYS 101, 105 OR 115 and PHYS 102 OR 106 (depending on Physics placement test results) |
| 2 semesters of English or Writing Intensive Course | Writing seminar + an additional reading and writing intensive course that meets our general education requirements |
Additional Courses
Every medical school has additional coursework. To keep your options of schools open and adequately prepare for their required competencies, the following classes are strongly recommended. We recommend that you identify schools you are considering applying for, and check their own academic requirements.
| Number | Courses |
| 1 or 2 additional science courses, especially if you do not major in the sciences |
One of which should be Biochemistry (Example: Bryn Mawr: Bio 375). Note: Science students are able to cover topics in Biochemistry in multiple 300 level science courses. |
| 1 or 2 Math Courses |
Statistics (Math 103 or 203); Calculus (Math 105 or 118) Approximately 40% of U.S. medical schools require some type of math; they typically prefer statistics. Students may also take statistics courses through the Biology, Psychology, Sociology, or Health Studies. Some schools may accept AP/IB math credits listed on the Haverford transcript in lieu of taking math. Check with every medical school for their own preferences. |
| 1-2 Social Science courses | Psychology, Sociology, or Health Studies |
Physician Assistant Prerequisites
There are 250 Accredited PA schools across the country, the majority have the following requirements:
- One - two semesters of General Biology (most require two)
- Two semesters of Chemistry with lab
- One - two semester of Organic Chemistry with lab
- Two semesters of Human Anatomy and Physiology with lab
- One semester of Microbiology with lab
- One semester of Biochemistry
- One semester of Statistics
- One semester of Psychology
In addition we see the following trends in prerequisites:
- 73 programs required one semester of Genetics
- 103 programs require Medical Terminology
- One semester of a Language (some schools require coursework in Spanish)
- One semester of Public Speaking
- One or two additional courses in Social/Behavioral Sciences
A few notes about the classes above:
- GENETICS:
- BiolH311 "Advanced Genetic Analysis" is open to any student who has taken Bio200 and 201.
- ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY:
-
- An Anatomy and Physiology with Lab sequence may be available starting Fall 2022. Space will be limited, so plan accordingly (i.e., try not to wait for Senior year in the event you are unable to secure a spot off the lottery.)
- Some students have been able to take Anatomy and Physiology through Penn Nursing in the past (NURS 131 & 132), so be on the lookout once the Quaker consortium reopens.
- There are some online Anatomy and Physiology options that PA schools have accepted during Covid, but it is unclear if they will accept this moving forward. Contact each school you are considering before taking this course online.
- MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY:
- Schools seem to be comfortable with allowing applicants to take this course online. As always, contact each school you are considering to find out more information about their own requirements. Medical terminology can often be found at community colleges, or through extension programs.
- MICROBIOLOGY:
- Haverford students can take several quarter-long classes, including microbiology and virology, which adds to one semester of microbiology. If you need microbiology with lab, consider BMC Bio 225 (Microbiology with Lab)
Nursing Prerequisites
Nursing requirements vary from school to school. Most accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs require at least the following courses:
- One to two semesters of Introductory Biology
- Two semesters of Anatomy and Physiology
- One semester of Microbiology
- Two semesters of Chemistry
- Two semesters of Psychology
- One semester of Statistics
- One semester of English
- One semester of Nutrition
A note about ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY:
- An Anatomy and Physiology with Lab sequence may be available starting Fall 2022. Space will be limited, so plan accordingly (i.e., try not to wait for Senior year in the event you are unable to secure a spot off the lottery.)
- Some students have been able to take Anatomy and Physiology through Penn Nursing in the past (NURS 131 & 132), so be on the lookout once the Quaker consortium reopens.
- There are some online Anatomy and Physiology options that PA schools have accepted during Covid, but it is unclear if they will accept this moving forward. Contact each school you are considering before taking this course online.
Pre-health prerequisites outside of Haverford
Plan to take most, if not all, of your pre-health requirements at Haverford college. Medical schools understand and respect the level of our academic rigor.
There may be times where taking a prerequisite at another university is useful for your own personal situation. Below are some of the most important things to consider as you weigh your options:
- Quaker consortium: Prerequisite courses may be taken within the Tri-co, or at Penn. Please obtain approval from the department and pre-health advisor to make sure that the course you wish to take aligns with our pre-health prerequisites.
- Prerequisites may be taken at any four-year accredited institution. If you wish to receive academic credit from a course taken outside of Haverford or the Quaker consortium, you will need pre-approval from the department.
- It’s always best to be advised by the pre-health advisor to make sure the course/school you are choosing will be accepted by medical schools.
- Medical schools would prefer you not take pre-health prerequisites at community colleges.
- Medical schools do not accept prerequisites from courses taken abroad.