Students considering apply to medical school generally must meet the following course requirements. Please keep in mind that these requirements can change depending upon which schools that you apply to, and these are general recommendations. It is imperative that you research the schools you are applying to in order to meet any additional requirements that school may have. 

A comprehensive version of this information is available as a checklist. 

Footnotes:

The listed courses are examples and not exhaustive. Other courses may fulfill these requirements. See the pre-health advisor for guidance.

1. Chemistry: CHEM 1110 or 1120 are recommended for students taking CHEM 1200 or above. If already taken, CHEM-1100 is acceptable for medical schools.
2. Ethics: The listed courses are popular options. Other courses may fulfill this requirement. Consult the Pre-Health Advisor.
3. Statistics: Course selection depends on the major. If no statistics course is required in the major, MGMT-2100 is recommended.

AP & Transfer Credit

Many medical schools prefer that coursework taken to meet their requirements is done at RPI or another reputable, accredited institution. AP credits are often explicitly barred to meet academic requirements for many programs. With that said, if your plan of study includes additional coursework in a subject area you have AP credit in, and that coursework is largely of a similar quality, then you may apply AP credit to your RPI transcript and use the higher-level course for medical school pre-requisite purposes. For instance, if you are a Biological Sciences major and plan to use AP Credit for BIOL-1010 & 1015, you will have enough credit in Biological Sciences at the 4-year level; you can safely use the AP credit for your RPI requirements. 

Transfer credit is generally allowed. We recommend using transfer credits carefully; you do not necessarily want all of your core Pre-Health coursework to be at a different college than RPI. Most students who use transfer coursework will choose a couple of courses that best fit into their academic plan to take elsewhere during a summer term or during their Arch Away semester. If you have questions, please schedule an appointment with the Pre-Health advisor. 

The MCAT

The MCAT is an additional requirement for admission to Medical School. Unless you are admitted through a special program, almost all medical schools require the MCAT as a condition of entry. The MCAT consists of multiple subtests that lead to a composite score. More information on the MCAT and how to best prepare for it can be found at the official test website.

With that in mind, many students question the best time to take the MCAT examination. The answer depends upon your general level of preparedness, but most of the courses above will be covered by the MCAT, including those marked 'highly recommended'. It is recommended that you take those courses prior to taking the MCAT examination, which is usually scheduled for the Spring semester of the junior year for those not taking a gap year, and for the Spring semester of the senior year for those who are. If you have questions about the best time to apply for medical school, please consider scheduling an appointment with the Pre-Health advisor. 

Students who are interested in Physician Assistant (PA) programs should know that program vary greatly and there is no standard curriculum that can be guaranteed to meet all requirements for all PA programs. Coursework, in general, can include requirements from any of the following areas:

• Anatomy (offered through cross-registration)
• Physiology (BIOL-4270)
• Biochemistry (BIOL-4760)
• Biology (BIOL 1010/1015 & BIOL 2120/2125)
• Microbiology (BIOL 4320)
• Chemistry (CHEM 1110/1120 & CHEM 1200)
• Organic Chemistry (CHEM 2230/2250 & CHEM 2240/2260)
• Humanities (WRIT, LITR, or COMM courses)
• Genetics (BIOL 2500)
• Medical Terminology (offered through cross-registration)
• Psychological Sciences (PSYC-1200)
• Statistics (BIOL 4200, MGMT-2150, or PSYC-2310)

Additional requirements include up to three years of clinical experience, which can be gained through any of the following positions (not an exhaustive list):

• Medical assistant
• Emergency medical technician
• Paramedic
• Medic or medical corpsman
• Lab assistant/phlebotomist
• Emergency room technician
• Surgical technician
• Nursing assistant

Because the application for PA schools is less standardized (required courses, admissions tests, and clinical experiences vary by program), it is recommended that students look at each program individually. Students are highly recommended to consult the CASPA Program Directory, the application service for Physician Assistant programs, for specific program requirements. Application cycles run from April to April each year, though students are encouraged to apply early as programs have varying application deadlines.

Please note that the listed courses are given as examples and are not exhaustive. Some courses not listed may also fulfill the requirements listed. Please see the pre-health advisor for any questions. 
The DAT

The Dental Admissions test is required for admissions to Dental School. Students accepted to Dental School typically score in the 19-20 or higher range. 

Students who are interested in Optometry programs should know that they have a number of different requirements, and there is no standard curriculum that can be guaranteed to meet all requirements. Coursework, in general, can include requirements from any of the following areas:

• Anatomy (offered through cross-registration)
• Physiology (BIOL 4270)
• Biochemistry (BIOL 4760)
• Biology (BIOL 1010/1015 & BIOL 2120/2125)
• Microbiology (BIOL 4310 or 4320)
• Chemistry (CHEM 1110/1120 & CHEM 1200)
• Organic Chemistry (CHEM 2230/2250) - one semester
• English Composition/Writing (Any two WRIT, LITR, or COMM courses)
• Psychology (general) (PSYC-1200)
• Statistics (BIOL 4200, MGMT-2150, or PSYC-2310)

These courses are strongly recommended, but students are encouraged to view the OPTOMcas website for more information about individual schools. Most programs also require or strongly recommend up to 50 hours of shadowing experience with a licensed optometrist. Standardized test requirements vary by program and students should contact individual programs for requirements.

The OPTOMcas

The OPTOMcas is the standardized application service for optometry programs. Application cycles run from June to May each year, but students are recommended to apply as early as possible.