In addition, some medical schools require courses that are not included in the  list above:

• Biochemistry - is increasingly coming to be required for admission to medical school.
• Biology - some medical schools require as many as four semesters of Biology.

Biology

• BE Students MUST take Biology 121 Molecular Biology of Life (available in General Honors version also).  Other engineering students are encouraged to take Bio 121, but they can take Bio 101 if they prefer it.
  
  
• Beginning with the Class of 2007, BE students are required to take Bio 202 and Bio 215 (or BE 305), which will fulfill the Biology lecture requirement of all medical schools, except for the Texas schools, which require four semesters of Biology. However, to complete the lab requirement, BE students must also complete another .5 c.u. of Biology lab credit. (The medical schools do not accept engineering labs in fulfillment of this requirement.) This can be obtained by taking Bio 124, a .5 c.u. lab course.
  
  
• BE students in the Class of 2005 or 2006, who are not required to take Bio 202 and Bio 215, will still need to complete the Biology lab requirement for medical school by doing additional Biology lecture and lab work. This can be done by taking Bio 122, which follows Bio 121.
  
  
• Other engineering students (not BE) typically complete the Biology requirement by taking either Bio 102 or Bio 122.

Chemistry

• All Engineering pre-meds MUST take Chemistry 101 and Chemistry 53 Laboratory. Students should register for the Engineering section of this course.
• All Engineering pre-meds MUST take Chemistry 102 and Chemistry 54 Laboratory.
• All Engineering pre-meds MUST take Chemistry 241 Organic Chemistry Lecture I.
• All Engineering pre-meds MUST take Chemistry 242 Organic Chemistry Lecture II.
• All Engineering pre-meds MUST take Chemistry 245 Organic Chemistry Laboratory (this one-semester course covers two semesters of lab work).

Physics

• All Engineering pre-meds MUST take Physics 150 Principles of Physics I: Mechanics and Wave Motion.
• All Engineering pre-meds MUST take Physics 151 Principles of Physics II: Electromagnetism and Radiation.

Mathematics

• All Engineering pre-meds MUST satisfy the requirement for Math 104 Calculus for Natural Sciences, I.
• All Engineering pre-meds MUST satisfy the requirement for Math 114 Calculus for Natural Sciences, II.

English

• All Engineering pre-meds MUST take two semesters of English, Comparative Literature, “Writing About” seminars, or WATU courses.

Additional courses

As mentioned above, some medical schools require additional courses, such as Biochemistry. For an authoritative list of such courses, consult the individual school entries in the Medical School Admission Requirements, published by the Association of American Medical Colleges.

All of these courses must be taken for a letter grade. While some schools accept Advanced Placement credit in fulfillment of their admission requirements, some will not. Students are urged to take additional courses in fields for which they have earned AP credit, particularly if the AP credit is for biology, chemistry, or physics. Information on Advanced Placement can be found here .

Veterinary School:Students preparing for admission to veterinary school must take some additional courses. It is difficult to prepare a standard set of these requirements because they vary so much from school to school. For an authoritative reference, consult the individual veterinary school entries in the Veterinary Medical School Admission Requirements in the United States and Canada, published by the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges and Betz Publishing Company. Typical courses required by a number of veterinary schools include anatomy and physiology, genetics, and animal behavior.

Beyond the Classroom

Medical school admissions committees seek students who have gained broad experiences outside the classroom. Right now, admissions committees seek students who demonstrate a keen interest in  clinical medicine and who show the social and personal characteristics that would enable them to  excel as physicians in the 21st century. For example, they seek students who work well as members  of a team, and those who are able to communicate effectively with individuals from different cultural  backgrounds.

Combined degree (MD/Ph.D.) program admissions committees seek applicants who have demonstrated the potential to contribute as a researcher. To demonstrate this and to make sure that they enjoy research, those considering a career in academic medicine must assist in biomedical research before they apply to medical school. Since applicants to MD/Ph.D. programs could pursue a Ph.D. alone, rather than an MD/Ph.D. they must also show an interest in clinical medicine.

Engineering as a Preparation for Medical, Dental, or Veterinary School

Engineering students tend to become successful students in medical school or other health professions schools. The problem-solving orientation of the Engineering School curriculum prepares students effectively for graduate study in health professions schools. While this has always been the case, it has become increasingly helpful recently, as many medical schools have restructured their curricula to emphasize an integration of basic science and clinical courses and to gravitate from a model that stresses lectures and memorization to a problem-based learning model.

Each year, a number of Penn's Engineering students or alumni apply to medical or other health professions schools. So far, they have been successful in gaining admission to such programs, including combined degree programs. Our Engineering School alumni report that they are well-prepared for the rigors of medical training, particularly for the new emphasis on problem-based learning. If you've decided to study at Penn's Engineering School and you want to prepare for admission to medical, dental, or veterinary school, you've made a terrific choice. You will have the opportunity to gain a wonderful education. Because the University of Pennsylvania's Schools of Medicine, Dental Medicine, and Veterinary Medicine are located right on campus, Penn students have unsurpassed opportunities to gain exposure to the health professions. Virtually all pre-health students spend at least some time gaining clinical or research experiences in the University's hospitals, clinics, and research institutes. Many of our students gain a significant amount of experience assisting in research projects in these settings, with some completing independent study research or senior design projects.

For Further Reading

Medical School Admissions Requirements. Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC): Washington,DC. Revised annually. www.aamc.org

Minority Student Opportunities in Medical Schools, AAMC. Revised bi-annually. For Information about the Medical College Admission Test, see Flowers, A Complete Preparation for the New MCAT and The MCAT Student Manual.

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