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

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

Note that the requirements at each specific school may vary. To check the requirements at specific schools, you can look at the Medical School Admissions Requirements (MSAR) published by the AAMC. We have the most recent book version in Career Services for you to consult. Or you can pay the AAMC to get it online. Of course each school has its requirements on its admissions web page also.

Biology

• BE Students take Biology 121 and the accompanying Bio 123 lab.  Other engineering students are generally encouraged to take Bio 121, but they can take Bio 101 if they prefer it.
  
  
• BE students are required to take Bio 202 and Bio 215 (or BE 305), which will fulfill the Biology lecture requirement of almost all medical schools (the Texas schools require four semesters of Biology). However, to complete the lab requirement, BE students must also complete another .5 c.u. of Biology lab credit. This can be obtained by taking Bio 124. (The medical schools generally do not accept engineering labs in fulfillment of this requirement.)
  
  
• Other engineering students (not BE) typically complete the Biology requirement by taking either Bio 102, or a 200-level Bio course with the Bio 124 lab.

Chemistry

• The general chemistry requirement is filled by taking Chem 101 with the Chem 053 lab, followed by Chem 102 with the Chem 054 lab.
• The organic chemistry requirements is filled by taking Chem 241, Chem 242, and the Chem 245 lab course. Chem 245 is a 1 c.u. lab, rather than the usual 0.5 c.u. lab, so it counts as a full year of lab.

Physics

• Engineers fulfill the physics requirement by taking Physics 150 and Physics 151 (which include the lab sections).

Mathematics

• Engineers fulfill the math requirement by taking Math 104 and Math 114. Those are calculus courses; there are some medical schools that require a statistics course specifically.

English

• The English requirement is best filled by taking a semester of English or Comparative Literature, and a Writing Seminar.

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, and available in Career Services.

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.