med school - Healthcare Professionals Message Board

phd_1993 · 04-21-2003, 12:04 PM

Hi all,
I have a question regarding med school. Is it possible to apply for med school with out going to premed??

mfree1 · 04-21-2003, 10:01 PM

PhD_1993,

You need not "major" in premed to apply to med school. Actually, many med schools prefer that you major in something that interests you.

In order to take tehe MCAT and apply to med school, you'll need to take:
2 Semesters of general chemistry with lab
2 Semesters of organic chemistry with lab
2 Semesters of biology with lab
2 Semesters of physics with lab

Some schools require 2 semesters of calculus as well.

There are a number of post-baccalaureate premed programs as well. These are intensive 2-year programs for people who did not take premed courses as undergraduates.

Good luck!
Mats.

phd_1993 · 04-22-2003, 08:05 AM

mfree1,

Thanks for your reply. But I have heard that a 15 yr old kid became the youngest ever MD in 1997. He beat an old record held by a 16 yr old MD. That means, these kids did not DO ANY Bachelors degree. That is, right out of high schools, they might have taken MCAT, etc. Is it possible to satisfy the MED school requirements with some college courses taken in high school itself?? Thanks

mfree1 · 04-22-2003, 05:50 PM

I too have heard stories of teenagers going through medical school. Yes, if you are eligible to take college-level basic sciences while still in high school, you would be eligible to apply that toward an application to medical school and as preparation for the MCAT.

A few schools offer accelerated programs in which one takes the basic science courses over a two years and then progresses to medical school (NEOUCOM in Ohio comes to mind.) But these programs are controversial.

I was a premed "gunner" in high school and part of college. I was ready to be a doctor immediately. But I eventually got more interested in other things. I ended up getting three degrees. I eventually decided that I wanted to be a nurse practitioner, not a doctor.

Just make sure you take time to explore, travel, read, fall in love, and do all of the things that are important for teenagers and young adults. Many of my physician friends regret the fact that they never took the time to enjoy life a bit before med school.

Take care,

Mats.