Required Coursework
(By most California medical schools)
Each program has its own prerequisites. Check specific schools for detailed prerequisites. Admission Requirements for specific Doctor of Allopathic Medicine can be found on the AAMC website or for Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine at the AACOM website.
- BIOL 1050 General Biology I
- BIOL 1150 General Biology II
- CHEM 1100 General Chemistry I
- CHEM 1110 General Chemistry II
- CHEM 3010/3012 Organic Chemistry I
- CHEM 3020/3022 Organic Chemistry II
- MATH 1410 Calculus
- PHYS 2100 Basic Physics I
- PHYS 2110 Basic Physics II
Recommended coursework:
- BIOL 3310 Cellular and Molecular Biology
- BIOL 3350 Introductory Genetics
- MBIO 3010/3032 Bacteriology
- ZOOL 4280 Physiology of Human Systems
- ZOOL 3130 Vertebrate Embryology
- ZOOL 3150 Comparative Anatomy of Vertebrates
- ZOOL 4151 Histology
- CHEM 4400 Biochemistry I
- MATH 1600 Statistics
Recommended concentrations in the Biological Sciences:
Concentrations in Biology Education, General Biology, Molecular & Microbial Biology, or Organismal Biology can help fulfill these required courses and most of the recommended courses while progressing toward a bachelor’s degree.
Additional Requirements:
Generally, a minimum of 90-semester units (including public speaking, social science, and humanities courses as well as those listed above) are required, but a bachelor’s degree is highly recommended. In addition, letters of recommendation from professors, physicians, etc. as well as a personal statement from the applicant are required. Acceptance into a school may be aided by a broad range of extracurricular activities, medical-related experience, and fluency in a second language in addition to a strong GPA (e.g., >3.5) and MCAT scores (e.g., >500). Interested students should investigate the admission requirements of specific schools well before beginning the application process.
For further information contact Dr. Mark A. Grobner at 209.667.3628, email mgrobner@csustan.edu or the Pre-Health Society Club, email stanprehealth@gmail.com.
Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)
Online MCAT registration is available on the AAMC website
MCAT Prep Courses
- Califonia Health Science University
- California University of Science And Medicine
- California Northstate University
- Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine
- Loma Linda University School of Medicine
- Stanford University
- Touro University
- University of California Davis
- University of California Irvine
- University of California Los Angeles
- University of California San Diego
- University of California San Francisco
- The University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine
- Western University of the Health Sciences
Make an appointment to see your faculty advisor at least once every year.
- Freshman Year
- Consider joining the Pre-Health Society and Biology Student Association or other campus clubs
- Stay focused to achieve excellent academic performance (Most Medical schools will accept only students with a minimum 3.5 GPA)
- Participate in health-related volunteer opportunities
- Sophomore Year
- Take the time to develop relationships with faculty members for future letters of recommendations
- Continue to participate in health-related volunteer opportunities
- Junior Year
- Study for the MCAT exam
- Consider enrolling in commercial MCAT prep courses
- Start getting the necessary application information ready
- Take the MCAT in Spring
- Summer between Junior and Senior Year
- Complete collecting and preparing all the necessary materials for your application: personal statement, letter of recommendations, MCAT scores, etc.
- Submit the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) application after June 1st (earliest time) for AMCAS medical schools. For the non-AMCAS medical schools, contact them directly for their applications
- For osteopathic medical schools, need to submit through AACOMAS application service
- Take the August MCAT exam if you have not taken the April exam or you want to get a better MCAT score
- Complete the "secondary applications" if you receive them
- Senior Year
- If you were granted an interview, prepare for your interview
- Complete your undergraduate studies and have a nice vacation before medical school starts.
- Aspiring Doctor (AAMC)
- AMCAS GPA calculator from UC Riverside
- AACOMAS GPA Calculator
- American Medical Women's Association (AMWA)
- Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA)
- US Medical Schools List
- Medical School Searches
- Student Doctors
- Student Doctors Network
- Physician salary
- Osteopathic Medical Schools
Updated: March 21, 2022