A bachelor degree counts as a pre-med degree, no matter the field of study. While medical schools often dictate certain courses that they expect students to complete as undergraduate students, they do not require students to come from a specific field of study. Thus, the short answer is that any four-year degree from an accredited college or university can meet the admissions requirements of medical schools. However, students can choose from a range of course and degree options to prepare them for medical school.
The courses that aspiring medical students choose to take are just as important as the degree program they choose at the undergraduate level. An undergraduate curriculum that exposes students to the sciences is essential for aspiring medical students. For example, Harvard Medical School requires its applicants to complete courses in biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics and expository writing. Thus, the undergraduate curriculum should include a broad field of study, with particular attention to the sciences.
Most pre-medical students choose to major in one of the sciences since medical schools have many science course requirements for admission. Plus, the science foundation obtained at the undergraduate level will help students as they work through a range of science courses during their first two years of medical school. Bowling Green State University reports that many pre-med students choose to major in applied health science, biochemistry, biology, chemistry and microbiology.
Some schools do offer undergraduate degrees in pre-med, although these degrees are few and far between. These programs expose students to the many science requirements of medical school. Barry University in Miami, Fla., offers a pre-med degree program. Students complete courses in a range of areas, including theology and philosophy, written and oral communication, physical or natural sciences and math, social and behavioral sciences and humanities and the arts. Courses include comparative anatomy, principles of human genetics, biostatistics and immunology.