The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) notes that most medical schools require that prospective students, regardless of their major, take at least one year each of biology, physics and English plus two years of chemistry. The science courses should have laboratory components. Some medical schools, such as those at Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania, also require advanced mathematics. Your grades in these courses are important. The American Medical Association (AMA) recommends a GPA between 3.5 and 4.0.
The required science courses are good preparation for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). The AAMC notes that most med school applications require scores. When you take this multiple-choice test, you get four different scores: biological sciences, physical sciences, verbal reasoning and writing sample.
Medical schools do not discriminate against students who do not major in premed. Nor do they look down on students who do not major in one of the hard sciences. In fact, some prestigious medical schools actual look for applicants with well-rounded college educations. Harvard recommends that applicants take at least 16 credit hours of humanities, social sciences, arts and literature. Likewise, the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine supports a liberal arts education, recommending that students take courses in anthropology, political science, philosophy and ethics.
Medical school applicants should also have good recommendation letters as well as a variety of extracurricular activities. Volunteer and work experience are also highly recommended. In evaluating applications, admissions officers are looking for demonstrations of effective communication and leadership skills.