Three schools of thought apply to selecting a pre-med major. A medical school applicant seeking to demonstrate his commitment to science and make the most of his credit hours may choose to major in biology or another science. The prerequisites for medical school admission conveniently coincide with courses required for some science majors. However, pursuing a degree in an unrelated discipline can work in a student's favor by proving him a well-rounded person capable of relating to his future patients and colleagues. Note that medical schools do not favor science degrees over non-science degrees; they review overall school performance and performance in the prerequisite classes. Finally, admission to medical school is very competitive; not everyone is accepted. A student may deliberately choose a marketable undergraduate degree as part of his backup career plan.
Most medical schools require at least four years of science courses, all with laboratory work. Specifically, students must take one year of general or inorganic chemistry, one year of organic chemistry, one year of biology and one year of physics. These may be introductory courses or more advanced ones. For fulfillment of these prerequisite courses, most medical schools do not accept advanced-placement credits that some students earn while in high school.
Math and English requirements for pre-med students may vary from one medical school to another, so a student should verify requirements for the medical schools to which she plans to apply. In general, pre-med students must take at least one year of math and either a semester or a year of English. Since many schools require calculus as a prerequisite for physics, many pre-med students take calculus to fulfill their math requirement. However, some medical schools will accept a math and statistics course in place of calculus. For English, the requirements are more relaxed; most literature or writing classes qualify, but check with medical schools for specific requirements.
Many medical schools also require a certain number of foreign language, humanities or social science classes to demonstrate a student's breadth of interest, although requirements vary by school. In addition to the prerequisite coursework, students are encouraged to participate in related student groups and seek internships and volunteer work to emphasize their commitment to health care and to helping people. Finally, all students applying to medical school eventually must take the Medical College Admission Test, a standardized test covering verbal reasoning, physical sciences, biological sciences and writing. Scores are evaluated as part of the med school admission process.