List of Classes Required to Become a Doctor

Undergraduate Courses

• Many undergraduate students who intend to become a doctor often assume that they have to pursue an undergraduate pre-medicine major. This is simply not the case. An older yet pertinent piece of research conducted by John Knox College in 2000 showed that medical schools tend to accept students across a wide variety of majors. Higher acceptance rates were more common among majors like anthropology, English and economics than among pre-medical majors. In general, medical schools require that you take a variety of classes as an undergraduate and receive a broadly based education. They also prefer students with a strong background in math and science. Therefore, classes taken as an undergraduate should include a variety of courses in the arts and sciences. These can include English, sociology, psychology, anthropology, history and philosophy. Classes should also include general and specific science classes that serve as foundational studies for medical school. These can include courses in chemistry, biology, organic chemistry, physics and microbiology.

Basic Medical Courses

• Once accepted to medical school, you will find yourself taking a number of basic medical practice and foundational science classes that build on your undergraduate education. A perusal of the top medical schools in the country reveals that the first two years of studies are very similar among the institutions. Foundational courses of study include studies in areas like histology (cellular anatomy), biochemistry, the musculoskeletal system, microbiology, immunology and human anatomy and physiology. Aside from courses in the sciences, some programs will introduce students to courses needed for medical practice as well. For instance, the University of Pennsylvania's first year curriculum requires two courses in this area: Technology and Practice of Medicine and Professionalism and Humanism.

  University of Pennsylvania Medical School

  Suite 100 Stemmler Hall

  Philadelphia, PA 19104

  215-898-8001

  med.upenn.edu/

Medical Specialty Courses

• When you reach the third and fourth years of medical school, the coursework you take will likely be in your chosen area of expertise. These courses will later be augmented by completing a post-medical school residency program where you receive hands-on training and further instruction in your specialization area. Areas of study can include a wide variety of fields such as family medicine, pediatrics, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, internal medicine and anesthesia. Within each of these areas, you are likely to complete courses in more specialized areas. For instance, surgical coursework may include studies in plastic surgery or trauma care. Many of the "courses" taken in the third and fourth years of study can be classified as "clerkships." A clerkship is a clinical rotation where students receive hands-on experience and instruction rather than sitting through classroom lectures. These experiential courses prepare medical students for the realities of medical practice.