The universal prerequisites for all American medical schools are year-long sequences of inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, biology, physics and calculus. These courses are expected to be completed prior to application to medical school and they are the bare minimum for admission. Higher-level science courses are also strongly recommended. Some additional prerequisites commonly include microbiology, biochemistry, anatomy and physiology, and genetics.
Nurses are not exempt from the previously mentioned prerequisites, regardless of years of experience, even though completion of a BSN requires chemistry, anatomy and physiology, and statistics. These courses may be applied toward the prerequisites as long as the completed coursework satisfies the course guidelines as dictated by the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) and the courses were completed within 10 years of application to medical school. The nurse must also take the Medical College Aptitude Test (MCAT) prior to application.
The nurse must enroll in a university or community college as a non-degree seeking student to fulfill any outstanding prerequisites. It is important to check with the medical schools of interest to ascertain their policies regarding completion of prerequisite coursework at a community college versus a university.
Post-baccalaureate programs are also an option for individuals who are interested in structured programs and linkage opportunities. These programs are for BA or BS degree holders who lack the medical school prerequisites. The programs are structured as one or two years of study. Assistance with the medical school application procedure is available. The most attractive feature of these programs is that some offer "linkage" with affiliated medical schools. "Linkage" allows the highly qualified student to apply for admission to one of the affiliated medical schools before completing the program. This allows the student to save one academic year, as the application procedure itself requires almost one year and cannot be commenced until completion of all prerequisites.
All medical school applicants must submit credentials to AMCAS. AMCAS recalculates the medical school applicant's grade point average into two calculations--an overall calculation, which includes the BSN grades and all subsequent coursework, and a single biology, math, chemistry and physics calculation. AMCAS calculates all transcript grades, regardless of the university's procedure for calculating a GPA when a course has been completed more than once, as it is the procedure of some universities to remove the first grade from GPA calculation. The AMCAS procedure of including all grades in GPA calculation provides medical schools with an even standard when evaluating applicants.
The student must submit credentials to AMCAS after completing the minimum prerequisite courses. AMCAS verifies academic credentials in approximately four to six weeks. Once AMCAS has verified the student, the applicant can submit primary applications in June. Medical schools use the primary application as a screening tool; select applicants are invited to submit secondary applications, generally within one month of receiving the primary application. If the student is deemed competitive after the submission of the secondary application, she is invited for an on-campus interview during the months of September to February. Notification of admission is then awarded sometime after the interview, but not later than May.
Nurses do not receive any advanced standing in medical school in spite of their medical experience; there are no exceptions to this rule. Nurses must complete four years of medical school, pass the medical board examinations and complete residency requirements as required of any other medical student.