Requirements and Involvement for Medicine

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Academics
Extracurriculars
- Student Organizations
- Opportunities for Engagement

Academics

Coursework

Pre-requisite course requirements vary widely by individual school. You should determine specific requirements for programs of choice using the:

The summary below is a list of the most common pre-medical requirements.

Course	Amount	Required for Schools	Needed for MCAT Preparation
English / Writing Composition	2 courses	Yes	Yes
Introductory Biology	2 lectures, 2 labs	Yes	Yes
General Chemistry	2 lectures, 2 labs	Yes	Yes
Organic Chemistry	2 lectures, 2 labs	Yes	Yes
General Physics	2 lectures, 2 labs	Yes	Yes
Biochemistry	1 course	Some	Yes
Calculus	1 - 2 courses	Many	No
Introductory Statistics	1 course	Many	Yes
Introductory Sociology	1 course	Some	Yes
Introductory Psychology	1 course	Some	Yes
Genetics	1 course	Recommended	Recommended
Cell Biology	1 course	Recommended	Recommended
*Texas Residents: TX medical schools require 14 semester hours of biological science courses (not including biochemistry). Make sure you are familiar with the summary of TX school undergraduate course requirements outlined here by TMDSAS.

Dependent upon your academic home at UVA (College or School), specific course options to fulfill these requirements vary.

Self Assess

Utilize the Pre-Health Pillars Candidacy Assessment to keep track of your progress.

Advanced Placement Credit

Programs vary on whether they accept Advanced Placement (AP) credit as completion of a prerequisite requirement.

You should complete lab courses for science coursework if UVA did not award lab credit for your AP science coursework.
Many programs that accept AP credit require you to supplement that credit by completing an equal number of hours in the same discipline at the university level.
Some students choose to retake science coursework they received AP credit for to prepare them for upper level coursework, as well as for entrance exams.

Dual Enrollment

Provided you earn a C or better in your dual enrollment coursework, you can receive credit for the purpose of health professional program admission requirements. We encourage you to complete upper level coursework in the science disciplines to supplement your dual enrollment credit.

Extracurriculars

Student Organizations

Getting involved in a student organization is a great way to network with peers who have similar interests, access resources such as programs, speakers, and shadowing opportunities, as well as gain leadership and teamwork skills. Whether you select an organization directly related to medicine or not, we encourage you to review these organizations and participate.

Alpha Epsilon Delta PreHealth Honor Society (AED)
American Medical Student Association (AMSA)
Daniel Hale Williams Pre-Medical Society (DHW)
Women in Medicine Initiatives (WIMI)

Find additional health-related UVA student organizations on the clinical opportunities page.

*Although these organizations have members who are University of Virginia students and may have University employees associated or engaged in their activities and affairs, these organizations are not a part of or an agency of the University. They are separate and independent organizations, which are responsible for and manage their own activities and affairs. The University does not direct, supervise, or control these organizations and is not responsible for the organizations' contracts, acts, or omissions.

Opportunities for Engagement

Engagement within the medical field will not only help you continue to explore and confirm your interest in the profession, but also demonstrate a commitment to serving others. We encourage you to review the sampling of opportunities below, as well as self-initiate opportunities of your own!