Academics at MBC
Medicine
(including allopathic and osteopathic)
Entry into a medical school requires that you take the courses shown in the table below.
| MEDICAL SCHOOL REQUIREMENTS |
MBC EQUIVALENTS |
|---|---|
| English (6 hrs.) | ENG 102 and ENG XXX |
| Biology with labs (8 hrs.) | BIOL 111-112 |
| General chemistry with labs (8 hrs.) | CHEM 111-212, 214L |
| Organic chemistry with labs (8 hrs.) | CHEM 112-211, 213L |
| General physics with labs (8 hrs.) | PHY 201-202 |
| Calculus (3 hrs.) | MATH 211 or 212 (concurrently with physics) |
Students are encouraged to take as many courses as possible to reflect a liberal, but targeted education with the following biomedical-related courses as a guide:
- BIOL 222 (Genetics) – strongly recommended
- BIOL 224 (Cell Biology) – strongly recommended
- BIOL 255/256 (Microbiology with Lab)
- BIOL 324 (Biochemistry I)
- BIOL 325 (Biochemistry II)
- BIOL 327 (Immunology)
- BIOL 328 (Molecular Biology) – strongly recommended
- BIOL 354 (Comparative Vertebrate Physiology)
- BIOL 355 (Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy)
By the end of the spring of your junior year you should take the MCAT exam. Over the following summer complete the AMCAS application. By the end of the summer before your senior year you should submit the application and official transcripts to the service. You may receive a supplemental application from individual schools later in the fall that requires a committee letter of recommendation and then be invited for an interview.
The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) consists of 4 sections: Writing Sample, Verbal Reasoning, Biological Sciences, and Physical Sciences. The Writing Sample is graded separately. Each of the other sections is worth 15 points. As a general rule, an 8 in each section is average, and a 10-12 in each category is good. You should plan extra time during your junior year to have fewer credit hours so that you can dedicate as much time as possible to review for the MCAT. There are many review books available at area bookstores as well as commercially available review courses. An MCAT reference manual also is available from the Premedical Sciences Advisor. Information is available at http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/.
