Pre-Medicine

Preparation for Medical Programs

Northwest offers pre-professional courses of study which encompass many careers. In most instances, these courses have been compiled in conjunction with specific requirements of professional schools. Many professional schools require specific procedures in regard to entrance tests, application deadlines and interviews. Thus, students are encouraged to speak with faculty advisors in order to identify the best path for them to achieve their goal.

Students interested in attending a medical program should be aware of prerequisites for admission to their intended school. These include minimum coursework in biology, chemistry, physics and classes in our general education curriculum. In addition to these minimum requirements, students should select a major that provides them with enough additional coursework to give them the best possible chance of scoring well on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). This would include coursework in genetics, microbiology, physiology, anatomy, psychology, and sociology. For this reason, a number of different majors will successfully prepare students to go on to medical school. These include majors such as Comprehensive B.S. in Biology: Biomedical Track, Comprehensive B.S. in Biology: Cell/Molecular Track, B.S. in Chemistry: Biochemistry Emphasis, and B.S. in Chemistry: Medicinal Chemistry Emphasis.

In addition to coursework, students intending to apply to medical school will need to gain additional experience shadowing, observing, and working in the work environment or their chosen field. This experience should be gained throughout the student's undergraduate career.