Pre-Medicine

There are two types of medical schools in the United States: Medical Doctor (M.D.) or a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.). Here are some of the local or surrounding area professional schools:

University of Mississippi School of Medicine (M.D.) (Jackson, MS)
William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) (Hattiesburg, MS)
LSU Health Science Center New Orleans School of Medicine (M.D.) (New Orleans, LA )
Tulane School of Medicine (M.D.) (New Orleans, LA)
University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine (M.D.) (Birmingham, AL)
Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) (Dothan, AL)
MD Program Directory
DO Program Directory

Some students already have a B.A. or B.S. and then decide to pursue becoming a physician. Students in this category should consult with our pre-professional office. In general, these students lack some of the science courses required by most medical schools; in some cases, the required courses may be over 10 years old, which most medical schools do not accept. It is common for these students to take the prerequisite science or non-science courses for medical school at USM as post-baccalaureate students while also working on polishing their applications and taking the MCAT. 

Some post-baccalaureate students take the prerequisite courses as a non-degree student while other students choose a second major to pursue at USM. In either case, students must go through the University Admissions Office to be admitted (or re-admitted for former students) before enrolling in courses.

While medical school admission requirements and deadlines vary by school, most programs have relatively similar minimum requirements. It is the student’s responsibility to check requirements for their specific desired schools; however, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) has compiled admission information for most medical schools that grant an M.D. degree. Similarly, the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) has compiled admission information for osteopathic medical schools. Typical medical school minimum requirements are as follows:

• Completion of a series of specified courses with laboratories in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics (BCPM) and other General Education Curriculum (GEC) courses*
• Completion of a baccalaureate degree; although consideration is given to exceptional students with a minimum of 90 credit hours, an undergraduate degree is strongly preferred
• A competitive GPA, both overall and in the BCPM areas (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics)
• Competitive scores from the nationally administered Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)
• Evidence of compassion for others as often shown through community service and/or employment
• Multiple positive character traits, such as effective communication skills, initiative, ability to work with diverse populations, integrity, ability to manage heavy workloads, leadership ability, motivation (including motivation to enter the medical field), and a desire to learn 

 *AP credit is traditionally not accepted for required courses (and should be replaced with the course equivalent or higher). Most medical schools allow a maximum of 65 hours at an accredited community college for required courses. Online coursework is traditionally not accepted for required courses. Required courses should be taken within the last ten years (or retaken/taken at a higher level if older).

These meet the course requirements of most medical schools and provide content preparation for the MCAT exam.

• BSC 110/L & BSC 111/L (Principles of Biological Science)
• CHE 106/L & CHE 107/L (General Chemistry)
• CHE 255/L & CHE 256/L (Organic Chemistry)
• CHE 420 or CHE 421 (Biochemistry)
• PHY 111/L & PHY 112/L or PHY 201/L & PHY 202/L (Physics)
• ENG 101 & ENG 102 (English Composition)
• MAT 103 (Trigonometry), or MAT 114 or MAT 167 (Calculus)
• PSY 110 (Psychology)
• SOC 101 (Sociology)
• PSY 360 or CSS 211 or MAT 320 (Statistics)
• Choose at least two life science courses from the following list:
  
  • Anatomy – BSC 361/L
  • Cellular Biology – BSC 360
  • Embryology – BSC 465/L or BSC 466/L
  • Genetics – BSC 370
  • Histology – BSC 461/L
  • Immunology and Serology – BSC 486/L
  • Infectious Diseases – BSC 403
  • Microbiology – BSC 282/L
  • Molecular Biology – BSC 476
  • Neuroscience – BSC 457
  • Pharmacology – BSC 460 or CHE 460
  • Physiology – BSC 450 or 451 or 452 (only one physiology course will be counted by UMMC)
  • Virology – BSC 484/L or BSC 485/L

Students should begin MCAT preparation when they decide to begin their pre-medical path. The courses necessary for entry into medical school generally reflect the material presented on the MCAT, which comes in four sections:

• Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
• Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
• Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior
• Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills

The official MCAT should not be taken as a practice test. The following are suggestions how to be prepared.

• Focus your attention on core prerequisites, specifically biology, chemistry, physics, and social science courses. Keep study materials such as lectures, lecture notes, and textbooks for regular review.
• Visit the official site of the MCAT to determine what specific content areas are tested on the MCAT. 
• Apply for fee assistance before registering for the MCAT.
• Consider purchasing the official guide to the MCAT or another similar guide. It is important to take practice tests frequently along the way to identify strengths and weaknesses. AAMC provides practice exams and study materials at their official site. Khan Academy offers free MCAT video tutorials and practice questions. Other materials can be found online, either through a Google search or at the following sites; please note that the pre-professional office does not endorse any specific brand or guide.
• Make use of USM’s MCAT Preparation course, BSC 399. This is typically taken the spring of a student’s junior year.
• Many students choose to develop a specific MCAT study pattern. It is best to study daily for the MCAT for up to a year before testing, and in the weeks before the exam it is critical to set aside additional time to complete final preparations.

The mean national score for the MCAT is 500, with scores ranging from 472 to 528. This means that a score of 500 is approximately in the 50th percentile. The 90th percentile mark is approximately 514, while scores of 485 are at the 10th percentile. The mean score for individual sections is 125.

Applications for most medical schools are centralized through AMCAS (MD) and AACOMAS (DO). Under this system, students fill out one application with all pertinent information, upload their transcripts and letters of evaluation, and designate which schools they would like their application to be sent to. 

It is important to note that medical schools set their own deadlines, separate from the application system deadlines. Students should check with their desired schools for specific deadline information, as well as information about possible secondary applications.