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Essential Courses
| Course # | Title |
|---|---|
| BI 101 | General Biology I |
| BI 102 | General Biology II |
| CH 142 | Integrated Chemistry Principles I |
| CH 143 | Integrated Chemistry Principles I Lab |
| CH 144 | Integrated Chemistry Principles II |
| CH 145 | Integrated Chemistry Principles II Lab |
| CH 232 | Organic Chemistry I |
| CH 233 | Organic Chemistry I Lab |
| CH 332 | Organic Chemistry II with Lab* |
| CH 312 | Biochemistry |
| CH 247 | Bioanalytical Chemistry Lab* |
| PC 200 (with Lab) | General Physics I |
| AND | |
| PC 201 (with Lab) | General Physics II |
| OR | |
| PC 202 (with Lab) | Introductory Physics I |
| AND | |
| PC 203 (with Lab) | Introductory Physics II |
| PY 101 | Introduction to Psychology** |
| SO 101 | Introduction to Sociology** |
| Various | 6 credits of Humanities |
| EN ___ | English Course in addition to FYC |
| MA___ | Calculus, Statistics, or Biostatistics |
* some medical schools will allow biochemistry to be substituted, these schools may require CH 247 Bioanalytical Chemistry Lab as a biochemistry lab
** these courses are not usually required by medical schools, but they are recommended, as content will appear on the MCAT
Students will also need to be familiar with statistics and be adept at critical thinking, skills that are fostered by participation in research as part of course work or over the summer. For more information on topics covered on the MCAT, see https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-medical-school/article/whats-mcat-exam/ . You can also gain ongoing practice through the MCAT Question of the Day website.
Make every effort to take the MCAT NO LATER than the end of June of the summer you plan to apply. This will require DILIGENT PREPARATION DURING BOTH SEMESTERS OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.
Important Notes
- Some schools require two semesters of Organic Chemistry (check websites) and some require up to one year of math (ex. Penn State Hershey, which accepts ANY course with a Math designation); a general recommendation for a year of math is Calculus I and Statistics (some schools may accept a statistics course offered outside the math department; check websites of the schools). Also suggested courses to prepare for medical school include: genetics, comparative anatomy, developmental biology, molecular and cellular biology, microbiology, physiology, advanced biochemistry, foreign language, economics, social sciences (particularly social psychology), business courses, communication courses and ethics.
- These courses reflect program requirements for our affiliations with the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine only. Although this course list will be sufficient for most other programs, make sure to check requirements of other schools in which you are interested no later than your sophomore year.
- This course list does NOT represent a POE, nor does it cover College requirements. Design a POE, preferably in an academic area, in consultation with your advisor.
- Make sure to have an advisor on the Health Professions Committee who advises premedical students. See https://www.juniata.edu/academics/departments/healthprofessions/committee.html
- In addition to your course work you are urged to gain some experiences in healthcare through shadowing as well as gain significant community service experiences either during the school year or over the summer.
Special Programs in Medicine
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
Juniata offers a 4 year Lawrence Johnson Scholarship for a medical student at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry as long as the student remains in good academic standing. Only one student can hold the scholarship at any one time. The scholarship is open to current students and Juniata alumni applying during an eligible year and the recipient will be chosen by the Admissions Committee from the successful applicants that cycle. No special application process is required. Minimum credentials for scholarship recipients are science and overall GPAs of 3.5 and MCAT of 510 or better.
LECOM EAP Affiliation Program
Students in this program go to Juniata for four years and then, provided they meet the academic requirements, matriculate to LECOM. Students can apply for this option as high school seniors or up through the end of their sophomore year at Juniata. Please see LECOM's website for detailed requirements: https://lecom.edu/admissions/entrance-requirements/early-acceptance-programs/
Helpful websites:
American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine - http://www.aacom.org/
Association of American Medical Colleges - http://www.aamc.org/
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine - http://lecom.edu/
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry - https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/education/md.aspx
Minority information resource for MD applicants- http://www.aspiringdocs.org
MD/Ph.D. information-https://www.aamc.org/students/research/mdphd/
Resource List for Medical Career Information
Family Medicine fmignet.aafp.org
Information on all aspects of pre-medicine https://www.aamc.org/students/aspiring/
Ventures Scholars Program www.venturescholar.org
National Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Organization www.nationalahec.org
Post-baccalaureate programs https://services.aamc.org/postbac/
Student Medical Associate Websites
American Medical Student Association www.amsa.org
American Medical Women's Association www.amwa-doc.org
Asian and Pacific Islander American Health Forum www.apiahf.org
Association of American Indian Physics www.aaip.org
National Hispanic Medical Association www.nhmamd.org
Student National Medical Association www.snma.org
Student Osteopathic Medical Association www.studentdo.org
General Information: http://explorehealthcareers.org/en/home
Suggested Core Progression for Pre-Medicine
Note this is merely a suggest and is not written in stone, but provided merely as a guide for students. Students should always work with both their Health Professions Advisor and their POE Advisor to ensure adequate academic progress.
| FALL | SPRING | |
|---|---|---|
| Freshman Year | General Biology I | General Biology II |
| Integrated Chemistry Principles I | Integrated Chemistry Principles II | |
| Integrated Chemistry Principles I Lab | Integrated Chemistry Princ II Lab | |
| Psychology | ||
| Calculus |
| FALL | SPRING | |
|---|---|---|
| Sophomore Year | Organic Chemistry | Organic Chemistry II with Lab |
| Organic Chemistry Lab | ||
| Humanities course | English course | |
| Sociology |
| FALL | SPRING | |
|---|---|---|
| Junior Year | Physics I and Lab | Physics II and Lab |
| Biochemistry | Humanities | |
| MCAT Preparation* | MCAT Preparation |
*Both semesters of the year that you plan to take the exam.
Study Abroad and PreMedicine: Students should be aware of course offerings when planning a full-semester or year-long study abroad expereince. Medical schools will not accept prerequisite courses taken abroad. Therefore careful planning is needed to ensure prerequisite courses are taken prior to application to medical school.
Be mindful of your POE courses, which are NOT indicated here. Always work with both your POE and Health Professions Advisor to ensure proper academic progress towards meeting both POE requirements and prerequisites for medical school.