Biology Major, Concentration in Pre-Medicine

This concentration is intended for Biology majors who aspire to attend medical school, dental school, or veterinary school after completing their undergraduate degree. The concentration is a means to ensure that students have the best possible academic preparation and advising as they prepare for these post-graduate programs. The Pre-Medicine Concentration requirements include courses that are not part of the Biology major but are designated as core prerequisites for these professional schools as well as some additional courses that are not part of the core prerequisites but are strongly recommended. The concentration curriculum also includes a one-credit seminar taken during the sophomore or junior year that is designed to familiarize students with the requirements for admission to medical, dental, and veterinary schools. The seminar helps students develop personal plans for fulfilling these requirements so that they have the best possible chance of admission to post-graduate study.

Requirements for a Major in Biology, Concentration in Pre-Medicine

Requirements for a Major in Biology

Required Biology courses(38 credits)
BI-140Introduction to Organismal Biology4
BI-141Intro to Cellular and Molecular Biology4
BI-200Human Biology (OR BI-161 AND BI-162 (Human Anatomy & Physiology I & II))4
BI-202Principles of Ecology4
BI-203Genetics4
BI-204Microbiology4
BI-404Biology Seminar2
3 Upper Division Electives (300 or 400 level lab courses)12
Ancillary Requirements(29 credits)
MA-150Statistics I3
MA-190Pre-calculus (or Higher)4
CH-120
CH-121
General Chemistry I
and General Chemistry II
8
CH-201
CH-202
Organic Chemistry I (lecture)
and Organic Chemistry II (lecture)
6
PY-221
PY-222
General Physics I
and General Physics II
8
or PY-241
PY-242
Physics I (Mechanics)
and Physics II ( Electricity, Magnetism and Optics )
Total Credits67

Students who also complete CH-203 and CH-204, and 3 additional credits in 200-level or higher chemistry courses can earn a chemistry minor.

Biology Upper-Level Electives

Cellular & Molecular Pathways
BI-306Developmental Biology4
BI-324Endocrinology4
BI-341Mycology4
BI-371Advanced Topics in Cell and Molecular Biology4
BI-372Immunology4
BI-375Virology4
BI-398Cancer Biology4
BT-375Tissue Culture4
BT-376Biotechnology4
BT-377Fermentation Technology4
BT-378Bioinformatics4
BI/CH-410Biochemistry I4
Organismal & Ecological Systems(48 credits)
BI-301Topics in Invertebrate Zoology4
BI-303Parasitology4
BI-304Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy4
BI-315Comparative Neurobiology4
BI-321Comparative Physiology4
BI-331Marine Biology4
BI-333Topics in Vertebrate Zoology4
BI-334Wildlife Biology4
BI-340Plant Sciences4
BI-344Soil Biology4
BI-360Animal Behavior4
BI-380Biodiversity and Conservation Biology4

(Note: Pre-med and graduate school candidates should also take CH-203 & CH-204 in addition to CH-201 and CH-202)

A minimum of three upper division laboratory courses (BI 300- or BI 400-level) are to be selected. Students must take at least one course from each category. Additional upper level elective courses or graduate research/internships are strongly encouraged. The courses should be selected with the advice and consent of the faculty advisor. A grade point average of 2.0 must be maintained in biology courses and in the ancillary science and mathematics courses. Students considering graduate and professional work should take, as a recommended minimum, calculus and introduction to computer science.

Pre-Medical Concentration Requirements

MA-200Calculus I4
CH-203Organic Chemistry Laboratory I2
CH-204Organic Chemistry Laboratory II2
CH-410Biochemistry I4
BI-211Pre-Medical Seminar: Preparing for a Career in Medicine1
Total Credits13

Note:  Only Biology majors will be eligible for this concentration. The 13 credits specified for the concentration include the courses required for the concentration that are not required for the Biology major. Students will still have to complete all of the credits required for the major as well.

Sample Timeline for Completion of Degree

Plan of Study Grid
Year One
Semester OneCredits
BI-140 Introduction to Organismal Biology 4
CH-120 General Chemistry I 4
EN-101 College Writing I 2 3
MA-190 Pre-calculus 3 4
LASCFirst Year Seminar (FYS) 3
 Credits18
Semester Two
BI-141 Intro to Cellular and Molecular Biology 4
CH-121 General Chemistry II 4
EN-102 College Writing II 2 3
MA-200 Calculus I 4
LASCElective (HBS) 4 3
 Credits18
Year Two
Semester Three
BI-204 Microbiology 6 4
CH-201 Organic Chemistry I (lecture) 3
CH-203 Organic Chemistry Laboratory I 2
PY-221
General Physics I 7,8
or Physics I (Mechanics)
4
MA-150 Statistics I 3
 Credits16
Semester Four
BI-203 Genetics 6 4
CH-202 Organic Chemistry II (lecture) 3
CH-204 Organic Chemistry Laboratory II 2
PY-222
General Physics II 7,8
or Physics II ( Electricity, Magnetism and Optics )
4
LASCElective (ICW) 5 3
BI-211 Pre-Medical Seminar: Preparing for a Career in Medicine 1
 Credits17
Year Three
Semester Five
BI-200 Human Biology 6,8 4
CH-410 Biochemistry I 9 4
LASCElective (CON) 3
LASCElective (TLC) 3
 Credits14
Semester Six
BI-202 Principles of Ecology 6 4
BI-3XX+300 or 400 Major Elective 4
LASCElective (USW) 5 3
LASCElective (GP) 3
 Credits14
Year Four
Semester Seven
BI-3XX+300 or 400 Major Elective Lab 4
LASCElective (CA) 5 3
SELECTAdditional Science or Math 3-4
SELECTGeneral Elective 3
 Credits13-14
Semester Eight
BI-404 Biology Seminar 10 2
SELECTAdditional Science or Math 4
SELECTGeneral Elective 3
SELECTGeneral Elective 3
 Credits12
 Total Credits122-123

This timeline should be followed by all students who intend to enter medical/dental/vet school the fall after graduation. Many students take a least a year between completion of their undergraduate degree and entry into one of these programs. In this case, the two physics courses can be taken in Year 3 instead of Year 2.

EN-101 and EN-102 satisfy LASC Writing.

MA-190 requires an Accuplacer score of 6 or higher.

Pre-medical and pre-dental students should take either PY-101 (General Psychology) or SO-100 (Introduction to Sociology) to fulfill the HBS LASC requirement.

After the HBS course, other LASC courses can be taken in any order, but the listed serves as a reminder that LASC designated courses must be taken to satisfy each of the LASC requirements. Biology major courses satisfy the WAC and QAC categories. A DAC course must be taken outside of the major but can also count for a LASC content area.

This sequence of 200-level Biology core courses is suggested, but they can be taken in any order.

Physics Requirements: PY-221 & PY-222 OR PY-241 & PY-242 satisfies LASC NSP.

BI-161/BI-162 cannot substitute for BI-200.

CH-410 counts as one of the 300/400-level Biology electives in the Cell and Molecular category.

10 All biology core courses must be completed before taking BI-404 (BI-140BI-141,BI-200BI-202BI-203BI-204).