Premedical and Pre-Health Studies Co-Major
The Premedical and Pre-Health Studies Co-Major provides students with a broad-based science background and prepares them to pursue advanced degrees in medicine and other healthcare-related fields. The co-major requires only 2 additional credit hours beyond the coursework required for successful application to professional healthcare programs while allowing students to more efficiently track their progress toward achieving their professional goals.
The Premedical and Pre-Health Studies Co-major is designed to provide all pre-health students with the broad-based science background needed to prepare for advanced degrees in medicine as well as other healthcare-related fields. The co-major integrates regularly scheduled advising sessions with professional development courses and coursework that covers fundamental concepts in the biological, physical, and social sciences. The academic courses required by the co-major are essentially the prerequisite courses needed for admission into medical school or other health professional schools, and/or in preparation for standardized professional healthcare program admission tests (e.g., MCAT, DAT, GRE, PA-CAT).
In addition, while strongly encouraged to pursue this co-major, pre-health students are not required to complete the co-major for successful application and admittance into any health professional school, including medical school. The co-major is an option that will help you prepare for admission to professional schools, and our professional development help to provide context. In particular, PMD 101 introduces students to what they can expect and what is expected of them during their time as an undergraduate, and PMD 301 course helps students to produce a first draft of their applications to schools of medicine, dentistry, physician associate (PA), optometry, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, physical therapy, etc. Premedical/Pre-Health Studies courses as well as access to the advising services provided by the Mallory-Wilson Center for Healthcare Education and the Pre-health Advisory Committee are available to all pre-health students
Lastly, the Premedical and Pre-Health Studies Co-major is not a standalone major and must be taken in conjunction with a primary major that provides the significant depth and breadth of a formal academic discipline. Students are encouraged to pursue any primary major that is of interest.
To fulfill the requirements of the Premedical and Pre-Health Studies Co-major, a student must complete61-70 semester hours; the specific courses required are listed below. The specific time when each of these courses is taken during the undergraduate years depends on three main factors: when a student hopes to enter medical school or other professional healthcare program, what primary major is chosen, and transfer credit. As a result, each student should work closely with an advisor to ensure that they are taking what they need at the appropriate time:
Note that there are two concentrations for the co-major – a premedical concentration (or track) and a pre-health concentration (or track). The former is designed for students planning to apply to medical school (MD or DO). The latter is for other allied health professions, including dentistry, PA, optometry, and pharmacy.
Many of the courses listed in the table fulfill Miami Plan and/or divisional requirements. In addition, while the co-major only requires students to take one semester of math (Statistics), a year of math is recommended by many medical schools. Therefore, we strongly advise you to take an additional semester of math so that you aren’t limited in where you can apply.
The courses in the co-major are our best recommendations for those pursuing professional healthcare career tracks. Nevertheless, some schools may have additional course requirements, and students may need to complete coursework beyond the co-major. Please research the schools to which you plan to apply and verify their course prerequisites.
It’s important to remember that students often exceed the minimum requirements to position themselves as strong candidates. Meeting regularly with the Pre-health Professions Advisor is encouraged.
Biology
- BIO/MBI 116 - Biological Concepts: Structure, Function, Cellular, and Molecular Biology (4)
Chemistry
Take all of these:
- General Chemistry:
- CHM 141/144 - College Chemistry/College Chemistry Lab (5)
and CHM 142/145 - College Chemistry/College Chemistry Lab (5)
- CHM 141/144 - College Chemistry/College Chemistry Lab (5)
- Organic Chemistry:
- CHM 241/244 - Organic Chemistry/Organic Chemistry Lab (5)
and CHM 242/245 - Organic Chemistry/Organic Chemistry Lab (5)
OR
- CHM 241/254 - Organic Chemistry/Organic Chemistry Lab for Chemistry Majors (6)
and CHM 242/255 - Organic Chemistry/Organic Chemistry Lab for Chemistry Majors (5)
- CHM 241/244 - Organic Chemistry/Organic Chemistry Lab (5)
English
- ENG 111 - Composition and Rhetoric (3)
- One additional composition course is recommended (see your pre-health advisor for recommendations)
Statistics
Take one of these:
- STA 261 - Statistics (4)
OR - STA 301 - Applied Statistics (3)
OR - ISA 225 - Principles of Business Analytics (3)
Professional Development Seminars
Take both of these:
- PMD 101 - Explorations in Healthcare Careers (1)
- PMD 301 - Navigating Healthcare Professional School Admissions (1)
Psychology
- PSY 111/112 - Introduction to Psychology (4)
Biology
Take one of these:
- BIO 305 -Human Physiology (4)
- MBI 201 -General Microbiology (4)
Take one or more of these:
- BIO 201 -Human Anatomy (4)
- BIO 203 - Introduction to Cell Biology (3)
- BIO 342 -Genetics (3)
- MBI 365 -Molecular and Cell Biology (3)
Biochemistry
- CHM 432 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (4)
Physics
Take one of these:
- PHY 161 - Physics for the Life Sciences with Laboratory I (4)
and PHY 162 - Physics for the Life Sciences with Laboratory II (4)
OR - PHY 191 - General Physics with Laboratory I (5)
and PHY 192 - General Physics with Laboratory II (5, calculus-based)
Sociology
- SOC 153 -Sociology in a Global Context (3)
Recommended Electives
These are not required:
- BIO/MBI 115 -Biological Concepts: Ecology, Evolution, Genetics, and Diversity (4)
- MTH 151 -Calculus I (4)
Biology
Take all of these:
- BIO/MBI 115 - Biological Concepts: Ecology, Evolution, Genetics, and Diversity (4)
- BIO 201 - Human Anatomy (4)
- BIO 305 - Human Physiology (4)
OR BIO 161 - Principles of Human Physiology (4) - MBI 201 - General Microbiology (4)
Biochemistry
- CHM 432 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (4)
OR - CHM 332 - Outlines of Biochemistry (3)
Pre-PA option
Psychology
- PSY 231 - Developmental Psychology (3)
OR - PSY 242 - Abnormal Psychology (3)
Kinesiology
- KNH 209 - Medical Terminology (3)
Pre-Health option (pre-dental, pre-optometry, pre-podiatry, pre-pharmacy)
Physics
Take one of these:
- PHY 161 - Physics for the Life Sciences with Laboratory I (4)
and PHY 162 - Physics for the Life Sciences with Laboratory II (4)
OR - PHY 191 - General Physics with Laboratory I (5)
and PHY 192 - General Physics with Laboratory II (5, calculus-based)
Year 1: Initiating Premedical/Pre-Health Studies/Exploring Career Opportunities in Healthcare
- Take PMD 101
- Begin pre-health coursework
- Learn about pre-health pathway(s)
- Meet with pre-health advisor and begin comprehensive plan of preparation
- Start exploring ways to get involved and to build resumé
- Join a pre-health-related club
- Shadow
- Consider research
- Plan for summer
Year 2: Continuing Premedical/Pre-Health Studies/Exploring the Field and Gaining Healthcare Experience
- Continue pre-health coursework
- Meet with pre-health advisor
- Actively participate in extracurricular activities
- Shadow
- Participate in research
- Plan for summer
Year 3: Preparing the Application/Exploring the Field and Gaining Medical Experience
- Continue/complete pre-health coursework
- Meet with pre-health advisor
- Continue involvement in extracurricular activities
- take admission test(s)
- Take PMD 301, including mock professional school application and mock interview
- Apply if ready
Year 4: Finishing Premedical/Pre-Health Studies/Planning for the Future
- Finish all coursework
- Interview with programs
- Continue involvement in extracurricular activities
- Make decisions regarding your future
PMD 101 - Explorations in Healthcare Careers (1)
Explores the various career pathways in healthcare and helps students considering a career in a healthcare field develop a comprehensive plan of preparation for admission to medical school or other healthcare professional school. This professional development course is for all students considering a career in healthcare.
Credit/no-credit only.
PMD 301 - Navigating Healthcare Professional School Admissions (1)Prepares students to navigate the healthcare professional school admissions process. Students reflect on their motivation for becoming a healthcare provider and develop personal statements and descriptions of activities for their applications. The final product will be the completion of a mock application to a healthcare professional school and a mock interview. This professional development course will be of interest to students applying to medical or other healthcare professional schools.
Credit/no-credit only.
Mallory-Wilson Center for Healthcare Education
