What Is Pre-Med? Requirements, Classes and the Best Majors

Last updated: November 7, 2026

Pre-med is not a major. It is the set of classes, tests and experiences that college students complete to apply to medical school, alongside any major they choose. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) says "there's no required or even preferred majors that medical schools are looking for." What medical schools do require is a core of science courses, the MCAT exam, strong grades and real experience with medicine and research. Below you will find the usual pre-med requirements, the classes, the GPA and MCAT scores of students who got in, and AAMC data on how each major does.

Medical schools want to see that you chose medicine for a reason you tested yourself. That test can start in high school. Show me how to start →

What does pre-med mean?

"Pre-med" describes a student who plans to apply to medical school. In the United States, you earn a bachelor's degree first. You apply to medical school near the end of college, or after a gap year, and you take the MCAT before you apply.

Many colleges call this track "pre-health," because the same advisors also help students who plan to become dentists, physician assistants or veterinarians. Pre-med and pre-health mean almost the same thing. Pre-health is the wider term.

Pre-med is not a single program. At most colleges, you declare a major and work with a pre-health advisor who helps you plan the required courses. Some high school students apply to combined BS/MD programs, which link college and medical school from the start. See BS/MD programs.

Pre-med requirements

Each medical school sets its own requirements, but they follow the same pattern. The AAMC says the general recommendations include "one year of biology, two years of chemistry, and an English class." It adds that "hands-on work or volunteer experience (e.g., lab work and internships) is often expected of applicants."

A typical pre-med plan includes:

1. Required science courses (see the next section).
2. The MCAT exam, usually taken in the junior year of college or the year before you apply.
3. A strong GPA, with a separate science GPA.
4. Clinical experience, such as volunteering in a hospital or shadowing a physician.
5. Research experience, in a lab or a clinic.
6. Service and leadership.
7. Letters of evaluation from professors and a pre-health committee.
8. A personal statement about why you chose medicine.

You apply through the AMCAS application for most MD programs. For the full path from high school to residency, see how to become a doctor.

Research is on almost every medical school's list, and most students start it late. Picture arriving at college with a project already done. Send me the medical research guide →

Pre-med classes

The AAMC says the concepts on the MCAT "are taught at most undergraduate institutions in introductory biology, physics, psychology, sociology, and first-semester biochemistry, as well as general and organic chemistry." Those courses form the usual pre-med core:

Look up each school's own list in the AAMC's Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR) database. Requirements change, and some schools accept competencies instead of fixed course lists.

Is pre-med a lot of math? Not as much as engineering. You need algebra for chemistry and physics, and many schools require or recommend statistics. Statistics also helps you read research, which every physician does.

The MCAT

The MCAT has four sections. Each is scored from 118 to 132, and the total runs from 472 to 528:

• Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems. The AAMC lists its disciplines as general chemistry 30%, first-semester biochemistry 25%, introductory physics 25%, organic chemistry 15% and introductory biology 5%.
• Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS). Reading passages in the humanities and social sciences. No outside content.
• Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems.
• Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior.

The AAMC's FACTS data for students who entered medical school in fall 2025:

Students who enrolled averaged about 6 points higher on the MCAT than all applicants. Their mean section scores were 128.0, 127.0, 128.2 and 129.0.

Pre-med GPA: is a 3.5 good enough?

A 3.5 is below the matriculant average of 3.81, but it is not too low to apply. AAMC data shows a spread of scores among students who enrolled: the standard deviation of their total GPA was 0.21, so many matriculants had GPAs well below the mean. A strong MCAT, an upward trend and real clinical and research experience can make a 3.5 competitive at many schools.

The AAMC also warns against treating numbers as the whole story: "Having a 'perfect MCAT score' and GPA does not guarantee you an acceptance to medical school." It says admissions officers value "distance traveled," the obstacles you overcame to get there.

GPA and MCAT get you read. A question you investigated yourself is what makes a medical reader remember you. Help me find my question →

The best majors for pre-med

There is no best major. The AAMC says it plainly: "Consider majoring in whatever interests you." It also says, "Medical schools want students who are authentic with genuine interests, so it's best to major in what you want, not what you think they want."

AAMC Table A-17 shows how students from each major did for fall 2025 entry. The matriculant-to-applicant ratio is our calculation. It is not an acceptance rate, because some matriculants applied in earlier years.

About 59% of applicants majored in the biological sciences. Students from math, physical sciences and the humanities had higher ratios and higher mean MCAT scores. That does not mean those majors cause success. The students who choose them while also completing pre-med courses may be a self-selected group. The lesson is simpler: choose the major you will do best in, and complete the required courses.

The AAMC adds one caution about nursing: "It's best not to choose nursing (or another health profession) if you don't intend to practice that profession."

MD or DO: which is harder?

Both MD (Doctor of Medicine) and DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) graduates are fully licensed physicians in the United States. DO programs add training in osteopathic manipulative treatment. MD programs, on average, enroll students with higher MCAT scores and GPAs, so most applicants find them harder to get into. Many pre-med students apply to both. The pre-med courses are almost the same.

How to prepare for pre-med in high school

You cannot take pre-med courses in high school, but you can build the base that makes them easier and the story that makes your application stronger:

• Take the hardest science and math you can, especially biology, chemistry, physics and calculus or statistics. AP or IB courses help you test your interest early.
• Read real research. Learn to read a scientific paper. Medicine runs on evidence.
• Get close to medicine. Volunteer, shadow if you can, and find out whether you like the daily work. See medical research internships for high school students.
• Do a research project. A real question in biology, neuroscience or public health shows that your interest is tested, not assumed. See research topics for high school students.

Imagine telling a medical school interviewer about research you began at 16. Students who start early have that story. Show me how they start →

Frequently asked questions

Is pre-med a major? No. It is a track of required courses and experiences that you complete alongside any major.

How many years is pre-med? Usually the four years of a bachelor's degree. Many students also take one or more gap years before medical school.

Is pre-med the same as pre-health? Almost. Pre-health is the wider term and includes dental, physician assistant and veterinary tracks.

What GPA do you need for medical school? Matriculants for fall 2025 had a mean GPA of 3.81 and a mean science GPA of 3.75, according to the AAMC.

What is a good MCAT score? The mean for matriculants was 512.1 for fall 2025, out of 528. The mean for all applicants was 506.3.

Sources

• AAMC, 2025 FACTS: Applicants and Matriculants Data (Tables A-16 and A-17)
• AAMC, How to choose the best premed major
• AAMC, Researching medical school admission requirements
• AAMC, Fact or fiction: the Official Guide to Medical School Admissions
• AAMC, Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems section overview

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