When planning a program of
study, you should keep in mind that you must usually meet three
different sets of requirements. First are the requirements of the
medical school which must be completed before an applicant
matriculates. Second are the general degree requirements which
are set by the faculty of the college for a particular degree.
The third list of requirements are those set by the departmental
faculty for the specific major. Planning should also include
completion of the subject matter which will be tested on the MCAT
BEFORE taking the test. Each of these specific
requirements will be discussed below.
A. Requirements of
Medical Schools
There are some variations among schools, but almost all US
medical schools will accept as minimum preparation in science
one year each of general chemistry, general physics, general
biology, and organic chemistry, all with the appropriate
laboratory. Requirements for specific medical schools are
found in Chapter 10 of the AAMC publication, Medical
School Admissions Requirements (MSAR). This is an
invaluable source of information and every pre-medical
student should be very familiar with this book. The latest
edition of the MSAR should be consulted before completing the
medical school application so that you are assured of having
met all requirements for each school to which application is
made. Courses usually taken by USC students to complete these
requirements are listed in Appendix B. In the next year, an MSAR CD ROM is expected.
B. Requirements for
Major
The majority of students from the University of
South Carolina who are accepted to medical school receive a
BS degree with a major in biology or chemistry. Information
on requirements for these majors is available from
departmental advisors. The College of Science and Mathematics
annually publishes Guidelines for Advisement, a
handbook with valuable information about degree requirements.
You can obtain a copy of this booklet in the dean’s
office in the Physical Science Center.
The choice of a major should
not be hastily made. In addition to considering the course
requirements in a particular department and requirements for
medical school, you must consider what you will do if your
application to medical school is not successful. The
available options, without extensive additional training,
will be largely determined by the academic major.
Medical school admissions
committees have no preference for one major (or degree) over
another. They prefer that an applicant have a broad liberal
arts background as opposed to a narrow technical background.
Students usually do much better work in a major in which they
have a real interest and aptitude. It is a mistake to major
in a discipline that you do not like in the erroneous belief
that it will improve the chances for acceptance.
C. Courses
Desirable, But Not Required
Many of the courses listed in this section will be required
in some of the science majors. A certain number of these
courses should be taken by all pre-medical students unless
special circumstances prevent their being scheduled. In this
latter category are Cell and Molecular Biology, BIOL 302, and
Biochemistry, BIOL 541. A second category of courses which
will be helpful and desirable, if time permits that they be
taken, include Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy, BIOL 415;
Histology, BIOL 530; Immunobiology, BIOL 620; Genetics, BIOL
303; Physiology, BIOL 460; Bacteriology, BIOL 431;
Developmental Biology, BIOL 505; and Quantitative Analysis,
CHEM 321. Obviously no student will be able to take all these
courses.
An exciting opportunity for
USC students is the new Medical Humanities minor. This minor
was designed primarily for students intending to pursue
medical school. Courses in the minor provide an understanding
of current ethical issues in medicine, as well as a selective
examination of sociocultural, legal, economic, and political
factors that condition medical knowledge and practice.
Students pursuing this minor must meet certain criteria and
apply for participation in this program. For more
information, see the Special Programs
section of this manual.
Experience in scientific
research is recommended by some admissions committees for the
academically strong student who has such an interest,
especially if the results are published and/or used to write
an honors thesis. This type of experience is essential if you
aspire to a career in academic medicine/research but can also
be useful for any pre-medical student. One of the advantages
in attending a major research university, such as USC, is to
have the opportunity to participate in research as an
undergraduate and to see if you have the discipline and
interest to develop into a research scientist. Many
undergraduates develop an interest in pursuing research as a
career while participating in projects in the laboratory of a
faculty member. Some of these students will enter a MD/PhD
joint degree program where their educational costs are
completely covered by the sponsoring medical school and they
also may receive a living allowance that will allow them to
complete the program with no debts. These types of programs
are explained in more detail in the MSAR.
Pre-medical students are
cautioned not to make a practice of withdrawing from courses.
A sprinkling of W’s (withdrawals) on a transcript
is a cause for concern by most admissions committees. One or
two W’s will not adversely affect your chances
for admission, but several, even with a good GPA, might be
viewed very apprehensively.
