Premedicine

Premedicine is not a major. Students major in an engineering undergraduate program and take the required premedicine courses in order to qualify for medical school admission.

American medical schools require a four-year undergraduate degree that generally include:

• 1 year of calculus
• 1 year of physics with laboratory
• 1 year of biology with laboratory
• 1 year of chemistry with laboratory
• 1 year of organic chemistry with laboratory
• 1 semester of biochemistry
• 1 semester of psychology
• 1 semester of social/behavioral science

Individual schools may have additional requirements. Check the specific requirements of the institutions where you plan to apply.

Suggested course sequence

Some courses may be shifted from the first-year to sophomore or sophomore to junior years. Also, courses, such as Organic Chemistry, can be taken in the summer. Chem, Bio and Physics courses shown are only offered in the semesters shown above.

Medical school application timeline

First-year/Sophomore

• Check in with Assistant Dean Jessica Allen on creating a plan for extracurriculars and course planning
• Perform volunteer work/extracurricular activities during first-year and sophomore years
• Visit Gephardt Institute Community Service Office to get involved
• Take MCAT as early as January of junior year and no later than May of your application year

Junior

• Continue extracurricular activities/shadowing
• Complete premedical requirements as early as possible but no later than the second semester of junior year
• MCAT Exam is given about 24 times per year. Take exam as soon as possible after finishing premed prerequisites.
• If you are not satisfied you can take it again, but try to do so by late May of the year you are applying.

Junior/Senior

Spring of junior year and summer before senior year (no gap year)

• Complete AMCAS application
• Arrange for 3 letters of recommendation–5 if you are applying MD/PhD–before the end of the spring semester

Senior

• Complete secondary applications during late summer/early fall
• EPC uploads the letters of recommendation to AMCAS
• Medical school interviews occur in fall and early winter
• Offers made beginning October 1 and until early-to-mid-spring (sometimes late summer)

Letters of Recommendation

Start right away and request 3 letters of recommendation and 5 letters of recommendation if you are applying MD/PhD before the end of the spring semester.

At least one must be from a WashU recommender. Carefully read the instructions from the schools you are applying to as some require letters from certain types of faculty.

When contacting recommenders, you should:

• provide all recommenders with a resume
• provide a transcript, if requested
• call to schedule an interview at a time that is convenient for the recommender