The requirements for admission to medical schools are determined by the individual medical schools. Listed here are the typical requirements and Stanford courses that fulfill those requirements. Please refer to the Medical School Admissions Requirements (MSAR) guide in the UAR Resource Library for the specifics of all U.S. and Canadian medical schools.
| REQUIREMENT | DESCRIPTION | STANFORD COURSES | |||
| General Chemistry | 1 year with Lab | Chem 31A, 31B OR 31X Chem 135 OR 171 Chem 181 and/or 183* |
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| Organic Chemistry | 1 year with Lab | Chem 33, 35, 131 AND Chem 36, 130 (labs) OR Chem 1, 2, 3 AND Chem 1L, 2L, 3L (labs)** |
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| Biology | 1 year with Lab | Bio 41, 42, 43 OR Humbio 2A/B, 3A/B, 4A/B Bio 44X, 44Y OR Bio 44X & Surg 101 |
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| Physics | 1 year with Lab | Physics 21, 23, 25 AND Physics 22, 24, 26 (labs) OR Physics 41, 43, 45 AND Physics 42, 44, 46 (labs) OR Physics 28, 29 (fulfills 1 year with lab)** |
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| English | 1 year | PWR 1, 2; third quarter may be fulfilled with IHUM, but an English course is highly recommended. This will be different for Class of 2016 and beyond with the elimination of IHUM and changes in PWR. | |||
| Math | 2 or 3 quarters | Math 19, 20, 21 OR Math 41, 42 OR Math 51 OR CME 100 | |||
| 1 quarter | Stats 60 (or any stats course) |
*Many schools are now requiring a quarter of biochemistry (Chem 181/183). Please note that there are pre-requisites for this course, one of which is Chem 135, so plan accordingly.
**These courses are offered during the Stanford summer session, which fulfills some of the premed requirements. Stanford students can enroll for summer quarter and all other students from other universities can apply for summer admission.
Since the premedical curriculum is a component of a student’s education at Stanford, but not a major, students can explore a wide variety of academic areas and majors according to their area of interest. When courses are taken often depends on when the student plans to enter medical school. Many Stanford students take a year off between their undergraduate and graduate degree programs, allowing them to pace their premedical courses accordingly.
It usually takes a year to complete the entire application process. Currently, the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) is offered multiple times during the year. Most science courses listed here should be completed (with exception of the labs) before taking the MCAT. Medical schools prefer the early exams so that the scores are available by mid June.
PLEASE NOTE:
- Medical schools are not consistent with how they view AP credit. We recommend you take an additional course at the university level even if you have AP units in math or physics. Please refer to the MSAR guide for information about all U.S. and Canadian medical schools. The MSAR is available in the UAR Resource Library.
- The chemistry sequence at Stanford is unique, and the courses are not easily matched to those at other colleges and universities, especially if you are trying to match quarter classes to semester classes. Please consult a pre-med advisor if you think you might try to complete chemistry requirements elsewhere.
- Advanced coursework in biology (such as molecular biology and genetics) is highly recommended by many medical schools.
- Please exercise caution if switching from the Biology core to the Human Biology core, or vice versa. If you switch in the middle, you risk missing material that might be covered on the MCAT. You need to contact the department before making the change to either core.
- Taking a year off before medical school is often a healthy alternative and allows students much more flexibility in scheduling their premedical courses. It also further allows students to explore diverse curricular programs, such as studying abroad, becoming involved in research projects, etc. over their full four years at Stanford.
