Medical School FAQs

Which major should I choose?

While science majors are certainly most common, medical schools stress their interest in well-rounded students. Regardless of your major, your undergraduate transcript is a vital part of the medical school admissions decision.

However, majoring in the sciences does help you complete the required classes and prepare for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). At SUNY Cortland, the most common majors for our pre-medical students include:

• Biomedical Sciences
• Biology
• Biochemistry
• Chemistry
• Psychology

What classes are prerequisites for medical school admissions?

Most medical schools require the following courses:

• Biological Sciences I and II with labs (BIO 110, BIO 111 and BIO 113 OR BIO 201 and BIO 202)
• General Chemistry I and II with labs (CHE 227, CHE 277, CHE 228 and CHE 278)
• Organic Chemistry I and II with labs (CHE 300, CHE 303, CHE 301, and CHE 304)
• Biochemistry (CHE 451)
• Physics I and II with labs (PHY 105 and PHY 106)
• Psychology (PSY 101) and Sociology (SOC 150)
• Mathematics – one semester of Calculus (MAT 121) and one semester of Statistics (MAT 201)
• Most require that you take a year of English (CPN 100 and CPN 101)

Some also require the courses below, while others simply suggest them as beneficial:

• Cellular Biology (BIO 210)
• Genetics (BIO 312)
• Microbiology (BIO 304)
• Human Anatomy and Physiology (BIO 301 and BIO 302; biology majors should take BIO 324 and BIO 514)
• Foreign Language

* Check individual medical school websites for specific required and recommended courses.

What are other requirements for medical school admissions?

• Grade point average of 3.4 or higher to be considered a competitive applicant
• Shadowing experience with a doctor
• Score of 500 or higher on the MCAT

What are some other tips?

• Outstanding grades and an excellent MCAT score are essential, but it is also important that you are a well-rounded student with other interests and activities on your application, both medically related and otherwise.
  
  
• Taking on leadership roles and participating in activities outside of the classroom demonstrates that you can effectively interact with people, which is necessary for success in medicine.
• Professional schools value applicants with demonstrated cultural and social competency — namely a recognition of and training in understanding cultural differences, biases and inequities in the profession.
• Some leadership roles that exist at SUNY Cortland: participation in a student organization such as the Pre-Med Club or SUNY Cortland Emergency Medical Services; tutor or teaching assistant; supplemental instructor; resident assistant; student justice; or participation on a sports team.

Is there a timeline to make sure I stay on track for medical school?