Pre-Medicine Track

Interested in becoming a physician? Great!! There are four medical schools (2 allopathic and 2 osteopathic) in the state of Alabama.  Don't know the differences between allopathic and osteopathic medical school?  Well, that is your first assignment!  Please go here for allopathic medicine and here for osteopathic medicine.

The Alabama medical schools are:

You can major in any academic discipline and go to medical school, although the majority of UNA pre-medicine students are either biology or chemistry majors.

So what courses are required for medical school?  At the moment, those courses are:

  • General Biology with lab (8 semester hours)
  • General Chemistry with lab (8 semester hours)
  • Organic Chemistry with lab (8 semester hours)
  • General Physics with lab (8 semester hours; algebra-based is fine)
  • Biochemistry (3 semester hours)
  • Biostatistics (3 semester hours)
  • Behavioral and Social Sciences (3 semester hours)

The MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test) now tests knowledge from the following disciplines:

  • Psychology
  • Sociology

We recommend taking introductory courses in both psychology and sociology prior to sitting for the MCAT.  Click here for more information on the MCAT.

To perform well on the MCAT, you need a strong foundation in biology, as well as chemistry and physics. A comprehensive understanding of the normal biological and biochemical processes in the human body is essential for medicine. While the AAMC document "What's On the MCAT?" indicates that you need to have completed Principles of Biology, we have found that a deeper knowledge of biology gained through upper-level courses is crucial for success on the MCAT.

As someone interested in healthcare, you should consider the following points:

  • A well-rounded liberal arts education is essential.
  • You need to show a genuine desire to help others through long-term paid or volunteer work, not just short-term commitments.
  • Significant job shadowing is crucial to understand the daily responsibilities of a physician. This should begin by the end of your freshman year at UNA. Consult with the Pre-Health advisor on how to arrange this. It’s best to shadow primary care physicians, as they interact regularly with patients. While you can also shadow specialists, the majority of your hours should come from primary care to observe the doctor-patient relationship.
  • You must demonstrate the intellectual capability to handle challenging courses and a heavy courseload (14-16 semester hours).
  • Achieving a strong score on standardized tests is important, as you will face board and licensure exams throughout your professional career.

Medical schools and other health professions schools want to know how you have developed the core competencies needed to be a successful physician. To view these competencies, click here. It's crucial that you can show how you have cultivated these competencies rather than just claiming to have them!

Useful Websites

Association of American Medical Colleges Guide for Prospective Students Guide to Medical Schools MCAT Registration American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Osteopathic Medical College Information Book