Medical School & Podiatry School Course Recommendations

Below are common prerequisites for medical and podiatry school admission, and UMBC courses that are likely to meet those requirements may be viewed by clicking on the expandable element. However, this guide is intended to serve as a starting point for students who are preparing for health professional school. Each professional school has unique prerequisites. Visit the websites of individual schools to learn about the specific admissions requirements for those programs. Students may also find that the Medical School Admissions Requirements (MSAR) database (opens in a new tab) provides helpful information about medical school prerequisites as well as other information and data related to admission.

The recommended courses may have prerequisites of their own. Use the Course Descriptions in the Catalog (opens in a new tab) to find information on course descriptions, prerequisites, and course attributes (to determine if a course satisfies a General Education Program requirement).

While this guide lists only UMBC courses, students may complete prerequisite courses at other institutions.  Many medical schools accept prerequisites taken at a community college. However, some professional schools will not consider prerequisite courses taken at a community college, while others may place restrictions on how many, or which courses, may be taken at two-year institutions.  Additionally, some schools will accept AP, IB, or similar test credit for certain prerequisites, while others will not. Policies vary from school to school, but generally, medical schools tend to accept test credit for math, English, psychology, and sociology more often than for chemistry or physics. AP credit for foundational biology (BIOL 140 and 141) is acceptable as well because these courses are prerequisites for the upper-level biology courses that typically meet the biology admissions requirements for medical school. It is the applicant’s responsibility to review the admissions policies of the medical programs that they intend to apply to.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that they have taken all of the courses necessary to meet the admissions requirements of the medical programs that they intend to apply to.

  • Molecular and General Genetics (BIOL 302)
  • Cell Biology (BIOL 303)
  • Experimental Biology Laboratory (BIOL 300L)
  • Either Molecular and General Genetics Laboratory (BIOL 302L) or Cell Biology Laboratory (BIOL 303L)

These upper-level biology courses help students prepare for medical school coursework as well as the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). Additionally, Cell Biology is a prerequisite for many upper-level biology courses.

  • Principles of Chemistry I (CHEM 101)
  • Principles of Chemistry II (CHEM 102L)
  • Introductory Chemistry Lab (CHEM 102L)

These courses help students prepare for medical school coursework as well as the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). Additionally, they are prerequisites for the organic chemistry sequence.

  • Organic Chemistry I (CHEM 351)
  • Organic Chemistry Laboratory I (CHEM 351L)
  • Organic Chemistry II (CHEM 352)
  • Organic Chemistry Laboratory II (CHEM 352L)

These courses courses help students prepare for medical school coursework as well as the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). They also help students prepare to take biochemistry. Note: Organic Chemistry II and lab are typically only offered in the spring and summer terms.

If a student’s major requires algebra-based physics or does not require physics, take the Basic Physics sequence:

  • Basic Physics I (PHYS 111)
  • Basic Physics II (PHYS 112)

Note: these courses include a laboratory section (with no separate course)

Note: Basic Physics II may conflict with Organic Chemistry Laboratory II

If a student’s major requires calculus-based physics, take the Introductory Physics sequence and the Experimental Physics lab:

  • Introductory Physics I (PHYS 121)
  • Introductory Physics II ( PHYS 122)
  • Experimental Physics: Fundamentals with Applications (PHYS 132L)

These courses courses help students prepare for medical school coursework as well as the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT).

Students may choose either of the following two options:

  • Biological Chemistry (BIOL 430) or Comprehensive Biochemistry I (CHEM 437)

Note: Comprehensive Biochemistry I is typically only offered in the Fall semester

These courses courses help students prepare for medical school coursework as well as the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT).

  • Composition (ENGL 100)
  • Any other course with an ENGL prefix

English or Humanities requirements vary among medical schools, however, two semesters of courses with an ENGL prefix will meet the requirements for many schools. English courses that require analyzing literature, typically with a course code in the 200s or above, can help students develop the critical thinking skills that support preparation for the Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS) section of the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT).

Students may choose either of the following two options:

  • Applied Calculus (MATH 155) or Calculus and Analytic Geometry I (MATH 151)

Students should choose the calculus option based on their major requirements. For majors does not require calculus, MATH 155 is recommended because it has a higher rate of student success compared to MATH 151.

  • Introduction to Statistics for the Social Sciences (STAT 121), Statistics with Applications in the Biological Sciences (course code: STAT 350), or another statistics course required by an academic major

Statistics is covered on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)

  • Introduction to Psychology (PSYC 100)

Basic psychology is covered on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)

  • Basic Concepts in Sociology (SOCY 101)

Basic sociology is covered on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)