Pre-Med FAQ's

Prerequisites can vary on a school by school basis. Please check the prerequisites for schools to which you hope to apply.

The following courses are required by most medical schools in the United States as the minimum background needed for acceptance into medical school.

Any undergraduate major is appropriate for medical school assuming the applicant has completed the basic pre-med requirements. Nonetheless, the majority of students applying to medical school have undergraduate majors in the biological or physical sciences. It is very important to do well in science courses.

Required and recommended coursework can vary by school. Some schools require one or two semesters of mathematics or one semester of mathematics and one semester of statistics. Additionally, some schools require two semesters of English. The Medical School Admissions Requirements (MSAR) provides information on course requirements and recommendation, by the school, for these as well as the acceptability of AP, community college, and online coursework. The MSAR can be found by clicking HERE.

As you know, medical school is very competitive, so you should aim for the highest GPA you can! A 3.5 would be a generally acceptable target, however, many schools have an average GPA for accepted students in the 3.6 - 3.7 range. A GPA of 3.0 would be the absolute minimum for any chance of being accepted into a U.S. Medical School. As with prerequisite coursework, the GPA range also varies school to school. Information including average GPA for applicants and accepted students can also be found in the MSAR book from the American Association of Medical Colleges ( AAMC).

2025-2026

Medical schools will break down your GPA into Science (BCPM - Bio, Chem, Phys, Math), AO (all Other) and Overall (Combined BCPM and AO). The AO GPA would be expected to be a tad higher than BCPM, based on the difficulty level of the science courses. Again, a high science GPA is a must!

Average MCAT/GPA for matriculated US Medical Students by School (link)

The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is a standardized, multiple-choice examination designed to assess your problem solving, critical thinking, and knowledge of natural, behavioral, and social science concepts and principles prerequisite to the study of medicine. In April 2015, the AAMC launched a new version of the MCAT exam. Scores are reported in four sections:

1. Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
2. Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
3. Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior
4. Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills

Almost all U.S. medical schools and many Canadian schools require you to submit MCAT exam scores. Many schools do not accept MCAT exam scores that are more than three years old. Here's a link going over the scoring scale and understanding the percentiles:

The MCAT is given many times a year. In most cases, you should take the MCAT exam in the calendar year prior to the year in which you plan to enter medical school. For example, if you are applying in 2026 for entrance to medical school in 2027, you should take the exam in 2026).

If you can't decide whether to take the exam early in the year or later, ask yourself two questions:
1. Will I take the exam just once, or is there a possibility I might want to take it again?
2. Have I mastered the material or do I need additional coursework or study?

If you think that you will take the MCAT exam more than once in a given calendar year, you might want to make your first attempt early in the year. This should allow you sufficient time to receive your scores, make a decision about your second attempt, and find an available seat later in the testing year.

Additional information regarding preparation for the MCAT and practice tests may be found HERE (link).  Some students find that it is helpful to take a preparation course for the MCAT.

Contextualizing Your MCAT Score

• The Scale: Total MCAT scores range from a minimum of 472 to a perfect score of 528.
• Sectional Performance: Each of the four sections is scored from 118 to 132, with the midpoint of the entire exam set at 500.
• MD vs. DO Strategy: An MCAT score of 508 to 510 is generally considered highly competitive for DO programs, whereas a score of 511 or higher positions an applicant well within the competitive tier for MD programs.

DO vs MD: The Main Similarities 

MDs and DOs are both fully licensed physicians. This means they can:

• Diagnose and treat illness
• Prescribe medication
• Perform surgery
• Practice in all 50 states and internationally
• Work in all medical specialties (from primary care to surgery to psychiatry)

They both need to go through medical school, pass board exams, and apply for and complete residencies. In most cases, they both need to take the MCAT as premeds—unless they get accepted into medical programs that don’t require the MCAT. In other words: MDs and DOs are both real doctors. However, they take slightly different educational paths and sometimes approach medicine with different philosophies.

DO vs MD: Philosophy Differences

The major difference between MD vs DO is their philosophies regarding medicine. Overall, MD schools emphasize an allopathic view of medicine, which means medicine is driven by the newest research-based trials and data-driven care. DOs, on the other hand, take a more holistic approach to medicine. DO curricula strongly emphasize the partnership between patient and physician, and the use of the body’s intrinsic ability to heal. All parts of a patient, including the mind, body, and emotions, are considered during treatment.

DO vs MD: Medical School Education and Curriculum

Pre-med students pursuing either an MD or DO program follow a similar medical school application process. For DO programs, candidates apply through the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS). For MD programs, applications are submitted via the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS). The applications will still ask for similar components: MCAT score, GPA, letters of recommendation, clinical experience, etc. 

One thing to note is DO schools are more likely to accept students from non-traditional backgrounds, such as individuals making a career change and are generally older.

The MD and DO core curricula are very similar, consisting of both preclinical and basic science courses followed by a period of clinical rotations. The major difference between DO vs MD is that DO students spend an additional 200 hours learning musculoskeletal manipulation (known as OMT – Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment), where students practice physical manipulation of the body or tissue as treatment.

Licensing Exams

The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE®) is a three-step exam required for medical licensure in the U.S. The USMLE—Step 1, 2, and 3—is required for MD students. Similarly, the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX-USA) serves as the licensing exam for DO medical students. While osteopathic students can take the COMLEX-USA instead of the USMLE, many choose to complete both exams to broaden their opportunities.

Source: BluePrint

This is a personal decision that must be considered on an individual basis. Here is a good article that may answer some of your questions. We occasionally have guests from various Caribbean Medical Schools here at York to answer your questions regarding medical education in the Caribbean.

The American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS)

Students applying to medical schools must submit application materials through AMCAS. Please see the AAMCAS Applicant Guide.

Medical schools are interested in applicants with excellent academic achievements (as shown in grades and MCAT scores), strong interpersonal skills (often demonstrated in volunteer, leadership and employment situations), a clear motivation for a career in medicine (as shown by significant involvement in medical settings), and demonstrated compassion and concern for others.

You should apply to medical school when your application will be at its strongest. This means good grades, good MCAT scores, and good healthcare related or non-academic experiences. This comes at different times for different people. Many students, if they have completed the pre-requisite coursework, have good grades, and have taken (or plan to take) MCAT exam, will apply immediately after their Junior year (late spring, early summer). This will allow them to begin medical school (if accepted of course!) in the fall immediately following graduation. Many other students, choose to wait until after graduation to apply. This allows them to improve their credentials during their senior year. These students will have a "year off" between graduation and the start of medical school. This time could be used to further enhance their credentials or spend time doing interesting things such as such as research, travel, community service, teaching, etc.

Your pre-med advisor can help you make this decision, but generally, if there is a weakness in your application, it is a wise strategy to take some time to correct it, rather than to go ahead and waste your time and money applying.

When you do decide you are ready to apply, it is best to do so EARLY in the cycle. You can submit your AMCAS application in early to mid-June, and that is what you should aim for, no matter when the actual medical school deadlines are. Most schools evaluate applicants on a rolling basis, so naturally, it is best to have your application complete when there are many seats to fill. Also, you will find it easier emotionally to be one of the first to have interviews and acceptances, rather than one of the last.

You submit your AMCAS application and have all your transcripts sent to AMCAS. They process your application and then send it on to the schools that you indicate. When they receive your AMCAS application, most schools will automatically send you a secondary application, which should be completed and sent back within 2 weeks. A handful of schools only send secondaries to applicants who make it through an initial cut. Once schools have received your completed secondary application, your MCATs, and other information, they will evaluate your application and decide whether to invite you for an interview. After the interview, they will accept you, reject you, or put you on "hold" or on a waitlist. This may happen within a few weeks, or you may not hear anything at all for months.