Pre-Medicine Program: Overview

The Pre-Medicine program at Rutgers-Newark is designed for students preparing for admission to medical colleges including allopathic and osteopathic schools as well as dental, optometry, podiatry and veterinary schools.

Medical colleges generally require the following undergraduate science courses for admission:

• 2 semesters of General Biology with laboratory (8 credits)
• 1 additional semester of biology with laboratory (4 credits)
• 2 semesters of General Chemistry with laboratory (10 credits)
• 2 semesters of Organic Chemistry with laboratory (10 credits)
• 2 semesters of Physics with laboratory (10 credits)
• 1 or 2 semesters of Mathematics (3-6 credits), usually through Precalculus. This requirement varies with certain schools and may require Calculus. Students are encouraged to consult with individual schools for specific entrance requirements.

These courses should be completed by the end of the third college year with at least a "B" average and in advance of the nationwide standardized examinations.

For Admission to...	Take Standardized Test
Allopathic, Osteopathic and Podiatric Schools	Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)
Dental Schools	Dental Admission Test (DAT)
Optometry Schools	Optometry Admission Test (OAT)
Veterinary Schools	Veterinary College Admission Test (VCAT) - OR - Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

Medical colleges typically expect applicants to have a very good scholastic record, especially in the sciences, with successful candidates earning in the range of a 3.4 cumulative grade point average. Competition for admission is intense and schools not only weigh grades but also scores on the standardized exam, the college letter of recommendation, extracurricular activities and seriousness of intentions (volunteer or paid health-related experiences, shadowing a doctor or dentist, etc.) among other factors in the decision process.

Pre-Medicine Program: Requirements

Major/Pre-Health File
There is no official "Premed" major at Rutgers-Newark. While the majority of Pre-Health students major in the biological sciences or chemistry, Pre-Health students may major in any subject with the provision that the science requirements (below) are fulfilled.

Students are encouraged to contact the Pre-Health Office for specific information and for general meetings. Upon successful completion of the freshman year, students are expected to register their career intentions by opening an official Pre-Health File. Information in the file is utilized for advisement and forms the basis of the college letter of recommendation submitted to professional schools when application is made for admission. It is the obligation of the student to update and complete the file at least 6 weeks before requesting the office submit recommendation letters.

Please be informed that there is an enrollment fee of $200 when a Pre-Health file is opened. There are also additional fees for letters of recommendation. The payment form and fee schedule is available in the Pre-Health Office.

Students are required to maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 in order to receive a college letter of recommendation.

Courses
The following Rutgers-Newark courses satisfy the general requirements of most medical colleges:

Requirement	Credits	Rutgers-Newark Course(s)
2 semesters of General Biology with lab	8 credits	General Biology I (120:101, 4 credits) General Biology II (120:102, 4 credits)
1 additional semester of Biology with lab	4 credits	Any 4-credit biology course including lecture and lab
2 semesters of General Chemistry with lab	10 credits	General Chemistry Lecture I (160:115, 4 credits)1 General Chemistry Lab I (160:113, 1 credit) General Chemistry Lecture II (160:116, 4 credits) General Chemistry Lab II (160:114, 1 credit)2
2 semesters of Organic Chemistry with lab	10 credits	Organic Chemistry Lecture I (160:335, 4 credits)3 Organic Chemistry Lecture II (160:336, 4 credits)3 Organic Chemistry Lab (160:331, 2 credits)4
2 semesters of Physics with lab	10 credits	General Physics Lecture I (750:203, 4 credits)5 Introductory Physics Lab I (750:205, 1 credit) General Physics Lecture II (750:205, 4 credits)5 Introductory Physics Lab II (750:206, 1 credit) - OR - University Physics Lecture I (750:213, 4 credits)6 Introductory Physics Lab I (750:205, 1 credit) University Physics Lecture II (750:214, 4 credits)6 Introductory Physics Lab II (750:206, 1 credit)
1 or 2 semesters of Mathematics (usually through Precalculus)7	3-6 credits	Precalculus (640:114) - OR - Unified Calculus (640:135)

¹The prerequisites for General Chemistry Lecture I are 1 year high school chemistry (or equivalent), AND College Algebra (640:113).
²The prerequisites for General Chemistry Lecture II are 1 year high school chemistry (or equivalent), AND Precalculus (640:114).
³The prerequisites for Organic Chemistry Lecture I/II are General Chemistry Lecture I AND II.
⁴The prerequisite course for Organic Chemistry Lab is one semester of Organic Chemistry Lecture I OR II.
⁵The prerequisite course for Rutgers General Physics Lecture I/II is Precalculus (640:114).
⁶The prerequisite or corequisite course for University Physics Lecture I/II is Unified Calculus (640:135 AND 640:136).
⁷This requirement varies with certain schools and may require Calculus. Students are encouraged to consult with individual schools for specific entrance requirements.

Typical Programs
Students with a solid science background typically follow a program like this:

• Year 1: General Biology (8 credits), General Chemistry (10 credits) and Mathematics (3-6 credits)
• Year 2: Organic Chemistry (10 credits), Advanced Biology (4 credits)
• Year 3: Physics (10 credits)
• Year 4: Completion of college credits for graduation

Students with an average science background typically follow a program like this:

• Year 1: General Biology (8 credits) and Math (3-6 credits)
• Year 2: General Chemistry (10 credits) and Adv. Bio. (4 credits)
• Year 3: Organic Chemistry (10 credits) and Physics (10 credits)
• Year 4: Completion of college credits for graduation