C o l l eg e o f S ci en ces & H eal t h Pro f es s i on s
Pre -Pro f es s i o n al Pro g rams
P RE -M EDICINE
Updated 8/2015
CONTACT
INFORMATION
Brittany Wampler
Coordinator,
Pre-Professional
Health Programs
Main Classroom 218
b.wampler@csuohio.edu
Appointments:
216-687-9321
HELPFUL
WEBSITES:

CSU Pre-Professional
Programs: www.csuohio.edu/
sciences/preprof

NEOMED Bacc/MD and PostBacc/MD Partnership:
www.csuohio.edu/sciences/
preprof/premed/
neomed.html

American Association of
Medical Colleges (AMCAS):
aamc.org

American Association of
College of Osteopathic
Medicine (AACOMAS):
aacom.org

Non-Traditional/Post-Bacc
Pre-Med: oldpremeds.org

MCAT Information:
www.aamc.org/students/
applying/mcat/
ACADEMIC COURSEWORK
R E C O M M E N DA T I O N S
Most pre-med students choose to
major in Biology or Chemistry, but
you can choose any major and
complete the prerequisites for
medical school. In addition to
completing your degree
requirements, most medical schools
require some of the courses listed.
You should look at prerequisite
courses for all schools that you plan
to apply to in advance as this is not a
comprehensive list. In addition, you
should look at policies that medical
schools have related to AP, online,
and accepting courses taken five or
more years ago.
Each medical school varies in its
requirements and it is up to the
student to research. When applying
to medical school, admissions will
consider grades from all attempts of
the courses. They will also figure out
your cumulative GPA and your
BCPM (Biology, Chemistry, Physics,
Math) GPA.
If you have questions about specific
course requirements, see the
Coordinator for Pre-Professional
Health Programs.
Course Number
Course Title
BIO 200/201/202/203
Intro Biology I/II/Labs
CHM 261/262/266/267
General Chemistry I/II/Labs
CHM 331/336/332/337
Organic Chemistry I/II/Labs
PHY 221/222 OR
231/232
College Physics I/II Biomed Apps
BIO 306 OR CHM 402/403 Biochem/Molec Bio or Biochem I/II
PSY 101
Intro to Psychology
ENG 101/102
English Composition
SOC Elective
Intro to Sociology or other
Sociology Gen Ed Course
Math
See adviser for placement/recs
Additional Course Recommendations: Please see PreProfessional Health Programs for additional
recommendations.
The above list is not comprehensive. Each medical school
may have slightly different requirements and it is the responsibility of the student to take prerequisite courses
according to the schools they plan to apply to.
C S U / N E O M E D M . D. P A R T N E R S H I P F O R
U R B A N H E A LT H
Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) and Cleveland State University have partnered to
offer two exciting paths to medical education. Collaborating on their strengths in urban health,
primary care medicine and inter-professional education, Cleveland State and NEOMED strive to
meet the changing healthcare needs within urban communities. Each year, up to 35 seats at
NEOMED’s College of Medicine will be available to CSU students in the two pathways,
baccalaureate and post-baccalaureate processes. The goal of this unique partnership is to
recruit a diverse group of future primary care physicians with an expressed interest in serving
NE Ohio. For more information, contact Jonathan Tyes at the M.D. Partnership Program at
4urbanhealth@csuohio.edu.
ABBREVIATED
TIMELINE
FRESHMAN YEAR




Maintain a strong GPA.
Attend pre-health meetings
on campus to get involved.
Get to know professors in
early biology and chemistry
courses.
Explore medical careers
and develop Plan B options
through research.
SOPHOMORE
YEAR



Maintain a strong GPA.
Pursue meaningful
experiences through
medically related activities.
Develop relationships with
faculty and mentors that
could serve as references.
A P P LY I N G T O M E D I C A L S C H O O L S
The application process to
medical schools is rigorous and
labor intensive. Generally
speaking, there are two
application systems that
students use to apply to medical
school, AMCAS for allopathic
(MD) medical schools and
AACOMAS for osteopathic (DO)
schools. A student should
explore both options for medical
education and can apply to both
types of schools throughout their
application process.
The actual application itself
contains many parts. You should
start as early as possible to give
yourself as much time as
possible to complete the
application. Most medical
schools are on a rolling
JUNIOR YEAR






Maintain a strong GPA.
Consider who you will ask
for letters of reference and
schedule meetings to ask
them.
Write your Personal
Statement and have at
least 3 people review it.
Plan a timeline/study
schedule for MCAT and sign
up for a test date in spring
or summer after Junior
year.
Familiarize yourself with
AMCAS and AACOMAS
application sites.
Research medical schools
and complete applications
over the summer.
admission schedule; the sooner
you complete the application
and submit, the better your
chances.
Below are the main components
of the application:
 Academic Record/
Transcripts (you must enter
each and every course from
every institution)
 Meaningful Experiences
(students enter up to 15
experiences and choose 3 to
highlight)
 MCAT Scores
 Personal Statement (45005300 character depending
on application)
secondary applications from
institutions. Some medical
schools send secondaries to all
applicants while others send only
to candidates who will most
likely receive an interview.
Completing secondaries in a
timely fashion will move your
application along to the
interview selection process.
Finally, interested schools will
invite you to interview. You will
be expected to discuss your
motivation for medicine,
personal and professional goals,
and assessment of current health
issues. You are usually provided
with information about the
school’s interviewing process.
Once you have submitted
applications, you will receive
GAINING EXPERIENCE
Student organization
involvement/leadership,
volunteer work, research
experience, job shadowing—
there are so many options when
it comes to creating a wellrounded resume. In addition to
the coursework, medical schools
want to see well-rounded
applicants.
It is important to note that it is
impossible for students to gain
experiences in all areas in a short
amount of time. Students need
to be successful in the classroom
while also seeking out the
opportunities they find to be
most rewarding. There is no
specific recipe for success in this
area and each student needs to
be selective in what they do to
add to their medical school
application.
Make sure to plan carefully and
early. Also, think about how the
people you meet through these
experiences could help you as
you apply to medical schools.
Someone you volunteer with or
shadow could be one of your
references!
Meet with the Coordinator for
Pre-Professional Health
Programs to plan in advance and
learn more about how to seek
out experiences.
AMSA: AMERICAN MEDICAL STUDENT
ASSOC IATIO N
SENIOR YEAR





Maintain a strong GPA.
Continue meaningful
experiences related to the
field.
Complete secondary
applications in a timely
manner.
Prepare for interviews.
Make final decisions on
plans for medical school or
actively seek out Plan
B/Gap Year options.
The purpose of the CSU AMSA
chapter is to disseminate
information to students
concerning applications for
acceptance to Medical schools,
MCAT and application
information, criteria needed to
perform competitively on the
MCAT and any other pertinent
information needed.
Speakers are invited to provide
additional information about
various aspects of their
programs.
AMSA meets Thursdays at
11:30AM; you can check out
their meeting schedule online.
Each meeting is different and
students can pick and choose
the meetings that they enjoy.
There are also opportunities
to travel to conferences and
learn more through field trips
to medical schools. Go to
OrgSync to learn more and
contact a member of the
Executive Board for information
about upcoming meetings, dues,
and membership.