Recommended Academic Plan for Premedicine (P M at University Park)
Effective Summer 2001 ***Plan was reviewed and updated by the program in February 2011.
Semester 1
Credits
www.science.psu.edu/premed
814-863-3889 or 814-865-7620
Semester 2
Credits
ENGL 015 or 030 (GWS) Rhetoric and Composition or Honors Freshman
Composition
3
Arts (GA), Humanities (GH), or Social and Behavioral Sciences (GS) – course may
correspond with US or IL requirement
3
MATH 140 (GQ) Calculus With Analytic Geometry I
4
MATH 141 (GQ) Calculus with Analytic Geometry II
4
BIOL 110 (GN) Biology: Basic Concepts and Biodiversity
4
+++ BIOL 240W (GN) Biology: Function and Development of Organisms ***or BIOL
220W (GN) Biology: Populations and Communities or MICRB 201 Introductory
Microbiology/MICRB 202 Introductory Microbiology Laboratory
CHEM 110 (GN) Chemical Principles I
3
CHEM 112 (GN) Chemical Principles II
3
PSU 016 Penn State First-Year Seminar Science
1
CHEM 111 (GN) Experimental Chemistry I
1
1 – 1.5
Supporting/Elective Course from Program List
Total Credits:
Semester 3
1 – 1.5
Supporting/Elective Course from Program List
16 – 16.5
Total Credits:
Credits
4–5
Semester 4
16 – 17.5
Credits
CHEM 210 Organic Chemistry I
3
CHEM 212 Organic Chemistry II
3
CHEM 113 (GN) Experimental Chemistry II
1
CHEM 213 Laboratory in Organic Chemistry
2
BIOL 230W (GN) Biology: Molecules and Cells
4
PHYS 211 (GN) General Physics: Mechanics
4
NUTR 251 (GHA) Introductory Principles of Nutrition
3
STAT 200 (GQ) Elementary Statistics, STAT 250 (GQ) Introduction to Biostatistics, or
CMPSC 101 (GQ) Introduction to C++ Programming
CAS 100A, B, or C (GWS) Effective Speech
3
Arts (GA), Humanities (GH), or Social and Behavioral Sciences (GS) – course may
correspond with US or IL requirement
Arts (GA), Humanities (GH), or Social and Behavioral Sciences (GS) – course may
correspond with US or IL requirement
3
Total Credits:
Semester 5
17
Credits
4
PHYS 212 (GN) General Physics: Electricity and Magnetism
BIOL 472 Mammalian Physiology, BIOL 421 Comparative Anatomy of
Vertebrates, BIOL 437 Histology, or MICRB 412 Medical Microbiology
3–4
Total Credits:
Semester 6
3–4
3
15 – 16
Credits
PHYS 213 (GN) General Physics: Fluids and Thermal Physics
2
PHYS 214 (GN) General Physics: Wave Motion and Quantum Physics
2
2–3
H P A 101 Introduction to Health Services Organization
3
BIOL 473 Laboratory in Mammalian Physiology or MICRB 422 Medical
Microbiology Laboratory ***only if BIOL 472 or MIRCB 412 was taken in fall
semester 5*** OR Supporting/Elective Course from Program List
Arts (GA), Humanities (GH), or Social and Behavioral Sciences (GS) – course may
correspond with US or IL requirement
3
PHIL 432 Medical and Health Care Ethics
3
Supporting/Elective Course from Program List
3
ENGL 202 A, B, C, or D (GWS) Effective Writing
3
Arts (GA), Humanities (GH), or Social and Behavioral Sciences (GS) – course may
correspond with US or IL requirement
3
Total Credits:
16 – 17
Total Credits:
15 – 16
Semester 7
Credits
Semester 8
Credits
B M B 401 General Biochemistry or CHEM 450 Physical Chemistry Thermodynamics
3
B M B 402 General Biochemistry, B M B 400 Molecular Biology of the Gene,
or CHEM 452 Physical Chemistry - Quantum Chemistry
2–3
Arts (GA), Humanities (GH), or Social and Behavioral Sciences (GS) – course may
correspond with US or IL requirement
3
Foreign Language or Supporting/Elective Course from Program List
3–4
3–4
Foreign Language or Supporting/Elective Course from Program List
400 Level Supporting/Elective Course from Program List
3
400 Level Supporting/Elective Course from Program List
3
Supporting/Elective Course from Program List
3
Supporting/Elective Course from Program List
3
Supporting/Elective Course from Program List
3
Total Credits:
15 – 16
Total Credits:
14 – 16
Bold type indicates courses requiring a quality grade of C or better.
Italic type indicates courses that satisfy both major and General Education requirements.
Italic Bold type indicates courses requiring a quality grade of C or better and that satisfy both major and General Education requirements.
GWS, GHA, GQ, GN, GA, GH, and GS are codes used to identify General Education requirements.
US, IL, and US;IL are codes used to designate courses that satisfy University United States/International Cultures requirements.
W is the code used to designate courses that satisfy University Writing Across the Curriculum requirement.
Program Notes:
+++ Consider completing BIOL 240W during spring semester 2. Students who are planning to apply to medical school often select BIOL 240W because the topics include function, development, and
physiological processes of both animals and plants. If BIOL 240W is not taken during spring semester 2, other class choices could include: BIOL 220W, MICRB201 and 202, or NUTR 251. BIOL 240W is
only offered during the spring semester at University Park.
Due to the academic rigor of 400 level science courses, it may be best to wait until senior year to take the Biochemistry or Physical Chemistry course requirements (B M B 401 or CHEM 450 and B M B 402,
B M B 400, or CHEM 452).
This outline is only a suggested recommended academic plan. There is considerable room for adjusting the necessary courses to fit your individual needs and goals. For example, a student may take CHEM
110 along with CHEM 111 during semester 1, in which case the student may then take CHEM 112 along with CHEM 113 during semester 2. Another example, a student could choose to take foreign
language courses during other/earlier semesters, such as semester 1 and 2. Remember, most students only have to average about 16 credits per semester to graduate in four academic years (or eight
semesters). The Premedicine major requires a total of 126 credits.
Academic Advising Notes:
 H P A 101 and PHIL 432 are courses that may be important to have prior to one’s senior year when one may be participating in medical school interviews. The topics and information in these courses
should be of use to students at such interviews.
 Do not overlook the opportunity for Independent Study/Research credit, preferably in the junior year (semesters 5 and 6), so that it can be indicated on one’s medical school application.
 It is also important to be involved with extracurricular activities – try to find one or two areas where you can really become involved and make a significant contribution.
 Students should also make every effort to get involved in a meaningful health care setting by volunteer work, employment, or job shadowing. It is important to gain a realistic view of what medical
practice involved today.
 Medical schools do not look favorably upon Withdraw or Satisfactory grades. However, there may be times when dropping a course cannot be avoided. Discuss these situations with your course
instructor and/or your adviser.
 For the various supporting/elective courses each student is required to complete for the major, one should consider completing a sequence of courses from the same department/program as opposed to
completing all introductory courses from many different departments/programs. Student can even consider completing a minor in another academic discipline with the various supporting/elective
courses needed.
 For additional information such as the Supporting/Elective Program List and other FAQs please visit the following Web site. www.science.psu.edu/premed
Scheduling Patterns:
BIOL 110 in the fall semester at University Park is for first year students and sophomores only. BIOL 110 in the spring semester at University Park is for juniors and seniors only and has online
labs.
BIOL 240W is taught only during the spring semester at University Park. BIOL 220W is taught only during the spring semester at University Park. BIOL 230W is taught only during the fall
semester at University Park.