Orientation Prehealth Primer -- Summer 2011
The Required Prehealth Curriculum
General Chemistry I and II, plus Labs
(Note: Labs are now part of the General Chemistry Course renamed ―General Chemistry
& Laboratory I and II.‖)
Organic Chemistry I and II, plus Labs
(Note: Labs are now part of the Organic Chemistry Course renamed ―Organic Chemistry
& Laboratory I and II‖)
Principles of Biology I and II
General Physics I and II
(Note: This is for non-Physics Majors. Physics Majors take Physics I, Physics II, and
Physics III. If a prehealth student registers and completes Physics I, they must complete
the Physics I through III sequence, normally for majors, to be adequately prepared for the
MCAT and to meet medical school requirements.
Writing the Essay, plus one additional course in Expository Writing or English.
Math requirements - some medical schools require one or two semesters of college math, and
most of these schools will accept AP credit. For specific math prerequisites for medical schools,
see ―prehealth courses‖ on the prehealth website: www.nyu.edu/cas/prehealth
Prehealth students with AP credit in Biology, Chemistry, or Physics are strongly advised to
forfeit the credit and complete the required prehealth science coursework at the College. Nonscience majors are advised to take some additional science, typically Biochemistry. Some
professional schools (e.g., physical therapy, optometry, veterinary) require or recommend
additional science and/or mathematics coursework.
First Year Recommended Prehealth Courses
***Further information available at www.nyu.edu/cas/prehealth***
(Some students will work out slightly different programs with their advisers if necessary—for example,
they might start language as freshmen and defer some of the MAP: FCC requirements.)
Undecided / Non-Science Major (Calculus Ready)
General Chemistry I & Laboratory
General Chemistry II & Laboratory
MAP: FCC I
MAP: FCC II
Writing or Calc I (if no AP credit)
Writing or Calc I (if no AP credit)
Elective or Language
Elective or Language
Algebra & Calculus
MAP: FCC I
Writing or Elective
Elective
Undecided / Non-Science Major (Precalculus)
Calculus I
MAP: FCC II
Writing or Elective
General Chemistry I
General Chemistry I Lab
Biology Major
General Chemistry II & Laboratory
Principles of Biology II
or Honors Principles of Biology II
Writing or Calc I (if no AP credit)
MAP: FCC II
General Chemistry I & Laboratory
Principles of Biology I
Or Honors Principles of Biology I
Writing or Calc I (if no AP credit)
MAP: FCC I
General Chemistry I & Laboratory
Writing the Essay
MAP: FCCI
Calc course (per AP scores)
Chemistry Majors
General Chemistry II & Laboratory
MAP/Elective
MAP: FCC II
Calc course (per AP scores)
General Chemistry I & Laboratory
Principles of Biology I
Writing the Essay/MAP: FCC I
Calculus course (per AP scores)
Biochemistry Majors
General Chemistry II & Laboratory
Principles of Biology II
Writing the Essay/MAP: FCC II
Calculus course (per AP scores)
Neural Science Major
General Chemistry I & Laboratory
General Chemistry II & Laboratory
Principles of Biology I
Principles of Biology II
Writing or Calculus I (if no AP credit)
Writing or Calculus I (if no AP credit)
MAP: FCC I
MAP: FCC II
General Chemistry I & Laboratory
Writing the Essay
MAP: FCC I
Calculus course (per AP scores)
Mathematics Major
General Chemistry II & Laboratory
MAP/Elective
MAP: FCC II
Calculus course (per AP scores)
Computer Science Major
General Chemistry I & Laboratory
General Chemistry II & Laboratory
Writing the Essay
MAP/Elective
Calculus I (if no AP credit)
Discrete Mathematics
Comp Sci. course (per placement exam or AP)
Next Comp Sci. course
General Chemistry I & Laboratory
Calculus course (as per AP score)
Physics I &
Introductory Experimental Physics I
Writing the Essay
Physics Major
General Chemistry II & Laboratory
Calculus course (as per AP score)
Physics II &
Introductory Experimental Physics II
Recommended Program for Second-Year Prehealth Science Majors
Biology Major
Molecular and Cell Biology I
Organic Chemistry I & lab (or Honors)
Molecular and Cell Biology II
Organic Chemistry I & lab (or Honors)
Chemistry Majors
Organic Chemistry I & lab or
Majors Organic Chemistry I & Lab
General Physics I
Calculus III (recommended)
Organic Chemistry II & lab or
Majors Organic Chemistry II & Lab
General Physics II
Biochemistry Majors
Organic Chemistry I & lab (or Honors)
General Physics I
Calculus II
Organic Chemistry II & lab (or Honors)
General Physics II
Neural Science Major
Introduction to Neural Science
Molecular & Cell Biology I
General Physics I
Behavioral Integrative Neuroscience OR
Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences
General Physics II
Physics Major
Physics III &
Intermediate Experimental Physics I
Calculus III
Principles of Biology I (or Honors)
Mathematical Physics
Classical and Quantum Waves
Intermediate Experimental Physics II
Principles of Biology II (or Honors)
** To ensure medical school requirements are met, students are urged to forfeit AP credits and take all
science courses with accompanying labs at NYU.
Students who are not prehealth concentrators will have somewhat difference course sequencing. Please
contact your department advisor for correct course sequencing.
Science Department Websites:
Biology: http://biology.as.nyu.edu/page/undergraduate.program
Chemistry: http://chemistry.fas.nyu.edu/page/undergrad
Neural Science: http://www.cns.nyu.edu/undergrad
Physics: http://physics.as.nyu.edu/page/undergrad
HELPFUL TIPS FOR PREHEALTH STUDENTS
1. Get to know the CAS PreProfessional Advising Center, Silver 901, (212) 998-8160
We have advising appointments and walk-in hours, and a resource library with books on
medicine and the other health professions, brochures from schools, etc. One very helpful volume
is Medical School Admissions Requirements (―MSAR‖). (A handout listing reference books is
available in Silver 901.)
Our office has important events and deadlines every semester. You will know all about them if
you pick up a calendar from Silver 901 and subscribe to our email listserv. Some of our services
are:

Medical School Deans of Admissions Panel, usually held every fall.

Workshop on ―Interviewing for the Health Professional Schools‖ every fall and on
―Writing the Personal Statement for the Health Profession Schools‖ every spring.

Accepted Students Panel (current undergraduate students that have been accepted to
medical and other health professional schools) and Medical Students and Residents Panel
(NYU alumni that are currently medical students or residents), co-sponsored with the
American Medical Students Association, both events held every spring.

We work with student clubs through the Prehealth Advisory Board and use our listserv to
tell prehealth students about events these clubs sponsor (guest speakers, such as
admissions deans, etc.).

In the calendar year before you wish to enter a health professional school, you must
complete an ―interview packet‖ so that we can interview you in the spring. These
interviews, plus letters of recommendation from professors, research supervisors and the
like, form the basis of our Committee Letter of Recommendation.

Every semester, prehealth students use our office to file ―faculty comment forms,‖ so that
we have instructor feedback to put into the NYU Committee Letter of Recommendation
that we send to medical and other health professional schools. A notice goes out on our email listserv to remind you. Get to know professors and TAs – go to office hours! More
importantly, in addition to these comments, you will need typed, formal letters of
recommendation from professors when you apply to medical, dental and other health
professional schools.
2. Follow the correct curriculum (see attached handout for the typical prehealth
requirements).

Prehealth students generally start the prehealth concentration by taking General
Chemistry I & Laboratory & General Chemistry II & Laboratory. Biology, Biochemistry
and Neural Science majors also take Principles of Biology I & II; Physics majors, Physics
I & Introductory Experimental Physics I, Physics II & Introductory Experimental
Physics II, Physics III & Intermediate Experimental Physics I.
o **Note: Prospective Physics majors should not take General Physics I & II.
Physics I, II, III are strictly designed for physics majors only. Prehealth
physics majors who start with Physics I, must complete this sequence (Physics I –
III with accompanying labs) to satisfy the medical school prerequisites in physics
and be adequately prepared for the MCATs.

As sophomores, non-science majors take Biology with either Organic Chemistry plus
labs or General Physics (health professional schools prefer one year of ―double science‖).
This leaves one science sequence for non-science majors in their junior year, with
Biochemistry I strongly recommended for senior year. Course scheduling for science
majors is a little more complex, see your major department and consult with your CAS
advisor.

Many health professional schools do not accept AP credit to satisfy their admissions
requirements (with the exception of AP credit in mathematics), so you are advised to take
all of the prehealth courses and accompanying labs at NYU.

Veterinary schools have different requirements than do medical schools, and these
requirements can differ—sometimes greatly—from one veterinary school to another. The
core prehealth courses are just the beginning for pre-vet students. Indeed, unlike pre-med
students--who may major in any subject--pre-vets are advised to consider majoring in
Biology at NYU because many veterinary schools require extra coursework in this
subject beyond Principles of Biology I and II. At NYU, nearly all the upper level Biology
courses require you to have two semesters of Molecular and Cellular Biology as a
prerequisite. This means that you will not be able to complete the required courses for
veterinary school if you have not taken Molecular and Cellular Biology first.

Some medical schools require one semester or one year of coursework in mathematics;
other require coursework in biochemistry. See the prehealth website for school specific
information at www.nyu.edu/cas/prehealth under the prehealth courses tab.

Some health professional schools, such as optometry and veterinary schools, require
additional courses in the sciences, psychology, etc., check websites and reference books
in Silver 901.

Other health professions, such as nursing, physical/occupational therapy, often do not
require either Organic Chemistry or Physics, but will require Human Anatomy &
Physiology and Psychology.

Being a science major is NOT required to do well on standardized tests or to gain
admission!
3. Use on-line resources.
Check out our website, www.nyu.edu/cas/prehealth, for a very comprehensive overview of
preparing for, and applying to, medical or other health professional schools. Most of the health
professions also have their own websites, where you can: get information about general
requirements and curricula, link to individual schools’ websites, find out about standardized
testing (MCAT, DAT, etc), order helpful books, and apply on-line using a centralized service.
For a full list, see our website, or pick up the website handout in Silver 901.
Medicine: www.aamc.org.
Osteopathic: www.aacom.org
Dental: www.adea.org
Pharmacy: www.aacp.org
Veterinary: www.aavmc.org
Optometry: www.opted.org
4. “What else do I need besides these required courses?”

For medical school, at least a 3.6 GPA overall and in your science courses. (For most
other health professional schools, 3.0 to 3.5.) As for the MCAT, 31+ is best for medical
school; osteopathic schools are often willing to consider a lower score.

Do senior-year honors work in your major (a thesis or other project). Science or clinical
research is not required for admission to medical school if you are not majoring in
science.

Volunteer or paid experience in a healthcare setting is essential. Pick up a handout of
local hospitals in Silver 901, but wait a semester or two to get started. Volunteering
sometimes leads to ―shadowing‖ opportunities, and you can also apply for a mentor
through Career Development.

Get involved in an extracurricular club or activity, as well as community service (besides
healthcare volunteering). Show engagement, leadership, and altruism. Be a well-rounded
person.

Be able to articulate why you want to go to a health professional school and pursue this
career.

Avoid summer science, Pass/Fail grades, and light course loads. Aim for a well-rounded
transcript.