By Hope Alley
Are you a pre health student struggling to figure out what classes to take in order to fulfill your pre-reqs for grad school? If so, we are here to help! Below is a general outline for the courses necessary in order to apply to medical school, nursing school, and PA school.
Please note that every school is different and has different requirements, so it is important to do your own research in order to ensure that you are taking all of the necessary courses for the programs you want to apply to.
There are no specific majors requirements for these programs which is great, so major in what you are passionate about! Medical school is not strictly limited to Biology majors so allow yourself to explore your interests:) Pursuing your own passions outside of the standard prerequisites can help you stand out from other applicants.
General Medical School Prerequisites (Pre-Med):
General Chemistry + Lab: this requirement is generally 2 semesters (+ Lab) but UC Berkeley has a unique chemistry path that condenses both semesters of general chemistry into 1 semester. If you are planning to fulfill this requirement at another school (i.e. community college) this will likely be split into two semesters, so double check that when you are making your 4 year plan.
Cal Equivalent Course:
Chem 1A/1AL
Organic Chemistry + Lab: (2 Semesters)
Cal Equivalent Courses:
Chem 3A/3AL
Chem 3B/3BL
Biochemistry: (1 semester)
Cal Equivalent Course:
MCB 102 or MCB 100A/100B or BioE 103 (for bioengineering majors only)
Physics: (2 semesters)
Cal Equivalent Courses
Physics 8A/8B or Physics 7A/7B
*NOTE* Take 8A/8B if the 7 series is not required for your major because this is the easier physics series
Biology + Lab: (2 Semesters)
Cal Equivalent Courses
Bio 1A/1AL
Bio 1B (lab Included in lecture course)
Math: (1 semester of calculus, 1 semester of statistics) If your major does not require you to take a full year of calculus then you only need to take one semester of calculus along with the one semester of statistics
Cal Equivalent Course:
Calculus: Math 16A/16B; Math 1A/1B; Math 10A/10B (This series satisfies both the calculus and statistics requirement so you do not need to take statistics if you take both of these courses); Math 53/54
Statistics: Stats 2; Stats 20; Stats 131A; Public Health 142; Data 8 (must take a connector course to count as fulfillment of stats requirement)
English: (2 semesters of writing intensive courses)
Cal Equivalent Courses:
Most commonly people will take R1A and R4B but any two classes within these following departments will work: English, Rhetoric, Comparative Literature, and the College Writing Program.
Behavioral Science
Some medical schools require courses in behavioral science but not all. This includes classes in Psychology, Sociology and Behavioral Science. It is recommended to take these courses even if it is not a requirement for the medical schools you are applying to since there is a section on the MCAT on Psychological, Social and Biological Foundations of Behavior
General Nursing School Prerequisites
Human Anatomy + Lab (3 units)
Human Physiology + Lab (3 units)
Microbiology with lab (2 units)
This requirement is only 2 units of microbiology but note that Bio 1A and Bio 1B are prerequisites for this course
General Chemistry + Lab: this requirement is generally 2 semesters (+ Lab) but UC Berkeley has a unique chemistry path that condenses both semesters of general chemistry into one semester. If you are planning to fulfill this requirement at another school (i.e. community college) this will likely be split into two semesters, so double check that when you are making your 4 year plan.
Cal Equivalent Course:
Chem 1A/1AL
Statistics: (1 Semester)
Cal Equivalent Courses:
Stats 2; Stats 20; Stats 131A; Public Health 142; Data 8 (must take a connector course to count as fulfillment of stats requirement)
Psychology (1 Semester)
Cal Equivalent Course:
PSYCH 1
Sociology (1 Semester)
Any sociology course that interests you!
Human Development Across Lifespan (1 Semester): AKA Developmental Psychology
Cal Equivalent Course:
PSYCH 140
English: (2 semesters of writing intensive courses)
Cal Equivalent Courses:
Most commonly people will take R1A and R4B but any two classes within these following departments will work: English, Rhetoric, Comparative Literature, and the College Writing Program.
General PA School Prerequisites
Human Anatomy + Lab (1 Semester)
Human Physiology + Lab (1 Semester)
General Chemistry + Lab: this requirement is generally 2 semesters (+ Lab) but UC Berkeley has a unique chemistry path that condenses both semesters of general chemistry into one semester. If you are planning to fulfill this requirement at another school (i.e. community college) this will likely be split into two semesters, so double check that when you are making your 4 year plan.
Cal Equivalent Course:
Chem 1A/1AL
Organic Chemistry + Lab: (2 Semesters )
Cal Equivalent Courses:
Chem 3A/3AL
Chem 3B/3BL
Biochemistry: (1 semester)
Cal Equivalent Course:
MCB 102 or MCB 100A/100B or BioE 103 (for bioengineering majors only)
General Psychology (1 Semester)
Cal Equivalent Course:
PSYCH 1
*NOTE* specialized psychology courses do not satisfy this recommendation.
RECOMMENDED
3 Upper Division Bioscience Courses
Some examples include: Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Embryology, Endocrinology, Genetics, Histology, Immunology, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Neuroscience, Pharmacology, and Virology
Helpful Tips for Classes
Talk to other students who have taken the course before and ask around about which professors they liked and disliked. The professor you have makes a huge difference!
Take more difficult courses like Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry during your off season semester. This will allow you the time you need in order to flourish in these classes!
If you know other people who need to fulfill the same requirements, sign up for the same classes so you are taking them together. Make study groups with the people you know. Look out for each other!
Go to office hours and extra help hours. Most of the time GSIs/professors will give you key information here that is not said in lecture and is super important/helpful. Even if you do not have anything specific to ask, you can come to listen to the conversation. If you are struggling with a certain concept this is a great resource!
Request a tutor! These are difficult courses and we all need a little bit of help getting through them. Even if you do not think you need one, this is a great avenue to review information and study even if you are confident in the material. The more you review the content, the better you will do!
We hope this information is helpful for you! If you have any questions feel free to reach out to anyone on our exec team, our emails are listed below. If you would like to schedule a time to meet with one of us to help craft a 4 year plan for you, we are available for that as well.
AIM Exec Board Emails:
Hope Alley (hopealley@berkeley.edu)
Amanda Kondo (amandakondo@berkeley.edu)
Allen Seo (allenseo@berkeley.edu)
Cami Brown (camibrown.300@berkeley.edu)
Makena Smith (makenasmith19@berkeley.edu)
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