Program in Pre-Medical

College of Arts and Sciences

Personal Academic Advising to Prepare You for a Career in Medicine

To be successful in a career in medicine, you need to care about people and connect with them on a personal level. Strong classes in STEM--science, technology, engineering, and math--combined with a liberal arts education best prepare our students for a successful career in a health care profession, such as medicine. We invite you to explore how we can share your journey and prepare you for a successful career in health care.

How will the Pre-Medical Program at Queens prepare me for a career in medicine? 

At Queens, you will get a personal academic advisor who will guide you throughout your time at Queens. They will ensure you take all the classes you need to in order to fulfill your pre-medical requirements, regardless of what major you take. That matters because you can take any major at Queens along with your concentration in pre-medical. You study what you want, whether it’s because you find it the most interesting or if it’s because you think it will best prepare you for your career. The liberal arts education Queens offers guarantees you will be well-rounded enough to succeed in your profession. International travel and internship opportunities that Queens provides completes an experience that can't be replicated elsewhere.

"Queens has everything that is needed to support and prepare aspiring physicians, and I would not trade my Queens experience for the world!" - Erin Williams '13, International Studies, M.D. candidate

Required Courses

Standardized Exam required for admission: MCAT

Resource for national standards:  Association of American Medical Colleges

BIO 201 Cellular and Molecular Foundations
BIO 303 Foundations in Genetics
CHM 111, 111L Chemical Principles I & Lab
CHM 112, 112L Chemical Principles II & Lab
CHM 303, 303L Organic Chemistry I & Lab
CHM 304, 304L Organic Chemistry II & Lab
PHY 211 University Physics I
PHY 212 University Physics II
MAT 210 Single Variable Calculus I (note that this course must be pre-req or co-req for PHY 211)

Total: 36 Hrs. 

Recommended Courses

Math Courses:

ENV 225 Data Analysis for Natural Sciences or other statistics class
MAT 140 Precalculus (only if needed prior to taking Calculus)
Note:  Some medical schools request one year of college math whereas other schools list only a statistics course.  At Queens, the physics course designed to cover all content for the MCAT is calculus-based. It is strongly recommended to complete the two semester University Physics sequence to best prepare for the MCAT. 

Natural Science Courses:

BIO 330 Microbiology
BIO 331 Cell Biology
BIO 213 Human Anatomy and Physiology I
BIO 214 Human Anatomy and Physiology II
CHM 401 Biochemistry (with or without CHM 401L lab)
                  Check particular programs to see if lab is recommended
There is a one year sequence of biochemistry but most schools recommend one semester of biochemistry:  CHM 403, 403L and CHM 404, 404L Advanced Biochemistry I and II sequence with lab

Social Science and Humanities Courses:

Due to changes in the MCAT exam, it is strongly suggested to take courses from these content areas:
ATH 101 Cultural Anthropology
PHL 110 Introduction to Philosophy
PHL 310 Biomedical Ethics
PSY 101 General Psychology
SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology

Languages:

Consider starting Spanish or continuing it from high school to increase your ability to work with Spanish-speaking patients as this skill will be valuable with demographic trends in the United States.

Business Courses:

Consider a course in business, accounting or economics if you may want to start your own/join a private practice in the future.
ACC 207 Financial Accounting
BUS 218 Communications in Business
ECO 203 Macroeconomics

Contact us:

Dr. Patricia Koplas, PhD, PT 
koplasp@queens.edu
Pre-Health and Pre-Vet Advisor
704-337-2203

 

Note: Medical school programs typically vary for their requirements.  Be sure to check all programs you are considering applying to early during your undergraduate career for specific pre-requisites needed to apply to that school's program. The information for this list was compiled from the 2015-2016 AAMC medical school admissions requirements and websites for North Carolina medical schools.