Pre-Medical Education

The Medical Profession
The medical profession offers a wide variety of exciting, challenging, and rewarding career options.  Although the environment in which medical services are provided has been changing rapidly, and will continue to evolve, the physician’s role as diagnostician, healer, and patient advocate remains central to the provision of health care in our country.  Although most physicians provide direct patient care, some M.D./D.O. degree recipients concentrate on basic applied research, medical education or administration, or some combination of these areas.

Medical Education
There are 126 allopathic medical schools and 20 osteopathic medical schools accredited by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).  Despite philosophical differences between allopathic and osteopathic traditions in the treatment of patients, virtually all programs prepare students to be general medical practitioners and to render comprehensive patient care.  Educational preparation generally consists of four years of academic coursework and clinical experiences leading to the medical doctorate or osteopathic doctorate degree.  Following the traditional academic and clinical preparation will be three years of “residency” to receive specialized training in a particular area of medicine.  Residency training is completed at a training hospital and is considered a paid employment position.  Students whose particular interests and strengths lie in research may consider combined degree programs, i.e. M.D./PhD, where the final outcome consists of conducting medical research or becoming a member of a medical faculty.  Curriculum and outcomes vary from school to school, so students should contact programs of interest directly to determine their curriculum content.

Undergraduate Preparation
Many medical schools, including the University of Nebraska College of Medicine and Creighton University School of Medicine, recommend that students get their baccalaureate degree first; however, for many schools it is required.  These programs believe that the fourth year of undergraduate study allows a student to develop greater maturity and a broader academic background. 

Required and Recommended Courses
The following fulfill the entrance requirements for UN College of Medicine and CU School of Medicine.  Students who are considering medical schools outside of Nebraska are encouraged to contact those schools directly for a list of entrance requirements.  Consult the Medical School Admissions Requirements publication (AAMC) for additional information on all medical schools. 

1. Required Coursework (AP Credit does not apply at UNMC; however, Creighton University will accept some AP Credit.)  Contact your pre-professional adviser regarding course options when you have earned AP or CLEP credit. 

Biological Sciences with lab - 8 hours 

General Chemistry with lab - 8 hours 

Organic Chemistry with lab - 8 hours 

Biochemistry  - 3 hours 

Physics with Lab - 8-10 hours 

Genetics - 3 hours 

English Composition – 3-6 hours 

Humanities/Social Sciences - 12-16 hours 

Mathematics – 3 hours

2.  Recommended Elective Courses  - Classes in the following Science Based subjects are suggested: 

Anatomy
Mathematics
Advanced Genetics
Microbiology
Cell Biology
Pharmacology
Parasitology
Comparative Anatomy
Pathology
Embryology
Immunology
Physiology
Zoology

Extracurricular Experiences
Pre-Medical students are encouraged to participate in extracurricular experiences such as leadership roles, volunteer work, research, and shadowing, which will help prepare them for medical school and the medical profession.  Extracurricular experiences play a significant role in a student’s application to a professional school program.  Such experiences demonstrate a commitment to and knowledge of the profession.  In conjunction, shadowing medical professionals and involvement with clubs such as NU-Meds, Pre-Health Club, or Alpha Epsilon Delta, will help students to learn more about the medical profession.

Application and Admission
1.  Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT)
The MCAT is now computer-based and is offered on set dates throughout the year (19 dates for 2007).  Information about the exam, registration, and the MCAT student manual can be found online at http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/start.htm.  Students should obtain this manual as soon as possible and use it as a guide while taking introductory science courses and preparing for the MCAT exam.  A student with one year of course work in Biology, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and Physics should be prepared for the exam.  It is recommended to complete Genetics and Biochemistry.

2.  American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) and American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS)
Application for admission to UNMC, Creighton, and most other medical schools is made through AMCAS (allopathic) or AACOMAS (osteopathic).  This standardized application service is available online at http://www.aamc.org/students/amcas/start.htm (allopathic) or https://aacomas.aacom.org/ (osteopathic).  Part of the application process is the composition of a personal statement.  When you submit the completed form to the centralized service you will designate the medical schools where you wish your application to be sent.  AMCAS and AACOMAS will duplicate your application and forward it to the designated medical schools.  The schools will then contact you to verify receipt of your application and inform you of any additional materials they require to complete your application, such as secondary applications and letters of recommendation/evaluation. 

3.  Letters of Recommendation/Evaluation

Letters of Recommendation are an important component of each application.  The number of required letters varies by school.  UNMC requires recommendations from two instructors, at least one of whom is in a scientific discipline; Creighton University requires three letters, consisting of two science faculty and one non-science faculty.  You should get to know your professors and let them get to know you.  This is essential because the instructor needs to accumulate enough information about your potential as a medical school student so he/she can write a meaningful letter, which will be of help to your application.