For students considering a career in medicine, it is important to know the requirements for medical school long before your medical school application timeline begins.
If you wait until your junior or senior year as an undergrad to begin thinking about your medical school application, you’ve waited too long. Every part of your pre-med experience should be planned and executed with medical school in mind.
Getting into a medical school is very challenging and highly competitive. According to the AAMC’s FACTS: Applicants and Matriculants Data, of the 54,699 medical school applicants for the 2025-2026 school year, only 23,440 matriculated; that’s roughly 43%.
Due to the competitive nature of the process, every pre-med course should be chosen with careful consideration. Each test and assignment should be given your best effort, MCAT® preparation should be a priority and begin long before the exam date, and even extracurricular activities should be planned strategically and intentionally.
This is why it is important to know what the requirements are for medical school in advance so you can begin taking steps to fulfill those requirements. This long-term planning will . . .
- Reduce stress when you start the application process
- Provide you with an advantage over the competition
- Increase your chances of being accepted into the medical school of your choice
So, with these things in mind, here is an overview of the requirements you’ll need to meet to be accepted into medical school.
Educational Requirements
Degree
In order to matriculate into medical school, it is required that you have earned your undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university. This is the pre-med portion of your journey to become a physician.
It is often assumed that pre-med students should major in a science like biology, biochemistry, or biomedical engineering, but though you must take classes pertaining to these areas of learning, it is not required that any of these choices be your major.
In fact, medical school admissions committees often look favorably on applicants with majors other than medicine, as it can be something that helps an applicant stand out from the crowd. Medicine is about more than science, so a major in ethics, management, psychology, anthropology, religious studies, etc., can be advantageous in your learning process.
It’s really about finding areas of learning that interest you while being sure to fulfill your prerequisites for medical school. In a post titled “Pick a Pre-Med Major You Love,” Clara Sun, a graduate of the University of Miami and a first-year medical student, wrote:
“At the end of my freshman year, I added economics as a second major. I decided this after my friend introduced me to behavioral economics, and my freshman extracurriculars reinforced my passion for the business aspect of healthcare.”
“There were consistent themes of entrepreneurship and business throughout my application, and I related these interests to why I wanted to be a physician. My passions were reinforced through my second major in economics and my activities in business throughout college.”
Prerequisites for Medical School
Premedical coursework requirements vary for different medical schools. Therefore, it is crucial that you do your research and find out what the specific prerequisites are for the different medical schools you are considering.
Some medical schools may accept demonstrated competency or advanced placement credit in place of certain courses, but these policies are not universal, so you should verify requirements for each school using the Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR) database.
When it comes to premedical coursework, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC®) states:
Each school also has unique requirements for coursework, lab experience, volunteer experience, and ‘shadowing’ experience. In general, students will likely complete the following types of courses:
- 1 year of Biology
- 1 year of English
- 2 years of Chemistry (through Organic Chemistry)
That’s a relatively broad overview of standard prerequisites. If you take 2 semesters of biology, 2 semesters of physics, 2 semesters of chemistry, 1 semester of math, and 2 semesters of English, you will likely reach all of the prerequisites for your medical schools of choice. (Note: Labs are required with your science courses.)
When you’re mapping out your coursework each year of your undergraduate experience, choose a variety of courses. Once you’ve selected those courses that are prerequisites for the medical schools you’re interested in attending, select electives that you find interesting and that will broaden your base of knowledge.
If you’re ready to begin researching specific requirements for each medical school, you can find that information at the Medical School Admission Requirements website.
Academic Performance Requirements
GPA
Many students wonder what their GPA needs to be in order to be accepted into a particular medical school, but this number varies from school to school.
Just because there is no standard minimum GPA requirement, that doesn’t mean a high GPA is unimportant. The opposite is true; a high GPA is critical when applying to medical schools.
A high GPA shows that you’re intelligent, dedicated to your academic pursuit, and ready for the intellectual rigors of medical school. It can also be a differentiator that elevates you above other students with lower GPAs.
Your GPA is not the sole factor admissions committees will consider, but it is significant. For example, an exceptional GPA could help offset an average Medical College Admission Test (MCAT®) score if the rest of your application is noteworthy.
This is another reason why the classes you choose to take as a pre-med student are so important. Outside of your prerequisites, be mindful to choose courses in which you know you will perform well. This will help boost your overall GPA.
The mean GPA for medical school applicants in 2025-2026 was 3.67. The mean GPA for matriculants was 3.81.
MCAT®
The MCAT is perhaps the most important of the various requirements you will be required to meet, so it is important you are aware of the MCAT test dates and what is tested in the different MCAT sections well in advance. Your performance on this exam will be carefully scrutinized by any admissions committee considering you for admission to their medical school.
An outstanding MCAT score is certain to move you to the front of the line in the admissions process.
The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is a 7.5-hour exam developed and administered by the AAMC. It’s a computer-based, multiple-choice, standardized test that not only tests your knowledge but also your critical reasoning skills. Because of the length and complexity of the exam, it is highly recommended to take an MCAT practice exam often as part of your test-prep plan.
The exam is broken down into 4 MCAT sections:
- Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
- Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
- Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior
- Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills
Because it’s a standardized exam, the MCAT is perhaps the most accurate way admissions committees can measure 1 applicant against another. Therefore, it is important to begin preparing for this exam well before test day in order to avoid common mistakes MCAT test takers make.
If you plan to begin medical school the same year you receive your undergraduate degree, you’ll want to take the MCAT before graduation so you can include your MCAT scores on your medical school applications. Many students take the MCAT in January of their junior year.
The mean MCAT score for medical school applicants in 2025-2026 was 506.3. The mean MCAT score for matriculants was 512.1.
Extracurricular Experiences
Along with your GPA, your prerequisites, and your MCAT scores, medical school admissions committees will look carefully at your extracurricular activities. They want to see what experiences you have in research, leadership, and patient care, so keep that in mind when planning your medical school application timeline.
Shadowing Experience
Spending time shadowing a practicing physician is beneficial for you, as it provides insight into what a career in medicine might look like, and it is highly valued by admissions committees. They want to see that you have put in the time observing a physician interacting with patients, ordering tests, performing surgeries, etc. A variety of shadowing experience and the ability to answer questions about what you learned while shadowing are both important in your application process.
Clinical Experience
Though shadowing is important, it is an observational activity. Medical schools want to see that you have some level of clinical experience, too. Volunteer work in a hospital or clinic, working as an emergency medical technician (EMT) or medical assistant (MA) demonstrates that you have been exposed to patient care firsthand.
Leadership Experience
Demonstrating leadership and strength of character is an opportunity to stand out in a crowded field of medical school applicants. Experiences, such as serving as a student council officer or captain of an athletic team, starting a volunteer program, leading a club or group, spearheading a community initiative, or being a camp counselor, will bolster your chances of admission.
Research Experience
Any research experience you have, particularly in a lab setting, is significant and can distinguish you from other applicants because not all applicants have research experience. Ask an academic advisor and check the science department website at your school to find out what research opportunities are available.
Application Requirements
Primary Application
For MD admissions, your initial application to medical school is done through an online application service called the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS®).
Note: Texas admissions use the Texas Medical & Dental Schools Application Service (TMDSAS), and DO admissions use the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS).
On your primary application, you will be required to include your college transcripts, your MCAT scores, information about extracurricular activities, a personal statement, and letters of recommendation.
It is during the primary application process that you will list the medical schools you want to apply to. If any of your chosen schools are interested, they will invite you to complete a secondary application.
Secondary Application
Secondary applications are much different than your primary AMCAS application. Secondary applications are unique from one another because they are sent from specific schools. In other words, this is not a standardized application.
Though they are all different, generally, secondary applications will ask you several essay questions, some short-answer questions, and a list of the prerequisite courses you completed.
You can expect to see essay prompts such as:
- Describe a leadership experience you have had.
- What has been your biggest challenge in pursuing medicine?
- Please share 1 thing about yourself that would help the admissions committee determine whether you should be admitted to our program.
- What specifically draws your interest to our medical school?
Interview
If a medical school is considering you for admittance after reviewing your secondary application, they will invite you to participate in an interview, which may be conducted in person, virtually, or through a multiple mini interview (MMI) format.
The interview is the final step in the application process. If you have made it this far, you are being strongly considered for admittance. It is important to be prepared for your medical school interview and use this opportunity to make a good impression.
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References:
American Association of Medical Colleges. (n.d.). Facts: Applicants and matriculants.
https://www.aamc.org/data-reports/students-residents/data/facts-applicants-and-matriculants
