Medicine is a very popular career, and we see many students each year who want to pursue it. Many of these students have stellar grades and test scores, and want to pursue medicine at a top university. Here, however, things grow murkier; there are no set “pre-med” majors at top colleges, so knowing how well a school will support your medical ambitions is difficult.
In this article we’re going to review the pre-med programs and offerings at top 20 colleges, so you can compare and contrast them, and see which will be the best fit for you. We will also talk a little about how studying medicine works generally, as there are a lot of similarities amongst these schools.
How to be a Pre-Med Student
As we discussed in a previous article, there is no codified pre-med major at most colleges. While most students interested in medicine major in biology or chemistry due to the obvious overlaps, others are more than possible, if less common. Anecdotally, I met pre-med students during my time in undergrad who majored in English, Religious Studies, and Philosophy, alongside the more popular Biology, Chemistry, and Biochem. To further back this, data from AMCAS shows that while most students interested in medical school do major in the sciences, a significant percentage do not.
Pre-med is a collection of prerequisite courses you take to give you the knowledge you need to pass the classes you will take in medical school. Most of these are in chemistry or the biological sciences, so majoring in one of these fields is easier, but not necessary. These courses are available to take regardless of major, but the more requirements a major has, the more complicated your course schedule becomes.
The most difficult major is engineering with pre-med, unless you are pursuing biomedical engineering, and even then, your schedule will be very full. The rest of your schedule will be determined by the core requirements your college has, and how many electives they want you to take.
As there is no pre-med major, most colleges instead have a pre-med advising department. The purpose of this is to help you fulfill your course requirements, prepare for the MCAT, and apply to medical schools. Universities are invested in your success, since your accomplishments reflect well on them. The exact offerings of each pre-med advising department will differ slightly, but you can generally expect to find help with course planning, securing internships and research positions (either within the university or with its partners), and often help with applications, such as proof reading resumes, practice interviews, and advice on acquiring letters of recommendation.
In addition, pre-med students tend to be highly motivated and self organizing, so almost every college with pre-meds has a strong pre-med student association. These are a great resource for you, as the older students will know which courses are easy and hard, and which professors can be relied on. We recommend connecting with these organizations early, and taking advantage of their institutional knowledge.
Pre-Med Resources at Top 20 Colleges
Now that we’ve covered the general case, we’re going to look at specific options available at top 20 colleges. These are mostly going to be quite similar, but we’ll be sure to note if a school offers something beyond the norm.
Brown University
Brown offers a pre-health advising office, which is for students interested in any career in medicine, not just doctors (though doctors are the bulk of the students they work with). This has resources to help students find clinical and research opportunities, plus specific options for students from certain backgrounds, such as international students.
Brown also offers the Program in Liberal Medical Education. This offers students a dual degree, where you complete undergraduate and medical school in only eight years. This is a very competitive program, we have a full guide to it here, and an introduction to BS/MD programs generally here.
Caltech
Caltech has a small number of pre-med students, and does not offer a specialized advising program for them; instead they are served by the standard advisors all students meet with. There is a pre-med association, though they do not have their own website.
Columbia University
Columbia has a pre-health advising office, which is for students interested in medicine, dental medicine, and other healthcare fields. They have a set curriculum for premed students, and offer advice on finding extracurricular opportunities. There is a premedical society on campus, which students are encouraged to join.
Cornell University
Cornell does not have a pre-med major, but does offer pre-health advising. This offers a guide to finding resources on campus, applying to medical schools, and which courses you need to take. Cornell’s medical school also offers a number of premedical programs, though these are open generally, and are not just intended for undergraduates at Cornell (though Cornell does encourage their students to partake in these programs).
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth offers pre-health advising to students, which offers resources for course planning, finding extracurricular activities, and applying to medical schools. While they do not have a pre-med major, they do have a set list of courses that they advise pre-med students to take to prepare them for medical school.
Duke University
Duke does not have a pre-med major, but does have a pre-health advising office. This helps students connect with opportunities, plan out their course schedules, and offers advice while applying to medical school. There are a number of pre-med student organizations available to join.
Harvard University
Harvard’s pre-med society has its own website, and we recommend students look into it, even if it is not something you wish to join directly. Harvard’s pre-med advising office has resources for both current students and alumni; they will continue to support you after you graduate. This is true for many of these advising offices, but Harvard is very clear with the resources they offer, which is nice. This is good for students who intend to take a gap year between graduating from undergrad and beginning med school.
Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins does not have a pre-med major, but does offer support to students from their pre health advising office. This offers support to students in planning out their courses, finding extracurriculars, and applying to medical schools. There are a number of pre-health related student organizations you can avail yourself of as well, both generally and for special interest groups.
Northwestern University
Northwestern does not offer a pre-med major. They used to offer a highly selective BS/MD program, but this ended a few years ago. They do still have an early assurance program for medical school. This allows current Northwestern students to apply to, and be accepted to, their medical school early, and without many of the components of a standard medical school application. This is highly selective, only taking 10-15 students each year, and requires students have stellar grades. They offer a pre-health advising office, which can advise you whether or not you wish to take advantage of the early assurance program.
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame does offer a pre-health secondary major. This cannot be your sole major at the school, but can be taken in conjunction with any other major. Note that this major is offered through the College of Arts and Letters, and must be paired with another major in this college. It is possible to be a pre-med at Notre Dame without taking part in this supplemental major, the point of the major is to ensure you complete all required coursework for medical school, and to give you credit for doing so. There is a pre-health advising office for students, regardless of whether or not they participate in the secondary major.
Princeton University
Princeton is the only Ivy League school that does not have an associated medical school, but they still send a very high number of their pre-med students on to medical schools. The Health Professions Advising office exists to advise students interested in pursuing a career in health. There are a number of health related student organizations you can connect with as well.
Rice
Rice does not have a pre-med major. While they used to offer a BS/MD program in conjunction with the Baylor College of Medicine, this ended several years ago. They do have a pre-health advising office, which exists to give students advice on coursework, extracurriculars, and their medical school applications. Rice’s pre-med society is the main student organization aimed at pre-meds on campus.
Stanford University
Stanford does not have a standardized pre-med major. They do have a pre health advising office to guide students with coursework, finding extracurriculars, and applying to medical schools. There is a pre-medical association, which is the primary student organization devoted to medicine on campus.
UC Berkeley
UC berkeley does not offer a pre-med major, but they do have a well developed pre health advising program. This helps students connect with resources on campus, gives advice on courses to take, and helps you prepare for your medical school applications. There is a also a pre-medical honors society sponsored by the College of Letters and Sciences, which is open to undergraduates with high academic achievement.
UCLA
UCLA does not have a pre-med major, but instead offers pre-health advising to students interested in careers in medicine. This helps students plan out their coursework, connect with extracurricular opportunities, and prepare their applications to medical school. There is a pre-med student group on campus which seeks to serve as a support network for students interested in medicine at the school.
University of Chicago
Uchicago does not have a dedicated pre-med major, but they do have an early assurance program which allows current undergraduate students to apply for and enroll in their medical school without all of the normal application components. This is a very competitive program, and requires a very high degree of academic achievement. Only a small number of students are admitted through this program each year. Other students avail themselves of the pre-health advising office, which offers guidance on course selection, extracurriculars, and applying to medical school.
University of Pennsylvania
UPenn has a college of nursing, but that is intended for students who want to enter careers as nurses; most students interested in pursuing medical school do not attend this college. Their pre-med advising office offers guidance on coursework, extracurricular placement, and your applications to medical school. Their pre-med student association is the most prominent pre-med student group on campus.
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt does not have a set pre-med major, but they do have a pre health advising office, which offers guidance on course selection, extracurriculars, and applying to medical schools. The pre-med society is a student group designed to help pre-meds with networking and finding their footing on campus.
Yale University
Yale does not have a set pre-med major, but does have a pre-med advising office. This is aimed at both undergrads and alumni, and is designed to help you with your application to medical school. Yale does have an attached medical school, but they do not intentionally advantage Yale undergraduates in admissions.
Final Thoughts
Pre-med is a common track at all of these colleges, and they are well used to helping students deal with the needs and quirks of applying to medical schools. While this is rarely a solid major, there is a well-worn track for you to follow should you so choose. We hope that this article has given you a sense of what this track looks like at different universities, and the individual quirks which might make one or another more appealing to your needs.
One thing all of these programs have in common, however, is how competitive they are for admissions. Pre med is a competitive field, and that begins with getting into college in the first place. If you are looking for help with your applications, or advice on which pre-med program is best suited to your needs, schedule a free consultation with us today. We’ve helped hundreds of students take their first steps on the path to being called “Doctor” and we’re always eager to hear from you.
