At Boston College, the Pre-Health Program team operates as a cohesive advising unit that closely collaborates with students and alumni during each year of portfolio development to help create a career narrative. Pre-Health students at Boston College have a number of individuals from whom they can seek advice. The Director and Assistant Directors of the program as well as members of our Pre-Health Committee, which is composed of faculty members from various academic departments, are all available to meet with students on an individual basis.
Group meetings are also held for first-year students, sophomores, juniors, seniors, and alumni. During these meetings, students are updated regarding current admissions trends and appropriate advising packets (e.g., Freshman Packet or Sophomore Packet).
Required & Recommended Courses
You can take Pre-Health course requirements—except for chemistry and organic chemistry—any year and in any order. Most students spread the coursework over four years and apply to professional or graduate school as seniors or alumni. To continue on to professional or graduate school directly after graduation from BC, you must complete the required courses in three years and take the MCAT. Keep in mind some schools require specific course work beyond these basic requirements. We recommend researching schools of interest to check their prerequisite courses. To view prerequisite courses at Allopathic Medical Schools check the AAMC MSAR Prerequisite Course Report.
Suggested Curriculum for Pre-Health Students
- Two semesters of biology with lab
- Two semesters of general chemistry with lab
- Two semesters of organic chemistry with lab and/or one semester of organic chemistry with one semester of biochemistry
- Two semesters of physics with lab (algebra-based physics is acceptable contingent on major program requirements)
- Two semesters of English
- Two semesters of math (strongly recommended)
Most BC applicants elect to distribute the pre-health coursework over four years of undergraduate study to apply to health professions graduate schools, including medical, dental, veterinary and other allied health programs. The average age of a student matriculating into medical school nationally is approximately 25 years old, therefore, many elect to take one or more "growth" years to explore, reflect, and take action to address any weakness to improve the competitiveness of an applicant's candidacy.
In order to matriculate to a health professions graduate school directly upon graduation from BC, the student must complete all course requirements in three years, in addition to successful completion of standardized testing.
| Course # | Course Title |
|---|---|
| BIOL2000 | Molecules and Cells (Required) |
| Any course above Biol 2000* | 2nd Biology Course Requirement |
| BIOL2040 | Investigations in Molecular Cell Bio Lab ** (1 semester/3 credits; fall or spring) |
* Any other Biology course above BIOL2000. For example: Intro to Physiology, Ecology and Evolution, Genetics, Cell Biology. Please note that Molecules and Cells is a prerequisite for advanced Biology courses. Additionally, the MCAT and DAT contain a subset of questions on Ecology and Evolution, so you should study the sections on ecology and evolution in the standardized test preparation materials for either the MCAT or the DAT.
** Biology/Biochemistry majors will take the Biology lab sophomore year, all other majors will take the Bio lab junior year.
| Course # | Course Title |
|---|---|
| CHEM1109 | General Chemistry I with Lab |
| CHEM1110 | General Chemistry II with Lab |
| CHEM2231 | Organic Chemistry I with Lab |
| CHEM2232 | Organic Chemistry II with Lab OR (1 semester of Biochemistry) |
| Course # | Course Title |
|---|---|
PHYS1500 PHYS1501 OR | Foundations of Physics I (Alegebra based) Foundations of Physics II (Algebra based) OR |
PHYS2100 PHYS2101 PHYS2050 PHYS2051 | Physics I (Calculus based)*** Physics II (Calculus based) Introduction to Physics Lab I Introduction to Physics Lab II |
***Foundations of Physics (PHYS 1500–1501; algebra based) and lab (PHYS 2050–2051) also fulfill health professions graduate school requirements. Depending on your major requirements, you may have a choice to fulfill the Pre-Health requirement with Algebra-based Physics. Please note that in preparation for the MCAT and Health Professions Graduate Schools, either Physics course sequence is acceptable. Please check with your department regarding your major requirements.
| Course # | Course Title |
|---|---|
| ENGL1080 | Literature Core |
| ENGL1010 | First-Year Writing Seminar**** |
**** Regardless of whether or not you received advanced placement in English, it is strongly recommended that students take two English courses while in college. The First-Year Writing Seminar fulfills the requirement of ONE English course. Many who have APs also choose to take Introduction to Medical Humanities (ENGL2212).
| Course # | Course Title |
|---|---|
| MATH1100 | Calculus I |
| MATH1101 | Calculus II |
| SOCY2200, PSYC1120, or BIO2030 | Sociology Statistics, Psychology Statistics, or Biostatistics |
Please note that the majority of Pre-Health students do not take Calculus for Math/Science majors as this is for the Chemistry/Computer Science, Geology/Geophysics, Mathemetics, or Physics majors.
| Course # | Course Title |
|---|---|
| CHEM4461, CHEM4462, or BIOL2030 | Biochemistry***** or Biological Chemistry |
*****Some health professions graduate schools require Biochemistry and Statistics.
Note: Biological Chemistry or Biochemistry are both electives that are most often either required or strongly recommended by health professions graduate schools.
| Course # | Course Title |
|---|---|
| PSYC1110 or PSYC1111 | Brain, Mind, and Behavior or Self, Mind, and Society |
The recommendation is to take at least one of these Psychology courses before you sit for the MCAT.
| Course # | Course Title |
|---|---|
| SOCY1001 or SOCY1002 | Introduction to Sociology or Introduction to Sociology for Healthcare Professions |
The recommendation is to take at least one of these Sociology courses before you take the MCAT.