How to be a strong candidate for medical school
College of Health
Select a major that gives you a unique path and perspective
Elements of a strong pre-med application
Medical schools take a holistic approach in considering applicants.
They look at experiences in health care, service, clubs, service organizations, leadership roles, job shadowing and more; attributes such as personal history, hardships and resiliency, critical thinking skills, cultural competency and diversity; and metrics such as your GPA (minimum 3.2), grade trends and MCAT scores (minimum 501), as well as science requirements.
It’s also important to build excellent relationships who might also serve as references, seek opportunities, and convey your passion for health.
What to major in for pre-med?
Medical schools don’t require a specific major to apply, and there is no preferred major for any specialty. Any of our academic programs will prepare you for med school success, provided you complete prerequisites in the sciences and mathematics.
College of Health majors that incorporate some of the requirements for medical school, include kinesiology-pre-therapy and allied health option and nutrition-nutrition and health sciences option.
Our public health major allows you to approach medical school from a unique perspective. It also leaves room in your schedule for adding science requirements.
Courses required for medical school
Most medical schools require the following courses:
- 1 year general chemistry
- 1 year organic chemistry
- 1 year general biology
- 1 year general physics
- At least one math course; preferably also statistics
- Social science courses (consider HDFS courses)
- Humanities
Online courses, study abroad and international science courses are usually not accepted by medical schools for completing prerequisites.
Most medical schools highly recommend:
- Anatomy and Physiology (included in the college’s kinesiology degree)
- Genetics
- Biochemistry
- Cell and Molecular Biology
- Physiology
How to choose extracurriculars for medical schools
When considering extracurricular activities for your medical school application, three or four in-depth experiences where you gain valuable lessons are more important than trying to check off a wide range and number of activities.
Show you care
Medical schools care about what you care about.
This means your experiences could be:
- patient- or people-focused,
- contribute to building community,
- be sports-related,
- or be physical activities,
- or creative or artistic pursuits.
It's your opportunity
Extracurricular experiences are an opportunity for you to:
- Explore your interests,
- test out your natural inclinations for certain activities,
- better understand medical practice and daily demands,
- assess your ability to communicate and empathize with diverse people,
- and evaluate your willingness to put others’ needs ahead of your own.
Medical schools value commitment to the health care field.
To be a strong applicant, we recommend at least one year of health care related experiences.
Review this example pre-med timeline so you’re well-positioned to achieve your goal of attending medical school.
Take advantage of pre-med resources
Attend application seminars, the pre-medical orientation seminar, and a personal statement workshop.
A medical preceptorship program will immerse you in a clinical environment with a physician mentor to give you a firsthand look into the profession.
More resources
- Pre-med Listserv: Subscribe to the pre-med email list for information about upcoming events, application workshops, campus visits, etc.
- Minority Association of Pre-Med Students: (MAPS) is a club that is committed to supporting underrepresented minority students pursue medical school.
- Pre-Med Society: Join the Oregon State University chapter of the AMSA Pre-Medical Society.
- Premedical Orientation Class - BI 109: Take this class winter term of your first year. You’ll learn about the application process, the MCAT, admissions, volunteer opportunities, etc.
- Is pre-med right for me? A guide to help you think about if pre-med is the right path for you.
We’re here to help you plan for medical school
If you're interested in attending medical school, meet with the College of Health pre-med advisor toward the end of your first year, or as soon as possible, to learn about and prepare for the application process.
By working with the COH pre-med advisor, you will also establish a mentoring relationship, a critical part of the process.
Please read
Advising
Advising appointments can be made by calling the College of Health's Office of Student Success at 541-737-8900.
Are you a current College of Health student interested in pursuing medicine? Please complete the Pre-med Initial Interest form.