PreMed and PreHealth Studies
The PreMed and PreHealth Advising Program provides support for Northeastern University undergraduate students and alumni who are planning to pursue training in medicine, including allopathic medicine (MD), osteopathic medicine (DO), dentistry, optometry, physician assistant studies, podiatric medicine, and veterinary medicine.
Academic course requirements for health professional programs may be integrated into any major at Northeastern. Health professional school admission committees generally give no preference to any particular undergraduate major. As such, students should focus on meeting the course requirements of their chosen health professional program, together with their undergraduate degree requirements, with demonstrated academic rigor and excellence. For some majors it may be necessary to complete additional credit hours of coursework, with associated tuition, to fulfill all premed/prehealth course requirements.
Common Coursework
Most health professional schools require a common set of courses. The courses listed below meet the course requirements of many health professional programs. These are intended to provide a foundation in subject areas relevant to the student’s intended health professional program and its corresponding entrance exam.
Academic policies and course requirements are school specific. Students should research requirements and plan a program of study as early as possible in consultation with both their academic and prehealth advisor to determine the best way to successfully complete their required coursework. Please refer to the relevant information and website(s) below, as well as official admissions guidebooks, for detailed requirements.
Note: Corequisite laboratories are required for most basic science courses.
-
Biology (two semesters)
-
General chemistry (two-semester sequence or a single-semester general chemistry course)
-
Organic chemistry (two-semester sequence)
-
Physics (two-semester sequence)
-
Biochemistry (one semester; prerequisites: organic chemistry 2 and genetics and molecular biology)
-
Mathematics (one semester each of calculus and statistics)
-
Writing (two semesters of writing-based social science or humanities/English composition coursework)
-
Behavioral sciences (an introductory psychology and sociology course are recommended for MCAT preparation but typically not required for admission)
Supporting Information
PreMed and PreHealth Advising Overview
- Pre-Dental Information
- Pre-Med Information
- Pre-Optometry Information
- Pre-Physician Assistant Information
- Pre-Podiatry Information
- Pre-Veterinary Information
Advanced Placement
Each school will have its own policies regarding AP and/or IB credit. It is best to consult the school's website or admissions office to learn about its policies.
Generally, applicants may use AP or IB credit toward prerequisite courses. However, AP/IB credit often does not reduce the required coursework needed at the college level. Applicants may be expected to take the equivalent number of upper-level courses within that subject if they earned AP/IB credit.
Study-Abroad Coursework
Not all health professional schools will accept core science (biology, chemistry, math, or physics) prerequisite coursework taken outside of the United States or Canada. Students should consult with their prehealth advisor before enrolling at an institution outside of the United States or Canada to complete core science coursework for a health professional program.