Pre-medical (often referred to as pre-med ) is an educational path used by undergraduate students in the United States and Canada before becoming a medical student. It involves activities that prepare students for medical school, such as pre-med courses, voluntary activities, clinical experience, research, and application processes. Some pre-med courses that provide extensive preparation are referred to as "pre-professional" and may simultaneously prepare students for admission to the first professional degree or professional graduate programs that require similar prerequisites (such as medical, veterinary, or pharmacy schools).
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Mayor
In most colleges and universities, students have no choice for pre-medical or minor academic majors. A student on a pre-med line may choose a bachelor's degree in any field, provided that a particular course is required has been completed. Such courses are generally focused on the scientific fields of biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, neuroscience, and physics, required to prepare the Medical University Admission Test (MCAT) and meet most of the medical school prerequisites. It is for this reason that students on the pre-median path generally undertake majors related to one of these areas; However, an increasing number of students with a background in humanities have applied in recent years, a situation welcomed by medical schools. For example, Mount Sinai School of Medicine has created a special program for non-science majors. The Humanities and Medicine program recognizes students taking a major in humanities or social studies without the need for an MCAT, or a science course.
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Pre-med timeline
A typical pre-medical student will arrange their lecture at the first year at the university to accommodate the necessary courses. After one semester, many are pursuing extracurricular activities that demonstrate a commitment to drugs. After the first year arrives, students enroll and take MCAT, the required standardized test used by medical schools to identify qualified candidates. After the tests are taken, students enroll in various schools using the American American College of Service (AMCAS) automated system, the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS) system, or in some cases, the school's own application system. The main applications of AMCAS are verified by AMCAS staff, a process that often takes four to six weeks. The application process consists of academic record reviews, MCAT scores, activities, work experience, and personal statements. Applicants can expect to hear from school within a few months, where they can receive a "secondary app". Different schools have different policies in sending secondary apps to students; many send secondary apps to all students, others filter apps before inviting applicants to apply for secondary applications. This application is produced by each school. They generally contain essay questions to be answered by the applicant to show that the applicant has the qualities deemed necessary by the school to be a good medical student and doctor. Eligible applicants may receive an invitation for an interview at the next school. After completing the interview and receipt of additional application materials, the application is considered complete, and the students then wait for the school's decision to accept or reject the students.
Some applicants receive admission to medical school through the "post-baccalaureate" pre-medical program. These programs may be formal, such as programs offered through Columbia, Johns Hopkins, Mayo Clinic with Barrett, The Honors College, Bryn Mawr, Goucher and Scripps, or semi-formal, such as programs offered at Harvard, but often consist of an informal student enrolls in a college to complete a science course that is required to enter a medical school before sitting down for MCAT. The American Medical Colleges Association (AAMC) manages a list of all pre-medical pre-medical pre-medical programs in the United States.
Course
AAMC has made a list of compulsory subjects to be taken by every pre-medical student. Each school is allowed to place further requirements.
Pre-medical courses are offered at many American colleges and universities; However, this is considered a "path" that follows a particular curriculum. Most pre-medical students are majoring in natural and applied sciences, such as agricultural sciences, biology, chemistry, or physics, although this is not a requirement. Some pre-professional degree programs in agriculture prepare students for direct entry into the workforce in areas with high demand, while also meeting the requirements for medical or veterinary schools. The latter curriculum model is intended to improve the working ability of graduates who are waiting to enter or choose not to attend a professional or graduate school.
The courses to be taken to meet the pre-medical requirements of AAMC are two years of chemistry, with one being in chemistry, one year of biology, and one year of physics. The course requirements are expected to change since the MR5 Committee, charged with revising the MCAT which has created a new set of core competencies for success in education and medical practice. These core competencies will include greater emphasis on molecular genetics in the biological curriculum and will include biochemistry. In addition, MCAT 2015 will test in areas related to multicultural sensitivity and in critical analysis of ethics and philosophy. Many medical colleges and pre-medical pre-medical advisory offices have not yet formalized pre-medical curricular recommendations. While not addressing changes in mathematics, physics, psychosocial or the humanities part of pre-medical education, the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) developed a set of pre-medical curricular recommendations. ASBMB recommends that biology years include genetics; that common and organic chemistry is taught in the orientation toward the chemical molecules found in living things; that a biochemical semester is required and two biochemical semesters are recommended; and that laboratory course requirements may be taught in biology, chemistry or biochemistry, as long as methods of research and data analysis are emphasized.
Pre-medical students may be advised or asked to take top-level biological and chemical subjects, such as cellular biology, physical chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology, and genetics. The specific requirements for these courses vary by institution. Schools may also have requirements for non-science classes. Some require a number of general humanities credits, while others have special requirements for courses in English, psychology, or other disciplines.
Volunteer and clinical experience
Many pre-medical students volunteer in health care settings to explore career options in medicine. Previous volunteer experiences can increase the possibility of applicants for admission to medical school. Often volunteer experience is a topic of discussion during medical school interviews. Some students "overshadow" a doctor, where students follow a doctor, directly observe the doctor as they care for the patient.
Other countries
In Australia and the UK, a number of universities offer a three or four year Bachelor of Medicine degree, a Bachelor of Health Sciences or a Biomedical Science degree, similar in content and aims for a pre-medical course in the US. However, it is also possible to earn admission to a professional degree program in medicine (usually a Bachelor's degree in Medicine and a Bachelor of Surgery) directly from high school if applicants achieve a high score after graduation and succeed in Medical Science and Medical Sciences Undergraduate Entry Test (UMAT) Australia and New Zealand, and the UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) and the BioMedical Admission Test (BMAT) for the UK medical program.
See also
- Pre-health sciences
- Flexner Report
References
Source of the article : Wikipedia