Course Requirements for Pre-Med/Pre-Dent Students
By the end of the junior year the applicant should have completed the following virtually universal minimum requirements for either kind of school.
At least 90 semester hours (3 years) of college work in an accredited institution, exclusive of physical education courses, including:
- English (6 hrs min., including ENG 150)
One year courses with laboratory (8 hrs. each) in:
- General Biology (BIO 211 and 212 OR 201+205 and 202+206)
- General Chemistry (CHM 203-206)
- Organic Chemistry (CHM 321-324)
- General Physics (PHY 211 and 212)
Some medical schools have additional requirements and/or recommendations. Many pre-medical and pre-dental students take some biology beyond the two semesters of General Biology, for example physiology (available from BIO, BMS, and EXS departments), genetics (BIO 317/318), and biochemistry (available from BMS and CHM departments). The University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) requires biochemistry and genetics. Calculus is not required by most medical and dental schools, and is on neither the MCAT nor the DAT; however, most pre-medical and pre-dental students nationwide take at least one semester of calculus. Creighton pre-medical and pre-dental students must have Calculus I (MTH 245) credit, or demonstrate equivalent competency on our calculus waiver exam, in order to enroll in General Physics (PHY 211/212). Some medical schools, including UNMC, require college credit for mathematics (such as calculus or statistics).
Some medical schools, including UNMC, may not consider credit hours earned through certain examinations (such as CLEP or AP) as substitutes for taking particular required courses in college, though they may allow higher-level courses taken in college as substitutes. Data about specific schools and their requirements, as well as other valuable information about applying to medical and dental schools (admissions statistics, financial aid, etc.), may be found in the following annual publications:
Medical School Admissions Requirements
United States and Canada
Available from the
American Assoc. of Medical Colleges - Web site: www.aamc.org
Phone: (202)-828-0416
Osteopathic Medical College Information
Available from the American Assoc. of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine
Web site: www.aacom.org
Phone: (301)-968-4100
Admissions requirements of U.S. and Canadian Dental Schools
Available from the American Dental Education Association (formerly the American Association of Dental Schools)
Web site: http://www.adea.org
Phone: (202)-667-9433
These books are sold at the Creighton Bookstore and are available in the Reinert Alumni Library (in the reference section and on closed reserve) and in the Career and Academic Planning (CAP) Center.