What Are the Premed Requirements?

The AAMC publishes each school's course requirements in its MSAR database. MedEdits tallied the 2027 MSAR premed course requirements across 166 MD programs, and the counts look like this.

The required counts undersell some subjects. Biochemistry is required at 95 programs and recommended at another 47. Behavioral and social science is required at only 22 but recommended at 63, and math or statistics is recommended at 48 more on top of the 64 that require it.

The other surprise is how many schools have no course list at all. Those 38 programs judge your preparation through holistic review instead, usually against competencies rather than course titles. They still expect you to know the science; they just don't check it course by course.

DO prerequisites are more uniform. AACOM says requirements vary by college but generally include at least one year of biology, one year of physics, one year of English composition and two years of chemistry. At most colleges, that chemistry means general and organic.

Each college's exact list is in AACOM's Choose DO Explorer. If you're weighing both paths, the MD vs DO breakdown covers how admissions and outcomes differ.

Take the courses the MCAT^® covers, and most schools' lists come along for free. The Psych/Soc section, for example, draws on one semester each of introductory psychology and sociology plus introductory biology. The science sections draw on biology, general and organic chemistry, physics and first-semester biochemistry.

A list that covers the large majority of MD and DO schools:

• Biology: two semesters, with lab.
• General chemistry: two semesters, with lab.
• Organic chemistry: two semesters, with lab.
• Physics: two semesters, with lab.
• Biochemistry: one semester.
• English or writing: two semesters.
• Statistics: one semester. Check whether any of your schools want calculus too.
• Psychology and sociology: one introductory semester each.

That's roughly the full premed sequence, and you don't need a science major to complete it. The timing matters too, since most people want these done before the MCAT^®. When Should You Take the MCAT? lays out how the coursework, the exam and the application calendar fit together.

A few rules vary enough between schools that they catch applicants every cycle:

• AP credit. Many schools accept it only if you take a higher-level course in the same subject, and some don't accept it for prerequisites at all.
• Community college courses. Most schools accept them, but some note that doing most of your science at a two-year school can count against you.
• Online labs. Some schools accept online lectures but still want labs taken in person.
• Retaken courses. Both AMCAS and AACOMAS average every attempt, so a retake adds a grade rather than replacing one. The B in orgo article covers what one weak grade does to an application.

All four come from school-by-school policies, so the MSAR or each school's website has the final word.

Courses are one piece. Most schools also expect:

• An MCAT score. Nearly every school requires one. How Long It Takes to Study for the MCAT covers how much prep time to budget after your courses.
• Letters of evaluation. AACOM says all medical schools require them, and the number and type vary by school.
• Clinical exposure and shadowing. Schools want evidence you've seen patient care up close. Many DO schools specifically look for time shadowing an osteopathic physician.
• Service and other experiences. The AAMC's premed competencies describe what schools are looking for: 17 competencies in three groups, professional, science, and thinking and reasoning.

If you're coming to this late or from another career, the Is It Too Late? article covers the path for career changers.

When you start studying, the PurpleCAT content library is organized around the AAMC's MCAT^® outline, so you can see how your coursework maps onto the exam.

Last verified October 29, 2026, against the 2027 MSAR course requirements (as tallied by MedEdits) and AACOM's admissions requirements page. Requirements change each cycle; check each school before you apply.