Medical schools in the United States do not require a major in science for admission. They are usually looking for students who have completed a portfolio of required coursework during their undergraduate years, which help them prepare for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). These courses often include, but are not limited to, physics, biology, chemistry, mathematics, English writing, and social and behavioral sciences.
The requirements for four-year doctoral programs in many healthcare professions, including medicine and dentistry, are similar and standardized across most professional schools.
However, some requirements for some health professions may vary. For example, some programs may not require organic chemistry, while other may require multiple psychology or statistics courses. Therefore, students are encouraged to research the admissions requirements based on their interest.
The prerequisites below indicate the order courses should be taken, but factors such as academic background, selected major, and participation in various programs at the university will impact when each student takes these courses.
Recommended Courses for Application to Medical Schools
| Course Number | Course Title | Pre-requisites or Co-requisites |
| MATH-SHU 131 | Calculus | Pre-req: Placement or MATH-SHU 9 Precalculus |
| PHYS-SHU 91/ PHYS-SHU 11 | Foundations of Physics I Honors/General Physics I | Pre-req or Co-req: MATH-SHU 201 Honors Calculus/MATH-SHU 131 Calculus |
| CHEM-SHU 125 | Foundations of Chemistry I | Pre-req or Co-req: MATH-SHU 131 Calculus |
| Calculus/MATH-SHU 201 Honors Calculus | ||
| PHYS-SHU 71 | FoS Physics Laboratory | Pre-req or Co-req: PHYS-SHU 91 Foundations of Physics I Honors/PHYS-SHU 11 General Physics I |
| PHYS-SHU 93/ PHYS-SHU 12 | Foundations of Physics II Honors/General Physics II | Pre-req: PHYS-SHU 91 Foundations of Physics I Honors/PHYS-SHU 11 General Physics I |
| PHYS-SHU 94 | Physics II Lab | Pre-req: PHYS-SHU 71 FoS Physics Laboratory |
| CHEM-SHU 126 | Foundations of Chemistry II | Pre-req: CHEM-SHU 125 Foundations of Chemistry I |
| CHEM-SHU 127 | FoS Chemistry Laboratory | Pre-req or Co-req: CHEM-SHU 125 Foundations of Chemistry I |
| CHEM-SHU 128 | Chemistry II Lab | Pre-req or Co-req: CHEM-SHU 125 Foundations of Chemistry II |
| BIOL-SHU 21 | Foundations of Biology I | Pre-req or Co-req: MATH-SHU 131 Calculus or MATH-SHU 201 Honors Calculus |
| BIOL-SHU 22 | Foundations of Biology II | Pre-req: BIOL-SHU 21 Foundations of Biology I |
| BIOL-SHU 123 | FoS Biology Laboratory | Pre-req: BIOL-SHU 21 Foundations of Biology I |
| / | One Statistics Course (e.g., Probability and Statistics, Biostatistics) | |
| CHEM-SHU 225 | Organic Chemistry I | Pre-req: CHEM-SHU 126 Foundations of Chemistry II |
| CHEM-SHU 226 | Organic Chemistry II | Pre-req: CHEM-SHU 225 Organic Chemistry I |
| CHEM-SHU 881 | Biochemistry I | Pre-req: CHEM-SHU 226 Organic Chemistry II |
| / | Two Writing Courses | Combination of one or two Humanities or Global China Studies courses focused on writing |
| PSYC-SHU 101 | Introduction to Psychology | / |
| / | Introductory Sociology Course (e.g., Introduction to Sociology, Sociology of Medicine, Health & Society in a Global Context) | / |
Courses Offered at Study Away Sites
| Course Number at NYUSH | Course Title | Course Offerings at Study Away Sites |
| MATH-SHU 235 | Probability and Statistics | NYU Abu Dhabi: Probability and Statistics - MATH-UH 2011Q - 4 points |
| CHEM-SHU 225 | Organic Chemistry I | NYU Abu Dhabi: NYU New York: |
| CHEM-SHU 226 | Organic Chemistry II | NYU Abu Dhabi: NYU New York: NYU London: NYU Sydney: Organic Chemistry II - CHEM-UA 9226 - 5 points (Lecture, Laboratory, & Recitation) |
| CHEM-SHU 881 | Biochemistry I | NYU Abu Dhabi: Biochemistry I - CHEM-UA 881 - 4 points (Lecture & Recitation) |
| / | Two Writing Courses | NYU London: World Literature in English II: Australia and New Zealand - ENGL-UA 9164 - 4 points Readings in Contemporary Literary Theory: Eco-Criticism - ENVST-UA 9510 or ENGL-UA 9735 - 4 points |
| / | Introductory Psychology | NYU Abu Dhabi: NYU London: NYU Sydney: Introduction to Psychology - PSYCH-UA 1 - 4 points |
| / | Introductory Sociology | NYU New York: Introduction to Sociology - SOC-UA 1 - 4 points |
Notes
- Students can use literature and writing courses at NYU Shanghai to fulfill writing course requirements. Creative writing courses are not recommended because they usually do not focus on writing about or interpreting advanced texts. Students can also take writing courses at NYU’s global academic centers. To avoid confusing medical school admissions committees, you should only take writing courses offered by English departments (with "ENGL" in their course numbers).
- Students who plan to take the MCAT should to plan to take at least two courses in behavioral or social sciences, because a broad range of social science topics are tested on that exam. We strongly recommend Introduction to Psychology (PSYC-SHU 101/PSYCH-UA 1) as an individual-level social science course, and recommend that students choose a second course that focuses on population-level topics, such as Introduction to Sociology (SOC-UA 1), Sociology of Medicine (SOC-UA 414), and Health & Society in a Global Context (UGPH-GU 10) offered in New York. In addition to coursework, students can consult the AAMC's MCAT preparation resources as well as free resources like Khan Academy's MCAT tools and the MedEd Portal to study up on social science topics for the MCAT.
- Applying as an International Student to US Medical Programs