Recommended Courses for Prehealth Students

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.

Prehealth Courses

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:
Organic Chemistry 1 - CHEM-UH 2010 - 4 points

NYU New York:
Organic Chemistry I - CHEM-UA 225 - 5 points (Lecture, Lab, & Recitation)

NYU London: Organic Chemistry I - CHEM-UA 9225 - 5 points (Lecture, Lab, & Recitation)
CHEM-SHU 226 Organic Chemistry II

NYU Abu Dhabi:
Organic Chemistry 2 - CHEM-UH 3010 - 4 points

NYU New York:
Organic Chemistry II - CHEM-UA 226 - 5 points (Lecture, Lab, & Recitation)

NYU London:
Organic Chemistry II - CHEM-UA 9226 - 5 points (Lecture, Laboratory, & Recitation)

NYU Sydney:
Organic Chemistry II - CHEM-UA 9226 - 5 points (Lecture, Laboratory, & Recitation)

NYU Tel Aviv:
Organic Chemistry II - CHEM-UA 9226 - 5 points (Lecture, Laboratory, & Recitation)
CHEM-SHU 881 Biochemistry I

NYU Abu Dhabi:
Biochemistry: Macromolecular Structure and Function - CHEM-UH 3020 - 4 points

NYU New York:
Biochemistry I - CHEM-UA 881 - 4 points (Lecture & Recitation)
/ Two Writing Courses

NYU London:
Gothic Literature - ENGL-UA 9056 - 4 points Modern Drama and Performance in London (Lecture & Theatre Visits) - DRLIT-UA 9133 or ENGL-UA 9133 - 4 points Writing London - ENGL-UA 9182 - 4 points The English Novel in the Nineteenth Century - ENGL-UA 9530 - 4 points Major British Writers - ENGL-UA 9060 - 4 points Postcolonial Indian Literature - ENGL-UA 9975 - 4 points

NYU Sydney:
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:
Introduction to Psychology - PSYCH-UH 1001 - 4 points

NYU London:
Introduction to Psychology - PSYCH-UA 9001 - 4 points

NYU Sydney:
Introduction to Psychology - PSYCH-UA 9001 - 4 points

NYU New York:
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