Premedical Program
Students interested in pursuing a career in allopathic (M.D.), osteopathic (D.O.), podiatric, or veterinary medicine; dentistry; or optometry should take advantage of the College's Premedical Program. The Premedical Program is not a major; it is a program under the guidance of the Premedical Committee designed to assist students with pre-professional planning and applications to professional schools. Premedical students should consult members of the Premedical Committee early in their academic careers, formally notify the Chair of the Premedical Committee of their interest in considering a career in medicine, and attend all premed meetings. To become aware of expectations, requirements, Premedical Committee deadlines, and application deadlines, premedical students should read the advising information found on the College's premedical web site, including the "Checklist and Timetable for Washington College Premedical Students." Students seeking a Committee Letter from the Washington College Premedical Committee (required/recommended by the majority of medical schools) must be aware of Committee requirements and deadlines for a Committee Letter. Premedical committee members include Drs. Kathleen Verville (Program Advisor), Anne Marteel-Parrish, Juan Lin, and George Spilich.
Students should begin to plan their program of coursework immediately upon entering the College. Although many premedical students major in one of the Natural Sciences, any major offered by the College may be chosen. Students are encouraged to explore courses and activities outside their major. In addition to fulfilling the requirements for the major and for graduation from Washington College, premedical students will need to take those courses required for professional school admission. These most commonly include:
- General Biology (BIO 111, 112)
- General Chemistry (CHE 111, 112)
- Organic Chemistry (CHE 201, 202)
- Physics (PHY 111, 112)
- Two semesters of Math (Note: Math requirements vary. Because PHY 111, 112 at Washington College recommends Differential and Integral Calculus, and because many medical schools expect students to take Differential Calculus, students are advised to take Differential Calculus (MAT 201). Students who perform well in MAT 201 are encouraged to consider Integral Calculus (MAT 202), which is required by some medical schools. A course in statistics is recommended.)
- Two semesters of English
- Social Science and Humanities courses.
A limited number of schools have fewer requirements, while many others have additional requirements and/or recommended courses. As admission requirements vary among institutions, students are encouraged to consult the appropriate web sites for each area of medicine (aamc.org, aacom.org, aacpm.org, aavmc.org, adea.org, opted.org) as well as books that list requirements of each professional school: Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR), Veterinary Medical School Admission Requirements of the United States and Canada (VMSAR), and Official Guide to Dental Schools. These books, which are updated annually, are available in the Premedical Reading Area of the Toll Science Center. Most of the required science courses listed above are also necessary for preparation for the admissions tests such as the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), the Dental Admission Test (DAT), and the Optometry Admission Test (OAT), which students should plan to take before applying to professional school.
Students may plan to attend professional school the academic year following graduation, but are encouraged to consider taking additional time. Those who wish to attend professional school immediately following graduation must plan coursework especially carefully so that courses required for admission (many of which are also necessary for successful completion of the admission tests) are completed by the end of the Junior year. This allows an application to be submitted early in the summer between the Junior and Senior years. A sample schedule for each major that allows for completion of required courses by the end of the Junior year is shown below; however, because there are many other possible course arrangements and because students differ in academic background, each student is encouraged to seek individual advice.
Regardless of the timing of the application, careful and early planning of courses required for the major, graduation, and medical school admission is important because many required courses have prerequisites, some students may need to take additional courses (e.g. Precalculus) for adequate preparation, and some course combinations are not recommended.
Students with Advanced Placement credit in required premedical courses should seek advice from the Premedical Committee, as many medical schools do not accept AP credit for required courses. Those schools typically ask students either to retake the course at a four-year college or to take additional upper level courses in the discipline(s) in which the AP credit was received. Those students planning to study abroad should seek advice about coursework planning and should take all required premedical courses in the United States. Required courses should not be taken Pass/Fail. Students who do not have U.S. citizenship or permanent residency should seek out early advice about career planning and be aware that it is very difficult for non-U.S. citizens/permanent residents to gain entry into U.S. medical schools and to finance their medical education.