Ten Best Majors For Med School In The United States

Key Takeaways:

Medical school is intense, teaching subjects like anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology, and requires hands-on clinical experience.
The journey to becoming a healthcare provider demands a significant commitment and rigorous education.
Humanities and Physical Sciences are among the top majors with high medical school acceptance rates, at 44% and 48%, respectively.
Critical coursework for potential medical students includes Communications, Ethics, Economics, Chemistry, Biology, and Quantitative Analysis.
Success in medical school requires a blend of academic excellence and a strong understanding of healthcare issues.

Medical school is a demanding and rigorous educational process that requires dedication, hard work, and perseverance. It is an intense educational program that focuses on providing students with the necessary skills and knowledge to become successful healthcare providers. Medical school teaches a wide range of topics, including anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, pathology, and clinical medicine.

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Students are also expected to complete a significant amount of hands-on clinical work in order to gain experience in diagnosing and treating patients. Medical school can be a challenging and rewarding experience that can lead to a rewarding career in the healthcare field. It is important to research the various medical schools available and find one that can best meet the individual’s needs and goals. With hard work and dedication, medical school can be an incredibly fulfilling and enriching experience.

The best majors to get into School are the most common degrees for medical school applicants that encompass core education majors. Do you want to go to school? If you’ve always wanted to help people and work to guarantee better health outcomes, you’ve come to the right place. Demand is going up faster than the current supply of medical professionals.

Most aspiring medical students want to know the best pre med major to help them get accepted into medical school. Unfortunately, there is not one specific answer. While the field you major in seems essential, the prerequisite classes undergraduates take to prepare for school are equally important. So, it is not a coincidence that the most popular majors for school have classes that meet the prerequisite requirements.

Most Common Majors Accepted into Medical School

So how do you get into medical school? First, you’ll need an undergraduate degree. What should you study? That’s what we will look at in this ranking. The answers might surprise you. First, let’s explore the average medical school acceptance rate by major:

1) Humanities

School Acceptance Rate : 44%

The average school acceptance rate for Humanities majors is 44%. Many of those that applied had earned at least a Bachelor’s, but not always. Some med schools will accept students who only have an associate degree, especially if they have a high GPA most want an undergraduate degree. Some of the courses you’ll complete in these undergraduate majors include:

Communications
Ethics
Economics

These three courses for humanities majors can help you in medical school and throughout your career. You’ll need to communicate effectively with a range of professionals, professors, patients, and their families. Medical students are bound by ethical considerations and will inevitably be governed by them, and finally, a basic understanding of economics will be beneficial throughout your career in medicine.

2) Physical Sciences

School Acceptance Rate : 48%

This seems like a no-brainer, considering the hard-skills overlap between physical science and medicine. The average med school acceptance rate for graduates of a physical science program is 48%. Some of the courses you’ll take in this undergraduate major include:

Chemistry
Biology
Quantitative Analysis

Medical professionals are very similar to scientists, and their science is diagnosing and treating human conditions. If you end up working in pharmaceutical medicine, chemistry will be instrumental. Understanding biology lends itself to working with human biology, and much of medicine involves measuring and analyzing your measurements.

3) Math and Statistics

School Acceptance Rate : 40%

Like the physical sciences, math and statistics go hand-in-glove with working in medicine. The medical school admissions rate for graduates of a math and statistics program is 40%. Here are some of the courses you’ll take in this undergraduate major:

Statistical Analysis
Business Analysis
Calculus

In medicine, you’ll need to follow precedent but also understand different paths produce different outcomes depending on many factors. Both calculus and statistical analysis deal with using the information you have and information you don’t to make crucial decisions. And once again, a keen analytical mind for business will go a long way in any medical career, especially for those who want to work on the business end of the field.

4) Social Sciences

Medical School Acceptance Rates : 35%

These degrees inspect how humans evolved and how institutions are created. You’ll seek out different perspectives and get out of your own. The average acceptance to medical school for these students is 35%. Some pertinent courses you’ll take with this major include:

Psychology
Research Methods
Anthropology

Medical professionals don’t always treat physical health, but they often do. However, understanding human psychology is valuable and helpful for medical professionals no matter where they work. Your medical studies will involve a lot of research, so it’ll behoove you to get good at it. Finally, understanding how society, culture, and human biological and physiological characteristics evolved ties nicely into medical study and work.

5) Biological Sciences

School Acceptance Rate : 36%

Biological sciences majors have a lot in common with medical school. Biological majors might be able to specialize in specific areas like human biology, biotechnology, or pre-medicine. The medical school admissions rate for biological sciences majors is 36%. Sample courses for this major include:

Cell Biology
Biological Literature
Microbiology

In all these courses, you’ll become intimately familiar with the basics of life. By completing a undergraduate degree in biological sciences, you’ll come into medical school with tremendous advantages. If you’re going to treat people, it’s helpful to know how their bodies function and how the cells within them contribute to those functions.

Best Majors by Prerequisites

Admission to a medical program depends as much on fulfilling the prerequisites as on the exact major. For example, humanities majors taking science classes for their electives have an excellent chance of attending a medical program. So, let’s look at the majors that give graduates and other medical school applicants the most prerequisites for medical school.

6) Pre-Medicine

You’re not going to do much better than this. By completing a pre-med program, you’ll be ready for a seamless transition to school. Furthermore, pre med majors have the most prerequisites of any undergraduate degree type and a medical college admission test. Some of the courses determined by the medical school admissions committees you’ll take in this pre med major include:

General and Organic Chemistry
Biology
Biochemistry
Biology chemistry biochemistry anatomy
Biology chemistry physics anatomy
Public health
Specialized health sciences
Exercise science kinesiology
Physical sciences

Pre med majors may also take physics, math, and microbiology courses. Some medical schools might want students to take anatomy, genetics, and more classes. However, you’ll have a considerable advantage over your peers in medical school if you come in after graduating from a pre-med program.

7) Biology

As discussed, biology majors are an excellent fit for school. A biology major may also have pre-med specializations and areas like microbiology or molecular biology. Sample courses for these majors include:

Genetics
Intro to Biochemistry
Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity

Graduates in biological sciences can work as medical lab techs, science technicians, and research associates, among other roles. Or they can go directly to medical school. Some schools might want students to take classes in neurobiology.

8) Nursing

There are many forms of nurses and nursing degrees. However, a nursing degree lends itself exceptionally well to school. You’d be entering school with the qualifications to work in an essential part of medicine. Some of the courses you’ll likely take in a nursing degree program include:

Anatomy
Nutrition
Nursing Practice and Theory

Nurses have a better sense of what medical school will be like than most of the graduates of programs on this list. Some nurses have written about a stigma about going to school from within the nursing field, but others saw their time studying and working as a nurse as a natural springboard to medical school.

9) Chemistry

Chemistry is a highly analytical field that relies on quantitative work. Many medical schools require two years of chemistry study in a lab compared to a year of biology and physics. These majors take courses in:

Physical Chemistry
Analytical Chemistry
Inorganic Chemistry

You might also take calculus and some other physical science courses. Remember, some of the likely prerequisites for school include biology courses and physics as well. Speaking of which:

10) Physics

As mentioned, many medical schools require a year of physics education with lab work as a prerequisite to entry. You’ll study physics research’s theoretical foundations and history in these degrees. You might specialize in areas like biophysics, quantum mechanics, or astrophysics. These science majors take courses that include:

History of Physics
Analytical Mechanics
Thermal Physics

Physics degrees will teach you to see all observable phenomena resulting from structures and processes. Students in this science focused major learn to quantify and deduce why things happen based on the variables involved. This clinical approach to the world is incredibly useful for a career in medicine.

Other Pre Med Majors

Science heavy majors tend to have higher admissions rates. However, schools want well rounded applicants, so other majors are also accepted. Listed below are some other majors for school.

Specialized Health Sciences
Public Health Major
Social Sciences Majors
Math Major / Statistics Majors
Foreign Language Major

Required Prerequisite Courses for Med School

Almost all medicine requires a basic understanding of science, so school applicants should have specific core prerequisites in biology, chemistry, and biochemistry. The medical school requirements vary from school to school, so check with the school you want to attend to ensure you take the correct classes.

Below is a general example of what prerequisites a future medical student and applicant needs to take to attend medical school.

Subject	General Requirements	Minimum Credits
other	Humanities, Behavioral Sciences, and Social Sciences	varies 12-36 credits
Biology	College biology with laboratory	one year or 8 semester hours
Chemistry	General college chemistry with laboratory	one year or 8 semester hours
Organic chemistry	Organic chemistry with laboratory	one semester or 4 semester hours
Biochemistry	Biochemistry minimum of 3 semester hours or 4 if lab is required	one semester or 3 semester hours
Physics	General college physics with laboratory	one year or 8 semester hours
Math	Calculus and/or Statistics (preferably biostatistics)	one year or 6 semester hours
Writing	One year is required	one year or 6 semester hours

What Looks Good to a Medical School Admissions Committee?

The top school admissions variables that medical schools consider for admissions are past academic performance and the applicant’s desire to enter the field of medicine. The school admissions process is complicated. Below are some of the items that influence the decisions of school admissions committees.

knowledge of health care issues and commitment to healthcare
MCAT scores (total MCAT test scores or average MCAT scores)
school interview ratings
undergraduate grade point average or GPA
letters of recommendation
experience with direct-patient-care or clinical work
met the pre med requirements
medical school application / med school application

Is Med School Worth It?

It depends on what your goals are. Medical school is a long and expensive process that requires a great deal of dedication and hard work. It can lead to a rewarding and lucrative career in medicine, but it is not necessarily the best option for everyone. It is important to consider your financial situation, career goals, and lifestyle before deciding whether school is worth it for you.

Getting into school can be quite challenging. Competition for admission is high and the admissions process is rigorous. To get into medical school, applicants must demonstrate their academic excellence, demonstrate their commitment to medicine, and demonstrate their ability to handle the academic and professional rigor of medical school. Additionally, applicants should strive to demonstrate leadership, volunteerism, and other extracurricular activities that show they are well-rounded individuals who are likely to make a positive contribution to the field of medicine.

What is the Job Outlook for Med School Grads?

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) anticipates a 16% growth in all healthcare occupations between 2020 and 2030. This will mean 2.6 million new jobs in the field.

A study by the AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) predicted a shortfall of up to 122,000 physicians by 2032. Contributing factors include a large aging population, more Americans living longer, and obesity and tobacco use issues, among many others.

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The 10 Best Majors For Med School In The United States