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Freshman Year:
*BMZ is a cross listed course offered by the Departments of Botany, Microbiology, and Zoology (faculty from all 3 departments are involved in the course). If you are considering Botany, Microbiology, or Zoology as a potential major, you should register for BMZ in the department of your intended major. For students who plan to take additional Zoology classes, BMZ 115 and BMZ 116 are required prerequisites for upper level courses, so it is important that you take BMZ 115 and BMZ 116 during your first year. Also note that BMZ 115 is only offered in the fall term. Zoo 113,114 also fulfills this requirement. It needs to be stressed that while medical schools only require one year of biology, most successful applicants to medical school have had more background in biology. It is recommended that you consider taking a course in cell biology and animal physiology (Zoo 305) to prepare you for biological sciences section of the MCAT and the demands of medical school. During your senior year you are strongly encouraged to take a course in Biochemistry. While most medical schools do not require a course in Biochem, many strongly advise it. feedback from medical students is that you should take Biochem before entering medical school and many believe that it should be required.
Fall Term Spring Term CHM 141 (3) and 144 (2) CHM 142 (3) and 145 (2) or CHM 137 (4) and 144 (2) ENG 111 (3) ENG 112 (3) BMZ 115 (4)* BMZ 116(4)* Elective (3-5) Elective (3-5) This curriculum will give you flexibility in your first year at Miami in terms of allowing you to consider a number of different majors in the sciences, as well as in the social sciences and humanities, while giving you the background you will need to fulfill the requirements of medical school. Many students in college change majors and career goals during their first year; hence, it is in your best interest to start with a broader program. This will allow you to select from a number of majors, rather than narrowing your focus to a single major and career during your first year at Miami. If you are certain about pursuing a specific major, then the advice from the department should take precedence, as long as you can fulfill the premed requirements by the end of your junior year. In addition to the courses recommended above, you must decide what additional class "elective" (3-5 hours) you want to take for a total of 15-17 credit hours. That class will depend on your interest and potential choice of major. It is strongly recommended that the class that you choose should be of great interest to you and may also serve as a potential major (social science or humanities?). It is advised that you consider a course in the social science or humanities area. Electing to take math or language during the first semester should only be done if this is an area of interest and strength for you. For most premeds, taking CHM and BMZ requires a lot of study time in order to do well in these classes. Electing to take math or a language, in addition to the science classes for the first term, for example, can prove too much. It is generally recommended that you delay fulfilling the language or math requirement until spring term or until your sophomore year. You have time to complete those requirements and need to allot sufficient time for socialization as well as study time for your classes. This course selection will allow you to maximize your ability to do well in the required premed classes while at the same time giving you flexibility in choosing the major that is right for you. The course selection suggested above will allow you to consider a major in chemistry; biochemistry; microbiology; zoology; and depending on your electives, a major outside of the sciences.
While Miami will apply AP credit towards undergraduate science requirements, you should use caution when using AP credit for science classes that will be used towards medical school requirements. Some medical schools are reluctant to accept AP credit as a means of fulfulling the premedical science requirement. In addition some premed students later regret bypassing some of the required premed science classes for several reasons:
- 1) the MCAT covers the topics in these courses and you do not want to rely on high school knowledge to do well on the MCAT
- 2) doing well in high school AP science classes does not mean that you have all the background necessary to do well in the next course in that sequence
- 3) admission to medical school is very competitive, and if you can readily achieve an A in the introductory science class, this will improve your science GPA and your chances for admission to medical school
For many entering students taking the AP sciences classes should be viewed as a means to help you to do well in these premed courses, not as a means to bypass these courses in college. It should be emphasized however that this advice does not apply to all students. For an exceptionally strong student who plans to take upper level classes in the sciences, and can readily achieve A's in the science classes, using the AP credit may be the best option.
*If you are starting the premed program at the start of your sophomore year then your course schedule would will be slightly different: Starting the Premedical Program Sophomore Year
Suggested Class Schedule for the following two years:*
Sophomore Year:**
*You should start fulfilling the requirements for your major. For students interested in choosing Zoology as a major, you may want to look at the following link: Course Selection for Zoology, Premedical Students
Fall Spring 1. CHM 241 (3) 1.CHM 242(3) 2.CHM 244 (2) 2.CHM 245 (2) 3.course for major 3. course for major 4.CAS A or B (3-4) 4.CAS A or B(3-4) 5.CAS C or E (3-4) 5.CAS C or E(3-4) Total: 15-17 15-17
**For non-chemistry majors, the thematic sequence, Chemistry of Life Processes, is strongly recommended. For non-biology majors, the thematic sequence, Concepts in Physiology, is strongly recommended to give you a strong background to prepare you for medical school and the biological sciences section of the MCAT. A course in Microbiology (MBI 201) is strongly recommended.
Junior year: ***
Fall: Spring: 1.PHY 171 (3) 1.PHY 172 (3) 2.PHY 183 (1) 2.PHY 184 (1) 3.course for major 3. course for major 4.CAS A or B (3-4) 4.CAS A or B(3-4) 5.CAS C or E (3-4) 5.CAS C or E(3-4) Total: 15-17 15-17 *** complete medical school requirements