Thinking of Medical School? Some answers to frequently asked questions for prospective premedical students at Cornell University:

• Which college should I enroll in? 
• What should I major in? 
• What courses should I take? 
• What kind of education prepares me for becoming a physician? 
• What percentage of Cornell students get accepted to medical school? 
• What help does Cornell give health careers students? 

Which College Should I Enroll In? 
 
A student in any undergraduate college at Cornell may enroll in the courses required for entry into medical college. Traditionally, Cornell undergraduate applicants to medical school have enrolled primarily in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Human Ecology, and the College of Engineering. These colleges offer majors that enable students to prepare for medical school, and we find no differences in admission rates for students from these four colleges who have equivalent academic credentials. The appropriate choice of undergraduate college depends to a great extent on your other academic and career interests. Consult the University's publications for information about the seven colleges at Cornell—their admission requirements, majors, course descriptions, and financial aid.

What Should I Major in?
 
Medical schools do not require or recommend any particular undergraduate major course of study, and Cornell does not have a premedical major. Therefore, you should pursue your own intellectual interest in an academic major, such as history, chemistry, biology, psychology, nutrition, or some other field. In any number of majors throughout the university, you can complete the preprofessional core courses while at the same time receiving a broad education and exploring other interests and careers. In this way, you leave open the option of pursuing an alternative career. Also, you are more likely to succeed at and benefit from subjects that interest and stimulate you.

Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR), an excellent resource, states that, "Students should select a major area of study that is of interest and that will provide a foundation of knowledge necessary for the pursuit of several career alternatives. Students who select a major area of study solely or primarily because of the perception that it will enhance the chance of acceptance to a school of medicine are not making a decision in their best interest."

Despite statements like the above, many students and some advisors believe that medical schools actually prefer curricula in the "hard sciences" to curricula in the social sciences or the humanities. An article presenting analysis of data of the Association of American Medical Colleges states, "The claim that nonscience majors need higher objective scores (MCAT) for admission is clearly refuted." Furthermore, ". . . data on this factor [undergraduate concentration area] are supportive of the position that medical schools seek liberally educated individuals."(2) MSAR shows 35.3 percent of biological sciences majors, 41.3 percent of physical sciences majors, and 40.2 percent of nonscience majors applying for 1994 were accepted to medical school.

What Courses should I Take?

Medical and dental schools, while not requiring or recommending any particular major, do stipulate that particular undergraduate courses be completed. Listed below are the recommended minimum prerequisite courses medical schools require. Some institutions have specific requirements and/or recommendations in addition to those listed below:

What Kind of Education Will Prepare Me for Becoming a Physician?
 
The science courses required for entry to medical school are only a part of the total educational picture that medical schools consider. While it is generally agreed that an applicant must be able to perform well in science, to think like a scientist, and even to enjoy science to be a competent physician, it also is widely accepted that being an educated person with broad appreciation of human nature and human achievement is equally important to physicians, not only for their medical practice, but also for their personal lives and intellectual maturity. The major you choose is not so important as the critical and analytical capability that you develop. You need to develop the ability to handle data and to think logically, imaginatively, and honestly. The best way to develop these abilities is to explore an academic field that you find compelling, not as a dilettante, but fully and in some depth, with what one dean of admissions calls "a sustained commitment to excellence." 

What Percentage of Cornell Students are Accepted to Medical Schools?

In 2003, of the Cornell first-time undergraduate applicants to medical school who registered with the Health Careers Evaluation Committee, approximately 76 percent were successful in gaining admission to a U.S. allopathic (M.D.) school. (Nationally, 50% percent of applicants were accepted in 2003.) Of 2003 Cornell applicants with a 3.4 or above, 89 percent gained admission to a U.S. allopathic school.

It may be misleading to compare undergraduate institutions using admissions data. If students plan to use such data to compare with figures from other institutions, they should be aware that institutions have different practices for recommending students for medical school. Some other undergraduate institutions recommend only selected students. At Cornell, any student may apply to a health professional school, and Cornell will write a letter of evaluation for any student who has taken the courses required by schools of human medicine and who follows the established procedure for obtaining such a letter.

What Help Does Cornell Give Health Careers Students?
 
Cornell offers a formal Health Careers Program. The senior associate director for health careers, whose office is in Barnes Hall, provides information and orientation sessions and advising for students. Each day she has walk-in advising hours as well as a telephone time from 4:00 to 4:30. Half-hour appointments can also be arranged.

Cornell also writes the letter of evaluation that is a required part of application to most schools of human medicine. The Cornell University Premedical Guide for Preapplicants is available for students and given out at Freshman Orientation. The Cornell University Premedical Guide for Preapplicants is given out when students register to have their letter written, usually in their junior year.

Most premedical questions freshmen and sophomores ask pertain to the fit between major and college requirements on the one hand, and premed course requirements on the other. These can be answered by your academic advisor or by the member of the Health Careers Advising Network in the various colleges: