MD Prerequisites

A Special Message from the Office of Admissions:

UPDATE (February 22, 2022): Due to the pandemic, the medical school made temporary changes to the Admissions Office Policies and Procedures to accept successfully completed online versions of medical school prerequisites, beginning with courses taken in Spring 2020. This temporary modification applies to courses taken from Spring 2020 through the end of the Spring 2022 semester only, and will no longer be in effect after that time. Beginning with the Summer 2022 term, the medical school will not accept online science courses and related labs to meet prerequisites for medical school.

UPDATE (April 14, 2020): Given the unprecedented circumstances surrounding COVID-19, Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine has carefully reviewed its perspective on Pass/Fail grading for the 2021 entering MD class. To alleviate additional stressors surrounding educational modifications, we have decided to accept Pass/Fail and CR/NC grading for prerequisite coursework for Spring Semester 2020. Courses and labs delivered via remote learning due to COVID-19 will also be accepted for the Spring 2020 Semester.  Remote learning and in-person prerequisite courses taken during 2020 Summer semester and thereafter must be letter-graded.

Entrants should have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. Exceptionally well-qualified students may be considered after ninety semester hours of academic work if other requirements are met.

Required Courses for 2024 Admissions Cycle

Semester Hours
General biology or zoology (with lab) 8
General chemistry (with lab) 8
Organic chemistry (with lab) 8
Biochemistry 3
Physics (with lab) 8
English 6
Social or behavioral sciences 6
 
Highly Recommended Courses
Statistics/biostatics or epidemiology 3
Cellular and molecular biology 3

Required Courses for 2025 Admissions Cycle

Semester Hours
General biology or zoology (with lab) 8
General chemistry (with lab) 8
Organic chemistry (with lab) 8
Biochemistry 3
Physics (with lab) 8
Statistics or biostatistics - NEW 3
English 6
Social or behavioral sciences 6
 
Highly Recommended Courses
Cellular and molecular biology 3
Immunology 3
Any course in physiology or anatomy (at 300 level or higher) 3

All required prerequisites must be completed at an accredited college or university in the U.S. or Canada and must be passed with a grade of "C" or better by June 15 of the year of matriculation. The level of these required courses should be equal to courses for those majoring in these respective fields. If Advanced Placement or College Level Examination Program credits are on the college transcript, these may be accepted as a fulfillment of a prerequisite providing there is evidence of proficiency in the subject: examples of proficiency may be successful completion of a more advanced course in that field or a strong Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) score. With the exception of 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 academic years, online courses may not be used to fulfill science prerequisites.