Pre-Health FAQ and Myths: Navigating Admissions and Academic Choices

Your choice of a major reflects your personal interests and professional orientation. Base your decision on what you want to learn, not how others will view you. The strength of the academic credentials, rather than the major, is the best predictor of who gains admission to professional schools. You are more likely to succeed at –– and benefit from –– subjects that interest and stimulate you.

Choosing the Right Major

Professional schools do not require, recommend, or favor any particular undergraduate major course of study; you can complete the pre-professional requirements while at the same time exploring your own interests. In this way, you exercise the option of discovering an alternative career. Admission committee members know that medical students can develop the essential skills of acquiring, synthesizing, applying and communicating information through a wide variety of academic disciplines. 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.

Admissions Myths vs. Data

Despite statements like the above, many students believe that medical schools prefer certain major areas. AAMC’s national data, however, refute this. The differences among percentages of acceptance by major are not significant, and major choice cannot be used to predict acceptance to medical school.

2019 Medical School Acceptance Rates by Major

• Physical sciences majors: 48%
• Mathematics and statistics majors: 47%
• Humanities majors: 46%
• Biological sciences majors: 41%
• Social sciences majors: 40%
• Specialized health sciences majors: 37%

Of the 53,371 applicants to medical schools in 2019 (for 2020 matriculation), 57.5% were biological sciences majors, 9.3% were social sciences majors, 9.3% were physical sciences majors, 3.1% were humanities majors, and 0.6% were mathematics and statistics majors.

Course Choices and Planning

How does my major choice affect my course choices? Those majoring in a science discipline may take one or two science and/or math courses each semester, depending upon the recommendations of academic advisors. However, humanities or social science majors may want to take only one mathematics or science course during the first year in order to be able to experiment with courses from several departments. Over four years, all the course prerequisites are available to all students needing them.

Prerequisites and Summer Sessions

Can I take pre-requisite courses as summer courses? Required courses may be taken during summer session at Syracuse University or at other universities whose educational standards and rigor are comparable. In general, it is preferable to take these courses during the regular school year in order to demonstrate that you can perform well even while carrying a full course load.

Requirements Outside of Academics

What is required for admission to Professional schools outside of academics? You will develop important qualities during your college years. Most important is what one Dean of Admissions calls "a sustained commitment to excellence." Becoming a well-educated person with an understanding of human nature, developing the ability to think critically, imaginatively, and logically, and gaining personal competency in several areas outlined by the AAMC will make you a strong candidate. Your activities inside and outside the classroom should develop and strengthen interpersonal and intrapersonal skills, as well as your academic potential.