Pre-Medicine

The Pre-Medicine program of study at ETSU prepares students for application to a four-year Doctor of Allopathic Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree program. Completion of a bachelor’s degree is required for acceptance to most medical schools.

• Allopathic Medicine

  Doctors of allopathic medicine (MDs) are medical doctors who treat disease and injury using counteractive methods. For example, they will prescribe antibiotics to kill bacteria that have caused an infection. Allopathic physicians often work in public or private hospitals or clinics and many have private practices. Although many allopathic physicians become internists, generalists, or family practitioners, most specialize in other medical fields.

• Osteopathic Medicine

  Doctors of osteopathic medicine (DOs) practice a “whole person” approach to health care. In addition to treating specific symptoms, osteopathic physicians concentrate on treating the patient as a whole. Osteopathic physicians understand how all the body’s systems are interconnected and how each one affects the others. They focus special attention on the musculoskeletal system, which reflects and influences the condition of all other body systems. Osteopathic physicians often work in public or private hospitals or clinics, and many have private practices. Although many osteopathic physicians become internists, generalists, or family practitioners, some specialize in other medical fields.

• DOs and MDs are alike in many ways

  • Both DOs and MDs complete four years of basic medical education.

  • After medical school, both DOs and MDs obtain graduate medical education through internships, residencies, and fellowships. This training lasts three to eight years and prepares DOs and MDs to practice a specialty.

  • DOs and MDs can choose to practice in any specialty of medicine — such as pediatrics, family medicine, psychiatry, surgery, or ophthalmology.

  • DOs and MDs must pass comparable examinations to obtain state licenses. DOs and MDs both practice in accredited and licensed health care facilities.

• What does it take to get into medical school?

   

  Allopathic Medicine	Osteopathic Medicine
  OVERALL GPA 3.70 2016 average as reported by the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC)	OVERALL GPA 3.56 2016 average as reported by the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM)
  SCIENCE GPA 3.64 2016 average biology, chemistry, physics, math (BCPM) GPA reported by AAMC	SCIENCE GPA 3.50

• Suggested 2-year schedule for Pre-Medicine students

  Freshman	Sophomore
  FALL CHEM 1110/11, BIOL 1110/11, MATH 1530, ENGL 1010, PREH 1350	FALL CHEM 2010/11, HSCI 3000, SPCH ELECTIVE, PSYC ELECTIVE, COBH 2750
  SPRING CHEM 1120/21, BIOL 1120/21, PSYC 1310, ENGL 1020, ELECTIVE	SPRING HSCI 3020, CHEM 2020/21, MATH ELECTIVE, ELECTIVE, ELECTIVE

• Core preparation courses

  Biology (8 hours): BIOL 1110/11, BIOL 1120/21

  General Chemistry (8 hours): CHEM 1110/11, CHEM 1120/21Organic

  Chemistry (10 hours): CHEM 2010/11, CHEM 2020/21

  Physics* (8 hours): PHYS 2010/11, PHYS 2020/21

  Communication (9 hours): ENGL 1010, 1020 and SPCH 1300 or 2300/20

  Social & Behavioral Sciences (6 hours): PSYC 1310, SOCI 1020
  Biochemistry (6 hours): Consult with your counselor

  Philosophy/Humanities** (3 hours): PHIL 2640 or 2020/30

  Probability and Statistics (3 hours): MATH 1530

  ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDED COURSES

  General Genetics (5 hours): BIOL 3100/41Cell Biology (5 hours): BIOL 3150/51

  Human Anatomy (4 hours): HSCI 3000

  Human Physiology (4 hours): HSCI 3020

  Calculus I and II (8 hours): MATH 1910, 1920

  Comparative Anatomy (4 hours): BIOL 3220

  Molecular Biology (3 hours): BIOL 4647

  Microbiology (4 hours): HSCI 3320/21

  Immunology (3 hours): HSCI 3540

  *Calculus-based physics (PHYS 2110 and 2120) is strongly recommended.

  **PHIL 2030 is recommended for the MCAT philosophy knowledge requirement; it does not fill a General Education requirement.