Below are answers to common questions about preparing for a medical career while an undergraduate student.
If you can’t find the answer to your question below, feel free to email us at prehealth@chapman.edu!
Below are answers to common questions about preparing for a medical career while an undergraduate student.
If you can’t find the answer to your question below, feel free to email us at prehealth@chapman.edu!
While there may be differences by program and specific schools, courses typically include biology (with labs), chemistry (with labs), organic chemistry (with labs), physics, calculus, statistics, and English composition.
You may also be required to take courses such as Microbiology, Anatomy, Physiology, Medical Spanish, and Medical Ethics, depending on the program.
For more specific details, visit our Course Requirements section.The easiest answer is it depends.
While Chapman accepts AP credit for many courses, we do not recommend using that AP credit for your science prerequisites, particularly biology or chemistry.
You can take some courses during the summer; however, be judicious about choosing which courses.
Also, make sure to check with Chapman’s Academic Advising before you make this decision to ensure you can meet all transfer requirements.
It really depends.
There may be some instances where online courses are accepted, but in general, it is not recommended that you take any science prerequisite courses online. You run the risk of that course being rejected during the application cycle.
In general, yes. However, as with other questions, be judicious.
Admissions committees still want to see that you can be successful in a rigorous science curriculum. And, if you are taking these courses while enrolled at Chapman, check to make sure what you are taking meets Chapman’s requirements and transferability.
There are many ways to gain clinical experience, including:
Instead of focusing on the number of hours, focus more on the learning. In general, you want a set of experiences that demonstrate to an admissions committee that you are committed to the profession. But, to help quantify, start and don’t stop. This could be 2-4 hours per week, or it could be a job.
The exception to this is the number of hours needed for PA school. They do have a minimum requirement of 1,000 hours of hands-on clinical experience with patients. Beyond the minimum, they are accepting and matriculating students who have closer to 2,500 hours.
When you think about community service, you should be focused on a commitment to “something larger than yourself.” You want to commit to making meaningful contributions to a community and do what you’re passionate about.
Service or non-profit organizations
As with most answers, it is program-specific. It is beneficial since it shows students the intricate connection between research and patient care, it enhances their ability to read dense scientific texts/articles and puts them in a professional environment.
Students at Chapman have many opportunities to gain research on campus. Your first point of contact should be any of your professors. You can ask them if they are accepting undergraduate students in their lab.
Another excellent Chapman research opportunity is through the Center for Undergraduate Excellence.No, medical schools accept students from a wide range of majors. The most important thing is your competence in the sciences and completion of required coursework.
Pick the major you are most passionate about and work with your advisors to make sure you have all the prerequisites you need to be ready.
First and foremost, always know the averages of the students who are matriculating to medical school. Currently, it is around 3.6-3.7 for both science and overall GPA.
However, you really want to demonstrate your academic abilities. Generally, the preferred GPA to apply is 3.4+ (without post-baccalaureate or special master’s degree enhancement).
If your GPA is at or below 3.4, schedule an appointment to discuss your overall situation and plans. Remember, GPA is one of many metrics within your application.
Since most medical schools have an expiration, it is advised that you test within close proximity of your application. This means that it is advised you test within the year you apply.
If you plan to apply with no gap year (at the end of your junior year), you should consider the summer between your junior and senior years or in January - April of your spring semester before the application is submitted.
Please remember that it takes a month for the score to post and you want to have your score before applying. If you plan to retest, we encourage you to schedule an advising appointment.
When you start at Chapman, you should think like a Pre-Health student. Please see the 4-Year Plans page for how to navigate your 4 years and incorporate the various extracurricular activities needed to be competitive.
You should also work with the Pre-Health Advising Office to ensure your overall readiness. Think about what you’ve done, what gaps you may have, your academics, and the overall timing and your goals. Based on that, we will work together to determine your timeline.
You should plan to take the test within the year you are applying to dental school.
The application opens in late May, and you need a two-week buffer for the score to post, so you should test no later than late April/early May to ensure you have a score before you apply.Depending on your goals, profile, financial resources, and geographic preferences, along with finding the schools that are “right” for you, the numbers vary.
The average number of schools ranges from 8-15.Many PA programs require a significant number of direct patient care experience hours as a minimum. The average number of PCE hours accrued by students being accepted to PA school is greater than 2,000.
In order to meet this requirement, the average number of gap years taken by PA students is two, meaning they work for a full year after graduating and then apply while still working full-time with patients.You should plan to take the GRE within the year you apply to PA school.