Prepare for Medical School Admission
Please note: Cal Poly Pomona does not offer any Medical program. The program is listed here merely for the purpose of providing general information about this program to interested CPP students.
CPP students interested in pre-medicine should aim to meet the following minimum requirements for admission to most medical schools. Individual schools may have additional course prerequisites.
Minimum Degree and Course Pre-requisites for Admission in General
- A baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution is required
- Each program has its own prerequisites. Check specific school for detail prerequisites (http://www.aamc.org). To plan for your class schedule, please visit our " Class Schedule and Action Timeline" page for details.
- General Course prerequisites include the following:
- 1 year English
- 1 year of General Biology with Laboratory
- 1 year of General (Inorganic) Chemistry with Laboratory
- 1 year of Organic Chemistry with Laboratory
- 1 year of Physics with Laboratory
Tests Needed: Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)
Online MCAT registration is available on the AAMC website, and exam schedules can be found here. AAMC also provides resources for preparing MCAT exams.
MCAT Prep Courses
(Disclaimer: this website does not endorse any non-CPP service providers listed on this site - students should use these services at their own discretion and risk)
Suggested Time Table
Freshman Year
- Decide the major(s) (Make an appointment to see a Career Counselor in Career Center at Cal Poly)
- Consider joining the CPP Pre-Medical Student Club
- Stay focused to achieve excellent academic performance (Most Medical schools will accept only students with a minimum 3.5 GPA)
- Participate health-related volunteer opportunities
Sophomore Year
- Take the time to develop relationships with faculty members for future letter of recommendations
- Continue to participate in health-related volunteer opportunities
Junior Year
- Study for the MCAT exam
- Consider enrolling in commercial MCAT prep courses
- Start getting the necessary application information ready
- Take the MCAT in Spring
Summer between Junior and Senior Year
- Complete collecting and preparing all the necessary materials for your application: personal statement, letter of recommendations, MCAT scores, etc.
- Submit the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) application after June 1st (earliest time) for AMCAS medical schools. For the non-AMCAS medical schools, contact them directly for their applications
- For osteopathic medical schools, need to submit through AACOMAS application service
- Take the August MCAT exam if you have not taken the April exam or you want to get a better MCAT score
- Complete the "secondary applications" if you receive them
Senior Year
- If you were granted an interview, prepare for the upcoming interview
- Complete your undergraduate studies and have a nice vacation before medical school starts.
What Is the Difference Between DO and MD?
Here are a couple of links that help explain the differences:
Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine - The DO Distinction
Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine - Becoming a DO
Association
American Medical Association (AMA)
American Medical Women's Association (AMWA)
Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA)
Application Service
For AMCAS medical schools, one can apply through the AMCAS website; For osteopathic medical schools, submit through AACOMAS application service.
Medical Schools in the US
US AAMC Member Medical Schools List
US Osteopathic Medical Schools list (PDF)
Additional Links
Characteristics Medical Schools look for Student Doctors