Academic Considerations for Admission to Health Profession Training Programs

Different programs require different skill sets, and pre-requisite courses are designed to help you develop the skills you’ll need. Each program is a little different from the others, and there are even schools within the same profession that want you to have different background preparation. Math is the best example – some medical schools require no math courses (although most applicants need some math background to take their science courses), and some may require up to two semesters of calculus and statistics. So, there’s no easy way to know exactly what courses to take, but the following is a basic guideline for a few of the programs.

Click on the links for summary charts regarding pre-requisites, created by each health profession’s professional association.

All requirements must be taken for a grade, not P/NC. While this handout is representative of the general requirements, specific schools may have specific requirements. While these are the most common requirements for admission to a health professions training program, individual schools and professions may have additional requirements. For example, Texas schools require another full year of Biology courses. Many California schools will only accept AP on a case by case basis, and prefer that students not use AP to fulfill their pre-requisites.

[Modified from a version prepared by Kate Fukawa-Connelly at Princeton University.]