Requirements

The pre-med option is directed at students planning to apply to medical or dental school who also wish to target chemistry as a career pathway. A B.S. degree in chemistry provides a strong foundation for many professions and post-graduate degrees. Students can earn a chemistry degree in four years while also taking pre-med option courses in biology, biochemistry and related areas that are important components for application to medical school.

Chemistry core (79 - 81 credits)

Pre-med option (34-35 credits)

Notes

^a MTH 112 can be taken to prepare for MTH 251 if the score on ALEKS Math Placement assessment is60-74 . MTH 112 is not a required course for the chemistry degree.

^b Chemistry majors are strongly encouraged to take the chemistry major's orientation course, CH 220, Careers in Chemistry, fall term. This is 1 credit (P/N).

^c BI 109, Health Professions: Medical is a pre-med orientation course and strongly suggested. This is 1 cr. (P/N). A pre-dental orientation course is taught winter term (BI 107).

^d CH 324, an analytical chemistry course, is taught every term. The combination of CH 421, CH 422 and CH 461 may be substituted for CH 324 for students who desire the strongest background in analytical chemistry. With these three analytical chemistry courses, only one inorganic chemistry course is required (CH 411) so that the required credit hours only increases by 2 (compared to the program shown in the table). Note that CH 421 and CH 461 are taught only fall term and CH 422 is only taught in winter term.

This order of courses is suggested. However, for the track-two core courses (CH, MTH, PH), order is critical because of prerequisites and the fact that most CH courses are taught only one term per year. The option courses (BI, BB, ST 351, PH 444) can be taken at different times than indicated, but one must be concerned with the prerequisites for BB courses and upper-division BI courses and the fact that many upper-division BB and some upper-division BI courses are taught only one term per year.

Bacc Core courses are not shown in the table but are specified in the OSU Catalog and in MyDegrees under Baccalaureate Core Requirements

Students in this option should also meet with either Dr. Daniel Myles or Dr. Neal Sleszynski who are the pre-med advisers in the Department of Chemistry.

Additional information

If you cannot schedule PHL 444 Biomedical Ethics in a timely manner, any one of the following courses will be accepted as a replacement course to meet the requirements of the pre-med option in chemistry. (See below).

Introduction to Human Disease (3)

• H 320
• Not a Bacc Core

Drugs, Society and Human Behavior (3)

• H 364
• requires PSY 201 or 202
• Not a Bacc Core

Introduction to Medical Anthropology (3)

• ANTH 383
• Bacc Core Synthesis, GI

Health Illness and Society (4)

• SOC 350
• requires SOC 204 or SOC 204H
• Not a Bacc Core

History of Medicine (4)

• HSTS 417
• WIC and Bacc Core Synthesis STS
• Ecampus

The following courses are offered less often

• PHL 448: Native American Philosophies (3)
• PHL 474: Philosophy of Biology (4)
• ANTH 483: Medical Anthropology (4)
• SOC 432: Sociology of Aging (3)

Also, see policies for other information, including external research.

1. If students choose the analytical chemistry sequence CH 421, 422, 461, only one inorganic course (3 cr), CH 411, is required. CH 411 and CH 412 are a sequence so CH 411 is the specified inorganic chemistry course.
2. CH 463 is the recommended WIC course. If CH 462 is taken as the WIC course or an extra lab, CH 422 is strongly recommended as a co-requisite with CH 462.
3. PHL 444 option meets the Synthesis Baccalaureate Core for contemporary global issues. If you substitute another course for PHL 444 from the above list and it does not meet the GI course designation, you will need to take an additional course that does.
4. BB 314 should be taken before BI 311 but it is no longer an enforced prerequisite for BI 311.
5. Students should contact the College of Science Pre-Health advisors for more information. There are many resources available in the College of Science regarding pre-health professions. Chemistry students with a pre-med option usually have a chemistry academic adviser who is aware of some of the special considerations for students pursuing the medical profession. In chemistry, Drs. Daniel Myles and Neal Sleszynski are the primary chemistry advisers for pre-med students. For students applying to medical school this coming summer, in addition to contacting your own advisor, please connect with a Premedical Coordinator at the College of Science