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Academic Requirements

VTCSOM has developed a list of required coursework and academic requirements for applicants to the School of Medicine. VTCSOM believes that this coursework is necessary to provide medical students with an adequate foundation for their medical education. These requirements and recommendations are similar to those required by other institutions and those outlined by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).

• General Biology with laboratory: 2 semesters
• General Inorganic Chemistry with laboratory: 2 semesters
• Organic Chemistry with laboratory: 2 semesters
• Physics with laboratory: 2 semesters
• Mathematics: 2 semesters of calculus or 1 each of Calculus and Statistics
• English: 2 semesters or 1 semester each of English and Philosophy

The bachelor’s (baccalaureate) degree is required for all students attending VTCSOM. All coursework must be completed in a satisfactory manner in an educational institution located in the United States or Canada, and approved by a regional accrediting body.

Applicants with Degrees from Foreign Schools

Applicants with baccalaureate degrees from accredited institutions outside the U.S. and Canada will be considered on a case-by-case basis. To provide reasonable grade compatibility with their peers, these applicants must, at a minimum, have taken all required courses for admission to VTCSOM, regardless of prior foreign academic history, at an educational institution located in the U.S. or Canada, approved by a regional accrediting body, and listed with the U.S. Department of Education.

College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

College Level Examination Program (CLEP) credits may not be used to fulfill any of the premedical course requirements listed above. Online courses for prerequisites may be accepted on a case-by-case basis. Advanced Placement (AP) credits or International Baccalaureate (IB) credits for English, Biology, Math, Physics, and Inorganic Chemistry are acceptable so long as they appear on college transcripts and are verified by AMCAS. However, in these instances, graded advanced courses in these areas are highly recommended.

Recommended Coursework

VTCSOM encourages applicants to sample a broad range of academic disciplines and to explore one or more areas of in-depth research. Of particular interest to VTCSOM are activities that demonstrate the applicant's spirit of discovery and inquiry and potential to be a thought leader in some aspect of medicine. Such activities should demonstrate advanced skills in problem solving and might be in upper level complex work. These activities may be in traditional areas of biomedical research but could also be in the humanities, community service, education, or the arts.

The following courses are not required, but have been identified by graduating medical students as being helpful in their medical school education.

• Physiology
• Cell Biology
• Biochemistry
• Genetics
• Comparative Anatomy