Major map compass icon
2021-2022

Pre-Medicine (Advising Track)

VCU

Community college:
Associate of Science: Science (Reynolds Community College (program specific pathway))
Reynolds Community College
Reynolds Community College
Program description

Students interested in the pre-medicine advising track must obtain a bachelor’s degree and complete the necessary prerequisites for medical school. All prerequisites should be completed or on track to be complete prior to medical school matriculation. Best results occur when all prerequisite courses have been taken and grades are available at the time of application. Students interested in medical school should consult with a pre-professional health adviser to learn about requirements that are specific to the schools of medicine to which they hope to apply.

Declaration of a pre-medical advising track at VCU does not constitute admission to the VCU School of Medicine. Students must apply separately to the medical school of their choice at the appropriate time.

Students with an interest in preparing for medical school must declare an academic major and should declare and maintain their pre-medical advising track. Students do not earn a pre-medical degree. Students unsure of their academic majors initially should clarify their academic interests through regular conversations with their primary/major academic adviser. Pre-medical students are encouraged to major in fields of greatest interest to them. 

Career opportunities

Physicians may earn a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) to practice allopathic medicine or a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) to practice osteopathic medicine. Both types of physicians must select a speciality in which they will practice patient care such as pediatrics, cardiology, dermatology, or surgery. Additional career opportunities for physicians include research, teaching, healthcare administration, public health, or advocacy, to name a few.

Graduate and professional level job titles
  • Health-Based Researcher
  • Medical Doctor
  • Physician Assistant
  • Professor
Contact information

 

VCU Transfer Center

Telephone: (804) 827-1349

Email: transferinfo@vcu.edu

Transfer Advising Request

VCCS Transfer Planning Checklist


Office of Admissions

Telephone: (804) 828-1222 or (800) 841-3638

Email: ugrad@vcu.edu
Apply Here.

Degree requirements in Bulletin
Plan of study in Bulletin

    n/a

Highest level of math required
  • MATH 151
  • STAT 210
Science required
  • 5+ additional science courses
Foreign language requirements
  • No
Additional tuition/fees
  • No
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
  • A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7+ is required to apply to become a pre-professional health student and to stay on the pre-professional health advising track.

Transfer major map
Visit majormaps.vcu.edu for the online version with links.
Sponsored by the Office of the Provost
Major map compass icon
2021-2022

Pre-Medicine (Advising Track)

Reynolds Community College (program specific pathway) (Associate of Science: Science)

MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
Explore Year 1
  • Attend Reynolds Orientation (SOAR).
  • Register for SDV 101 Orientation to STEM Disciplines.
  • Use Navigate to schedule an appointment with your academic advisor each semester.
  • A stellar GPA is vital to being a competitive student. Use tutoring resources to get ahead.
  • Meet with VCU STEM Transitions Transfer Coordinator to discuss options and create a plan for a successful transition to VCU.
  • Review the resources on the VCU Healthcare Pathways website, especially the Pre-Medicine Advising Guide..
  • Attend VCU’s annual Intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
  • Attend cultural events at community college and/or VCU and celebrate diversity.
  • Build a LinkedIn profile.
  • Explore the community college’s iGrad’s Job Genius Search Engine to look into building a career and financial future.
  • Review volunteer and shadowing opportunities to find healthcare volunteering and information about shadowing.
Experience Year 2
  • Practice using flashcards and continuously assessing your knowledge of subjects that will be tested on the MCAT.
  • Meet with VCU STEM Transitions Transfer Coordinator to discuss options and create a plan for a successful transition to VCU.
  • Maintain a high GPA. Use tutoring resources to get ahead. Be prepared to earn good grades at VCU.
  • Explore your eligibility for the Two-Year College Transfer Grant.
  • In consultation with VCU STEM Transitions Transfer Coordinator, select a future major at VCU.
  • Meet with your academic advisor.
  • Consider learning a foreign language.
  • Volunteer with a vulnerable, under-represented and/or underserved community. Reflect on the challenges these populations might face with their healthcare.
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
  • Review resources at AAMC and begin to develop your own plan for applying and taking the MCAT.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.

Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Attend Reynolds Orientation (SOAR).
  • Register for SDV 101 Orientation to STEM Disciplines.
  • Use Navigate to schedule an appointment with your academic advisor each semester.
  • A stellar GPA is vital to being a competitive student. Use tutoring resources to get ahead.
  • Meet with VCU STEM Transitions Transfer Coordinator to discuss options and create a plan for a successful transition to VCU.
  • Review the resources on the VCU Healthcare Pathways website, especially the Pre-Medicine Advising Guide..
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Attend VCU’s annual Intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
  • Attend cultural events at community college and/or VCU and celebrate diversity.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Build a LinkedIn profile.
  • Explore the community college’s iGrad’s Job Genius Search Engine to look into building a career and financial future.
  • Review volunteer and shadowing opportunities to find healthcare volunteering and information about shadowing.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Practice using flashcards and continuously assessing your knowledge of subjects that will be tested on the MCAT.
  • Meet with VCU STEM Transitions Transfer Coordinator to discuss options and create a plan for a successful transition to VCU.
  • Maintain a high GPA. Use tutoring resources to get ahead. Be prepared to earn good grades at VCU.
  • Explore your eligibility for the Two-Year College Transfer Grant.
  • In consultation with VCU STEM Transitions Transfer Coordinator, select a future major at VCU.
  • Meet with your academic advisor.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Consider learning a foreign language.
  • Volunteer with a vulnerable, under-represented and/or underserved community. Reflect on the challenges these populations might face with their healthcare.
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
  • Review resources at AAMC and begin to develop your own plan for applying and taking the MCAT.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.

Recommended courses
Major map compass icon
2021-2022

Pre-Medicine (Advising Track)

Reynolds Community College (program specific pathway) (Associate of Science: Science)

Reynolds Community College (program specific pathway) courses
Course Title Equivalent course Credits Requirements
SDV 101 Orientation to STEM Disciplines UNIV 101 1 Elective
MTH 167 Precalculus with Trigonometry (or MTH 161-162 Precalculus I-II) MATH 151 5 General education (Pre-medicine requirement)
ENG 111 College Composition I Note: students with credit for AP English Language and Composition will only receive credit for UNIV 111 at VCU and should take ENG 112 to fulfill the VCU composition requirement. UNIV 111-112 3 General education (Pre-medicine requirement)
Laboratory Science I CHM 111 General Chemistry I CHEM/Z 101 4 General education (Pre-medicine requirement)
HIS U.S. or Western Civilization History (select 1): HIS 101, 102, 121, 122 HIST 3 General education
CSC 155 Computer Concepts and Applications INFO 160, 161, 162 3 Elective
MTH 263 Calculus I MATH 200 4 Elective (Pre-medicine recommendation)
Laboratory Science II CHM 112 General Chemistry II CHEM/Z 102 4 Elective (Pre-medicine requirement)
ENG 112 College Composition II UNIV 200 3 General education (Pre-medicine requirement)
HLT/PED Personal Wellness Elective VCU equivalent 1 Elective
HIS U.S. or Western Civilization History (select 1): HIS 101, 102, 121, 122 HIST 3 Elective
Laboratory Science III BIO 101 General Biology I BIOL/Z 151 4 General education (Pre-medicine requirement)
Laboratory Science elective PHY 201 General College Physics I or PHY 241 University Physics I PHYS 201 or PHYS 207 4 Elective (Pre-medicine requirement)
Social/Behavioral Science PSY 200 General Psychology PSYC 101 3 General education (Pre-medicine recommendation)
Humanities PHI 220 Ethics PHIL 201 3 General education (Pre-medicine recommendation)
Laboratory Science IV BIO 102 General Biology II BIOL/Z 152 4 Elective (Pre-medicine requirement)
Laboratory Science elective PHY 202 General College Physics II or PHY 242 University Physics II PHYS 202 or PHYS 208 4 Elective (Pre-medicine requirement)
Humanities/Literature Humanities elective VCU equivalent 3 Elective
Elective MTH 245 Statistics I STAT 210 3 Elective (Pre-medicine requirement)
Elective SOC 200 Principles of Sociology SOCY 101 3 General education (Pre-medicine recommendation)
Reynolds credits transferred to VCU 65
VCU courses
Course Title Credits Requirements
The courses listed below are required or recommended for pre-medicine students. Students must also select a VCU major and complete the major requirements. The minimum number of credits required for a bachelor's degree at VCU is 120 credits.
CHEM/Z 301 Organic Chemistry I and Laboratory 5 Elective (Pre-medicine requirement)
CHEM/Z 302 or CHEM 403 Organic Chemistry II and Laboratory or CHEM 403 Biochemistry I 3 to 5 Elective (Pre-medicine requirement)
Upper-level biology elective Select from: BIOL 300 Cellular or Molecular Biology or BIOL 303 Microbiology 3 Elective (Pre-medicine requirement)
BIOL or CHEM elective Select from: CHEM/Z 302 Organic Chemistry II and Laboratory or CHEM 403 Biochemistry I or BIOL/Z 310 Genetics and Laboratory 3 to 5 Elective (Pre-medicine recommendation)
Courses required for VCU major 37 to 41 Major
Minimum number of credits completed at VCU 55
Minimum number of credits required for a bachelor's degree 120