2026-2027
Pre-Medicine minor
VCU
Community college:
AS in Science (Virginia Community College System)
Associate degree
Associate of Science in Science
Completing the associate degree will waive VCU's general education requirements.
Program description
The pre-medicine minor provides foundational courses for students that are preparing to be competitive applicants for Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) and Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) programs after completing their bachelor’s degree at VCU. The pre-medicine minor can be completed as a part of any undergraduate degree. Completing this minor does not guarantee admission into any medical program. This minor is structured to academically prepare students to apply for medical school broadly. Clinical and non-clinical experiences are a requirement of application to most medical schools. In addition to this minor, students should participate in clinical and non-clinical experiences to develop a competitive application for medical school. Visit the VCU Career Services - Pre-Professional Health Career Advising website for more information and to schedule an appointment with a pre-professional health and STEM career counselor.
Career opportunities
Medical schools across the U.S. have different prerequisites for admission. The list below shows courses that may be required by various schools including the VCU School of Medicine. It is always recommended that a student visit each program’s webpages and/or attend an information session to obtain requirements for specific programs. Students are encouraged to meet with their academic adviser to integrate these courses into their academic plan. In addition, students are encouraged to discuss career plans with their pre-professional health academic minor adviser and career counselor for additional guidance.
Graduate and professional level job titles
- Health-Based Researcher
- Medical Doctor
- Physician Assistant
- Professor
Contact information
Telephone: (804) 827-1349
Email: transferinfo@vcu.edu
VCCS Transfer Planning Checklist
Telephone: (804) 828-1222 or (800) 841-3638
Email: ugrad@vcu.edu
Apply Here.
Guaranteed transfer admission requirements
No guaranteed admission.
To declare the pre-medicine minor, students must complete a minimum of 12 credits at VCU and obtain a minimum cumulative VCU GPA of 3.0.
Degree requirements in Bulletin
Plan of study in Bulletin
-
n/a
Requirements
Highest level of math required
- MATH 200
- STAT 210
Science required
- 5+ additional science courses
Foreign language requirements
- No
Additional tuition/fees
- No
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
- 3.0+
VCU Major Maps
Transfer major map
2026-2027
Pre-Medicine minor
Virginia Community College System (AS in Science)
| MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING | EXPAND YOUR COMMUNITY | EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS | PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE | ||
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| Explore | Year 1 |
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| Experience | Year 2 |
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Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Schedule an appointment with your community college advisor to map out your associate degree course plan.
- A stellar GPA is vital to being a competitive student. Utilize tutoring resources to get ahead.
- Review the resources on the VCU Healthcare Pathways website, especially the Pre-Medicine Advising Guide.
- Explore community college financial aid resources and submit the FAFSA on time.
- Enroll in a SDV student success course.
- Check on G3 funding for your AS program.
EXPAND YOUR COMMUNITY
- Review admission requirements for the VCU M.D. program.
- Learn about the transfer admission process for VCU.
- Review volunteer and shadowing opportunities on the VCU Healthcare Pathways website.
- Get involved with student clubs and organizations at your community college.
- Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Create LinkedIn profile.
- Complete career assessments through the Virginia Education Wizard.
- Browse information about occupations and job titles associated with medicine.
- Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Create a weekly and monthly budget.
- Prepare for a career after college by creating a brand for yourself.
- Develop personal and career goals and create SMART steps for 2-3 "dream jobs."
- Practice independent living skills such as money and time management, self-care, and personal responsibility.
Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Meet with your community college advisor to finalize plans to complete your associate degree.
- Submit a transfer advising request to the VCU Transfer Center.
- Maintain a high GPA. Use tutoring to get ahead. Be prepared to earn good grades at VCU.
- Submit the FAFSA on time.
- Practice using flashcards and continuously assessing your knowledge of subjects that will be tested on the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT).
- Research scholarship opportunities and explore your eligibility for the Two-Year College Transfer Grant.
EXPAND YOUR COMMUNITY
- Consider applying to the Summer Academic Enrichment Program (SAEP).
- Apply to VCU.
- Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
- Research housing options for next year.
- Select a VCU major.
- Review the resources on the VCU Healthcare Pathways website.
- Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Find out about VCU REAL and learn about REAL graduation requirement.
- Attend Career & Internship Fairs throughout the year.
- Search for a summer science opportunity.
- Acquire career related experience (e.g., job, internship, organization involvement).
- If your GPA is 3.5 or higher, consider applying for the VCU Honors College.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
- Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
- Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
- Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
- Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
- Review resources of the AAMC and begin to develop your own plan for applying and taking the MCAT.
Recommended courses
2026-2027
Pre-Medicine minor
Virginia Community College System (AS in Science)
| Course | Title | Equivalent course | Credits | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SDV 100 or 101 | College Success Skills | UNIV 101 | 1 | Elective |
| ENG 111 | College Composition I | UNIV 111 | 3 | General education (Pre-Medicine requirement) |
| ENG 112 | College Composition II | UNIV 200 | 3 | General education (Pre-Medicine requirement) |
| MTH 167 | Precalculus with Trigonometry (or MTH 161-162) | MATH 151 | 5 | General education (Pre-Medicine requirement) |
| MTH 245 | Statistics I | STAT 210 | 3 | Elective (Pre-Medicine requirement) |
| BIO 101 | General Biology I | BIOL/Z 151 | 4 | General education (Pre-Medicine requirement) |
| BIO 102 | General Biology II | BIOL/Z 152 | 4 | Elective (Pre-Medicine requirement) |
| CHM 111 | General Chemistry I | CHEM/Z 101 | 4 | General education (Pre-Medicine requirement) |
| CHM 112 | General Chemistry II | CHEM/Z 102 | 4 | Elective (Pre-Medicine requirement) |
| PHY 201 or PHY 241 | General College Physics I or University Physics I | PHYS 201 or PHYS/Z 207 | 4 | Elective (Pre-Medicine requirement) |
| PHY 202 or PHY 242 | General College Physics II or University Physics II | PHYS 202 or PHYS/Z 242 | 4 | Elective (Pre-Medicine requirement) |
| PHI 220 | Ethics | PHIL 201 | 3 | General education (Pre-Medicine recommendation) |
| PSY 200 | Principles of Psychology | PSYC 101 | 3 | General education (Pre-Medicine recommendation) |
| SOC 200 | Principles of Sociology | SOCY 101 | 3 | General education (Pre-Medicine recommendation) |
| Fine Arts/Literature | Select one of the following (UCGS Block II): ART 100, ART 101, ART 102, CST 130, CST 151, MUS 121, MUS 221, MUS 222, MUS 226, ENG 225, ENG 245, ENG 246, ENG 250, ENG 255, ENG 258, ENG 275. | VCU equivalent | 3 | General education |
| History | Select one of the following (UCGS Block VI): HIS 101, HIS 102, HIS 111, HIS 112, HIS 121, HIS 122. | HIST | 3 | General education |
| Complete requirements for associate degree | VCU equivalents | 9 | Elective | |
| Community college credits transferred to VCU | 60 | |||
| Beyond curricular requirements, students must obtain additional experiences to be a competitive applicant for the VCU School of Medicine. Successful applicants have an average of 200 hours of clinical exposure, interacting with both physicians (>60 hours) and patients. Non-clinical community service that demonstrates their passion for serving others over an extended amount of time is required; 200 hours is the average. Students should be knowledgeable about how their clinical exposure and community service has impacted their motivation to study medicine and be successful in the classroom. It is also helpful to the applicant but not mandatory to have research and leadership experience. | ||||
| Course | Title | Credits | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| The courses listed below are required for the minor in Pre-Medicine. To declare the pre-medicine minor at VCU, students must complete a minimum of 12 credit hours at VCU and obtain a minimum cumulative VCU GPA of 3.0. Students must complete at least 9 credits of upper-level course requirements at VCU to graduate with the minor. 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. | |||
| BIOL 300 | Cellular and Molecular Biology | 3 | Elective (Pre-Medicine minor) |
| CHEM/Z 301 | Organic Chemistry I and Laboratory | 5 | Elective (Pre-Medicine minor) |
| CHEM/Z 302 | Organic Chemistry II and Laboratory | 5 | Elective (Pre-Medicine minor) |
| CHEM 403 | Biochemistry I | 3 | Elective (Pre-Medicine minor) |
| BIOL | Select one of the following: BIOL 303 Microbiology, BIOL 310 Genetics, BIOL 411 Physiology, or BIOL 455 Immunology. | 3 | Elective (Pre-Medicine minor) |
| Courses required for VCU major and electives | 41 | Major | |
| Minimum number of credits completed at VCU | 60 | ||
| Minimum number of credits required for a bachelor's degree | 120 | ||