Cornell Premed

The Pre-Health Academic Preparation provides detailed information on course requirements and recommendations. All required coursework must be taken for a letter grade (A-F).

Pre-Health Resources

The liberal arts experience in Arts and Sciences offers the perfect preparation for the health careers, as it offers contact with the full range of perspectives on the human experience. As an Arts and Sciences student, you will be exposed to a broad base of knowledge while you hone your critical thinking, creative, and analytical skills. You can take a mix of classes in the humanities, social sciences, and the sciences that provides an excellent foundation for future study in this growing field.

If you are unsure which field within the health profession is a good fit for you:

• Visit the Explore Health Careers website to explore
• Meet with Career Development to discuss resources and options

Academic Preparation

Major and Minor Choices

Cornell does not have a “pre-med” major. Instead, you take a series of required and recommended courses to prepare for health professional school. You may choose any of the 40 majors in the College that interest you. Consult with your advising dean if you need help choosing and when you are ready to affiliate, apply to the major you want, usually by the end of your sophomore year.

A minor is not required for health professional schools. You are encouraged to pursue any minors you would like. Schedule an appointment with your advising dean to design an academic plan to explore your interests and to prepare for professional schools.

Prerequisite and Recommended Coursework

The Pre-Health Academic Preparation provides detailed information on course requirements and recommendations. All required coursework must be taken for a letter grade (A-F).

Sample plans provide examples to guide your conversation with your advising dean. Focus on incorporating major and college requirements into your plan. Explore your comfort zone and plan on taking these challenging courses when you are most ready.

Advanced Placement Credits

The decision to use AP/IB credits is up to you. Acceptance of these credits vary from school to school. Check the requirements from schools you may be interested in applying. You can choose to be safe and plan to take the required coursework or should you choose to use your AP, consider taking upper-level course/s to demonstrate proficiency in that particular area. If you are unsure, consult with the pre-health FAQ or discuss your decision with your advising dean.

Activities Planning

Experiences outside the classroom allow you to not only explore the health career that you want but also provide important learning opportunities to prepare for health professional schools. As you plan for activities, consider why they are important for you, what you hope to learn, and how these activities help you demonstrate the Core Competencies for Entering Medical Students established by the American Association of Medical Colleges.

Health professional schools do not have preferences or rank what activities are good or bad. Instead, they are interested in knowing why these activities are important to you. Therefore, do not approach your activities planning as a checklist. Review the Pre-Health Activities, which offers a guideline on designing your activities. If you need help planning, consult with Career Development.

How to Find Activities

It can be intimidating to seek out activities. The process requires thoughtful and careful planning. Be careful to balance your academics with your activities.

Clinical Experiences

• Networking: Do you know someone in your social circle who is a physician/dentist/vet? How about your or your family physician/dentist? Ask them. Career Development can offer ideas on how to network with Cornell alum.
• Handshake: Opportunities are posted regularly. Sign up here.
• Cold-email/call: Look for local professionals in your community (private and public clinical settings). Call or email to introduce yourself and state your interest in shadowing them.
• Volunteer in hospice/rehab center/other clinical settings in your area by visiting the organizations’ websites.
• Apply to work or volunteer as an EMT in your local community. Cornell University Emergency Medical Service provides opportunities to service the Ithaca campus.
• Apply to work as a certified nursing assistant or medical scribe to gain hands-on experience working with patients.

Service Experiences

Medicine is a service-oriented profession, what are you doing to show that you care about people and that you like working with people? This is where you can get creative. Some ideas include:

• Becoming a teaching assistant or tutor: Ask a professor if you can sign up to tutor for their class. Apply for a position with the LSC, the Knight Writing Institute, or serve as a student advisor in the OUB. If your classmates or friends struggle academically, offer them the opportunity for one-on-one tutoring. You do not need an official position to justify the experience. It is the act of service that counts. You may also search for outside tutoring opportunities by searching the web.
• Work on campus: Service experiences can be earned through paid employment. Cornell offers student employment opportunities.
• The Public Service Center provides many on-campus and off-campus volunteer opportunities.

Research and Other Scholarly Activities

Research can be obtained in several ways:

• The College of Arts and Sciences offers many opportunities for research.
• The Nexus Scholars Program is an excellent way to conduct summer research on campus, and is specially designed to help students obtain their first research experience.
• Browse any departmental website or the OUB’s research database: Check out professors’ websites, look at their research and if you are interested, send them an email. Introduce yourself, state your intention, ask for a meeting or opportunity to further discuss the possibility of joining their lab.
• The Humanities Scholars Program offers sophomores opportunities to engage in humanities research. There is also funding to support your work!
• If you are interested in designing an independent study project in your major, discuss with your faculty advisor on the best way to get started. If you are interested in independent study outside of your major, discuss with a professor whom you think will be able to serve as your mentor.

Leadership Experiences

• The Intergroup Dialogue Program (IDP) offers experiences to “engage in critical dialogue.” These are great opportunities for those interested in developing their cultural competency.
• Leadership roles are easily obtained by serving in student organizations. ClubFest is a good place to get started.

Summer Experiences

• Structured programs require application and possibly letters of recommendation. You can expect to submit applications between the months of January through March. You can find these opportunities by visiting the OUB, NAAHP, and NSF-REU. These are just some a few sites to get you started. If you have a specific program in mind, search for it on their website.
• You can also design your activities to fill your summer days. Think about getting involved in activities you normally do not have time for or that you do not have access to because of being in Ithaca during the academic terms.

When to Engage in Activities

The question of timing depends on what is available and whether or not you have time for the activities. For example, research is available during the academic year as well as the summer. Must you engage in research year-round? That’s up to you. Some students do work on research during the summer but they add on some sort of community service when possible.

Summer and winter breaks are great times to engage in activities that are somewhat time-consuming where they normally would conflict with your academic demands. For example, shadowing or other clinical experiences may be challenging to balance with a full academic load; therefore, summer and winter breaks are great times to engage in these.

Dean’s Certification Letters

• If your school requires a Dean’s Certification Letter, complete this Information Release Request form to authorize Cornell to release your academic and disciplinary information (If you are unable to access the form with Cornell’s two-step log-in, please use this release form). Allow four weeks for this process. Once your record has been checked, a letter is prepared and kept on file to be sent out with the medical school forms.
• Submit the Dean’s Certification form (a.k.a. College Questionnaire, College Certification) from the medical school, along with a stamped envelope addressed to the school, at least four weeks before the school’s application deadline for admissions.
• Pre-health students who were external transfers to Cornell must provide copies of both their Cornell transcript and the transcript from the external institution when applying to medical school.

Contact Us

Arts and Sciences Advising:

• Students are encouraged to meet with their advising dean.
• Email [email protected]

The Health Professions Advising Center (HPAC) at Cornell University will be your new home for pre-health advising and serve as a centralized hub that provides academic and professional-development support and resources to assist students and alumni exploring healthcare careers, including preparation to apply to professional schools for medicine, dentistry, optometry, podiatry, pharmacy, chiropractic, occupational therapy, nursing, physician assistant, veterinary medicine, or other health professions! The HPAC team will be fully formed by September, but until then, please access their website for resources regarding applying to programs and their Frequently Asked Questions page.

Student Services Partners

• Career Developmentsupports students with career exploration, internship and job search, interviews, resume/coverletter writing, graduate and professional school applications, etc.
• Cornell Health provides students medical, counseling, and pharmacy services.
• Identity Resources-Students and Campus Life
  • Asian and Asian American Center
  • First Generation and Low Income Support
  • LGBT Resources Center
  • Office of Spirituality and Meaning Making
  • Multicultural Student Leadership and Empowerment
  • Undocumented and DACA Support
  • Women’s Resource Center
  • Education Abroad supports students interested in studying abroad
  • International Services supports international students

  Frequently Asked Questions

  Should I take honors track or upper-level course if I’m using AP credits?

  This is a personal decision. Do you feel that your AP preparation is proficient and that you are confident you will do well in the honors/upper-level course? If so, you should consider it but note that it is not required by professional schools.

  Do I need to take biology, chemistry, and math in my first semester?

  Not necessarily, your academic plan should reflect your comfort zone. Your advising dean can help you craft one that best fits your needs. Don’t take this combination of courses if you are not comfortable. You have four years to complete these pre-reqs, so don’t rush it.

  Will I be able to study abroad if I’m pre-med?

  Yes, you should work with a study abroad advisor to discuss your plan for the study broad. You can consult with them on how this will impact your plan of study. For reference, you can access the sample academic plans to help guide your conversation.

  I need help deciding whether or not I should take a bridge year.

  You should meet with Health Professions Advising Center.

  For current students

  • Student Services
  • Academic Advising
  • Registrar
  • Career Development
  • Dean’s Student Advisory Council
  • Log in to DUST

  How to Succeed as a Cornell Premed

  Everything you need to know about Cornell premed, including premed requirements, the best premed extracurriculars, and the Cornell premed acceptance rate

  

  Part 1: Introduction

  Part 2: Cornell premed requirements

  Part 3: Cornell premed extracurriculars

  Part 4: Getting into medical school from Cornell

  Part 1: Introduction

  At Cornell, there is certainly no shortage of students interested in a career in medicine. In fact, Cornell has the highest number of graduates applying to medical school out of the entire Ivy League. And among private colleges as a whole, Cornell produces the second-highest number of medical school applicants, behind only Johns Hopkins.

  Beyond simply being a major producer of premeds, Cornell has many advantages to help its students succeed. Known for its rigorous coursework, the university is esteemed both as a member of the Ivy League and for its own merits. Cornell provides numerous opportunities for undergraduate research and unique extracurriculars, allowing premed students to develop a strong application. The university also offers connections to the highly ranked Weill Cornell School of Medicine which, while located downstate in New York City, can supply opportunities to learn from expert clinicians and conduct research during breaks.

  Despite these advantages, being a premed at Cornell can also have its own unique challenges. First, as a student at the largest Ivy League school by enrollment, it can feel easy to get lost in the crowd of students, compounding the already difficult course requirements. Second, Cornell’s rural setting in Ithaca can make it harder to find shadowing positions, since there are fewer hospitals to serve the nearby region. And finally, while the connections to Weill Cornell are strong, the significant physical distance between Ithaca and New York City can make utilizing these relationships difficult.

  Despite these obstacles, through careful planning you can take advantage of the many benefits of a Cornell education while developing the optimal resume for medical school admissions success. This guide combines insight from current Cornell students and alumni who have successfully navigated this environment, plus patterns gleaned from the admissions data of prior Cornell graduates, in order to help you do just that. We’ll discuss how to navigate your time at Cornell, including specific advice on managing your course schedule, excelling in your classes, developing your passions outside of the classroom, and, ultimately, successfully applying to medical school.

  Part 2: Cornell premed requirements

  At a large school full of diverse areas of study from agriculture to engineering to literature, selecting your coursework can be one of the most daunting initial challenges faced by Cornell students. However, as a premed, you will need to complete several specific sequences of courses in order to satisfy the requirements for medical school admission, making your schedule a bit more regimented than some of your classmates.

  Despite the requirements to complete courses in certain fields of study as a premed, there is still a degree of flexibility when it comes to the exact order in which you’ll take each of your courses and the exact courses you use within those fields. Cornell’s Career Services provides a list of courses that you can use to complete these requirements here.

  While different medical schools may require slightly different academic coursework, you’ll be able to apply to most schools if you follow these guidelines. We’ve also included course numbers here for ease of scheduling.

  As if selecting the necessary courses isn’t already intimidating, deciding on the order in which to take these courses can also be relatively challenging. Some of these decisions are more or less made for you; for example, the requirement to take General Chemistry I prior to taking General Chemistry II. Other decisions, however, such as when to take physics or biochemistry, require more planning as you must take into account your plans for the MCAT, graduation, and major requirements.

  It is also important to look at the various tracks offered for the different requirements. For example, engineers have alternative courses for physics and chemistry that better fit into their overall major, making their course requirements look slightly different from students whose majors lie elsewhere.

  For example, majoring in English as a premed student would require taking the Chemistry 2070 and 2080 series, while a premed engineering student would pursue Chemistry 2090 and 2080.

  Here are some factors to consider when planning your courses:

  • Requirements to complete your major(s) and minor(s)
  • Cornell graduation requirements, including unusual items like the Physical Education and Swim Tests
  • Your individual plan for taking the MCAT to ensure completion of necessary courses or self study
  • Prerequisites for certain premed courses (check with the course catalog for details for specific courses)
  • Balancing rigorous classes with less rigorous courses
  • Maintaining a relatively steady overall number of credits

  As an example, here’s a schedule recommended for premed biomedical engineers. Alternatively, we’ve provided an additional potential plan for a non-engineer premed who intends to take the MCAT fall of junior year and apply to medical school as a senior without taking a gap year.

  How to maintain a high GPA as a Cornell premed

  As a member of the Ivy League, Cornell lives up to the rigor that defines this type of school. Adding to the inherent difficulty of being a premed at a prestigious university, Cornell is not well known for grade inflation, as some of its peers are rumored to be. Between these challenging grading practices and the accomplished undergraduates who make up your classes (Cornell’s undergraduate admissions rate is just 8.7%), it’s no wonder that getting a high GPA can be a challenge for many students.

  Nevertheless, many consider Cornell to be among the more friendly schools in the Ivy League. This can create a collaborative environment and help to alleviate some of the competitive stress that comes with being a premed at many other institutions. And, as we will discuss below, Cornell offers numerous opportunities for additional support in your courses, which can help to address any areas you may struggle with.

  Here is some advice for maintaining a high GPA and finding general premed success at Cornell:

  • Take advantage of your resources. On a campus-wide level, the Learning Strategies Center (LSC) is a great first stop to get help for developing your individual study style. For specific courses, there are also many opportunities for additional help. For example, the Department of Biology offers the Student Advisors program to link successful upper-year students with underclassmen. Similarly, engineering offers a Tutors-on-Call program.
  • Carefully plan your course schedule. Talk to older students or employ online resources like the Cornell subreddit, Rate My Professor, and the data from course evaluations in order to identify challenging courses and professors ahead of time. This will allow you to avoid scheduling too many challenging courses at once or getting a lower grade due to a more challenging professor rather than your own work ethic.
  • Don’t take an unnecessarily full course load. Even while completing graduation requirements and satisfying premed prerequisites, most students at Cornell graduate in four years. While it can be tempting to pursue additional courses, be cautious and avoid taking too many classes at the same time, which can adversely affect both your GPA and your ability to pursue success in extracurriculars. In general, medical schools care more about how you did in your courses rather than how many classes you completed.
  • Consider summer classes. One way to avoid having a difficult workload during the semester is to spread out your classes by taking a summer course or two, whether at Cornell or at an institution in your hometown. These courses often, but not always, have the advantage of having an easier curve. However, this strategy does have the downside of providing you less time in the summer to pursue research, extracurriculars, or clinical experience.
  • Consider pre-studying. If you have a particular course you are concerned about, studying some of the material during summer or winter break prior to the start of the semester can be a great way to come in with extra preparation. Ways to do this include reading up on basic topics using the course textbook, watching videos like Khan Academy, or watching prior semesters’ lectures to get a head start.
  • Make use of old exams and questions. Professors will often provide older problem sets or exams prior to your tests. These provide the best window into the professor’s style of exam and what topics they think are important, and are therefore some of the most crucial study materials.
  • Work hard. Make no bones about it—Cornell is not an easy school. However, with hard work and careful preparation, many students have found their courses to be rewarding and a perfect proving ground not only for the MCAT, but also for medical school and beyond.

  What’s the best premed major at Cornell?

  Ezra Cornell’s 1868 quotation “I would found an institution where any person can find instruction in any study” continues to apply to this day. Not only can you major in humanities subjects and biological sciences like at many of Cornell’s peer institutions, but you also have the opportunity to major in strong programs in fields as diverse as engineering, agriculture, human ecology, and hotel management.

  Given all these options, it can feel overwhelming to decide which major to pursue if your goal is to attend medical school. Nevertheless, students at Cornell have been successful in applying from nearly every major and, in general, there isn’t one overall best major for premeds.

  While students can pursue most any major, medical school applicants nationally tend to cluster in a few specific areas. Most premed students pursue degrees in biological sciences, such as biology or biochemistry. This makes sense given that your interest in medicine likely derives from an interest in understanding human health and disease; thus, studying the basic principles provides a strong foundation for medical school.

  At Cornell in particular, many students follow a similar path. Majors in biology, chemistry, and biological engineering are commonplace among premeds. One advantage of these types of majors is that they have significant overlap with your premed requirements, allowing you to complete both your major and your premed courses at the same time, minimizing the overall number of courses needed. However, majoring in the sciences or engineering can involve some challenging courses within the discipline, which can make maintaining a strong GPA more difficult.

  One unique Cornell major that often closely fits the goals of many premeds is the biology and society major. This major is designed for students who wish to combine training in biology with perspectives from the social sciences and humanities regarding the social, political, and ethical aspects of modern biology. This blending of perspectives closely mimics the biopsychosocial model of health and disease, used in certain corners of modern medicine. A similar major, health, biology, and human society (HBHS), is also offered through the College of Human Ecology

  Ultimately, choosing your major depends on your answers to the following two questions:

  • Where do your passions lie?
  • Will you be able to maintain a high GPA?

  When should you take the MCAT?

  As you progress through your time at Cornell, one of the last major hurdles prior to applying to medical school will be taking the MCAT. Deciding when to take this test is a crucial part of the application process, as you must weigh what courses you’ve completed, your available time for dedicated study, and your individual application timeline. Given that these factors can differ quite a bit between students, the best time to take the MCAT becomes a matter of evaluating your individual circumstances.

  While every applicant’s situation is unique, we can still discuss the timing of the MCAT for a Cornell applicant who doesn’t intend to take a gap year and who was able to begin their premed courses during freshman year.

  For this applicant, the late fall or early winter of junior year can be an excellent time to take the MCAT. This would allow the student five semesters to complete the recommended courses for the exam and would also offer the option of using winter break as a time for dedicated study. And given that there are still several months prior to the last accepted test dates for application, this timing also allows you to retake the exam if that becomes necessary.

  At Cornell, we would recommend completing the following courses prior to taking the MCAT. These courses will cover the majority of the material on the exam, though caution is needed as the overlap between your courses and tested material may not be 100%.

  • Chemistry 2070 and 2080
  • Biology 1350, 1440, and 1500
  • Physics 2207 and 2208
  • Chemistry 3570, 3580, and 2510
  • Molecular Biology and Genetics (BIOMG) 3510

  (Note: Engineering or other equivalents would also suffice.)

  While many premeds may suggest that completing biochemistry (BIOMG 3510) is not required to take the MCAT, biochemistry makes up a significant portion of the exam, with 25 percent of the C/P and B/B sections.

  In addition to these required courses, subjects like sociology and psychology are also tested on the MCAT, though to a much lesser degree. You might consider taking introductory classes in sociology or psychology as additional preparation for the MCAT. However, these courses often cover significantly greater levels of depth than are required for the exam while missing some of the basic concepts tested. Instead, many students opt to self-study these topics outside of a formal class.