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Pre-Health Professions: Physician

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  2. Health Careers Resource Center
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  4. Pre-Health Professions: Physician

Physician

Medical doctors diagnose and treat injuries and illnesses. They examine patients and prescribe medications. They also order, perform, and interpret diagnostic tests, and council patients on preventative healthcare. Physicians specialize in a variety of areas. Physicians can train in allopathic (M.D. degree) or osteopathic (D.O. degree) medicine.

CAREER DESCRIPTION*

  • National median salary: $239,200
  • National projected career growth: 3%

TYPICAL EDUCATION**

  • Years of School (including undergraduate): 8-9 years
  • Average Entering Science GPA: 3.8
  • Average Entering GPA: 3.84
  • MCAT Required
  • Average MCAT: 513

COMPETITIVE STUDENTS ALWAYS...

  • Maintain a competitive academic record
  • Take BIOL 1060 Intro to Medical Careers and Ethics
  • Shadow professionals in the field
  • Obtain direct patient health care experience
  • Stay active in community volunteering
  • Take at least one semester with at least 17 credit hours
  • Obtain competitive MCAT Score
  • Apply for Pre-Medical Committee Sponsorship

AREAS OF SPECIALTY

  • Anesthesiologist
  • Cardiologist
  • Dermatologist
  • Emergency Medicine
  • Family Medicine
  • Gastroenterologist
  • Gynecologist
  • Hematologist
  • Hepatologist
  • Infectious Disease Specialist
  • Neurologist
  • Obstetrician
  • Oncologist
  • Orthopedist
  • Pediatrician
  • Urologist
  • And more!

NEARBY SCHOOLS

  • University of Nebraska Medical Center
  • Creighton University
  • University of Iowa
  • University of Missouri-Kansas City
  • University of South Dakota

Prerequisites vary by program. Students are responsible for ensuring all entrance requirements are met. Most schools prefer science classes to be taken in-person versus online.

UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER’S (UNMC) PREREQUISITES

Biological Sciences (minimum credits: 14)

Course Credits Semester Prerequisites
BIOL 1450 Biology I & Lab 5 F, S, M High school Biology and Chemistry

BIOL 1750 Biology II & Lab

 5 F, S, M BIOL 1450

BIOL 2140 Genetics & Discussion

 4 F, S, M BIOL 1450 & 1750 & CHEM 1140 or 1180

Chemistry (minimum credits: 20)

Course Credits Semester Prerequisites
CHEM 1180 & 1184 General Chemistry I & Lab 4 F, S, M MATH 1300 or 1320 or CHEM 1140 & 1144
CHEM 1190 & 1194 General Chemistry II & Lab 4 F, S, M MATH 1300 or 1320 and CHEM 1180 & 1184

CHEM 2250 Organic Chemistry I*

 3 F, S, M CHEM 1190 & 1194
CHEM 2260 & 2274 Organic Chemistry II & Lab 5 F, S CHEM 2250
CHEM 4610 Biochemistry of Metabolism 4 S CHEM 2260 & 2274

OR

CHEM 4650 & 4654 Biochemistry I & Lab

 4 F CHEM 2260 & 2274 (BIOL 3020 recommended)

AND

CHEM 4660 & 4664 Biochemistry II & Lab

 4 S CHEM 4650 & 4654
*Apply for pre-med committee sponsorship immediately after completion of Organic Chemistry I.

Recommended Mathematics (choose one)

Course Credits Semester Prerequisites
MATH 1950 Calculus I OR 5 F, S, M MATH 1300 or1320 & 1330
MATH 1930 Calculus for Managerial and Life Science 3 F, S, M MATH 1300 or 1320

OR one of the following:

BIOL 2020 Statistics for Life and Environ. Science		 3 F, S MATH 1120, 1130, 1300, or 1320
PSYC 3130 Statistics for Behavioral Sciences 3 F, S, M MATH 1120, 1300, 1320, or STAT1530
SOC 2130 Social Statistics 3 F, S, M MATH 1120, 1300, 1320, or STAT1530
STAT 3000 Statistical Methods I 3 F, S MATH 1300 or 1320

Physics (minimum credits: 8-10)

Course Credits Semester Prerequisites
PHYS 1110 & 1154 Physics for Life Science I & Lab 5 F, S, M MATH 1300 or 1320
PHYS 1120 & 1164 Physics for Life Science II & Lab 5 F, S, M PHYS 1110 & 1154
Advanced physics may be substituted.

English Composition (minimum credits: 6)

Course Credits Semester Prerequisites
ENGL 1150 English Composition I 3 F, S, M AP Score 3, ACT 14-26, HS GPA 2.3+
ENGL 1160 English Composition II 3 F, S, M AP Score 4, ENGL 1140 or 1150, or ACT 27+ or
Reading or English ACT score of 29+

Strongly Recommended Courses

Course Credits Semester Prerequisites
PSYC 1010 Introduction to Psychology 3 F, S, M N/A
SOC 1010 Introduction to Sociology 3 F, S, M N/A
NEUR 1520 Introduction to Neuroscience I 3 F, S, M High school Biology or Chemistry
BIOL 1160 Terminology of Human Health & Disease 2 F, S N/A
BIOL 3020 Molecular Biology of the Cell 3 F, S, M BIOL 2140 and a Gen. Chem course
BIOL 3240 Introduction to Immunology 3 F, S BIOL 1450, 1750, & 2140, *BIOL 3020
BIOL 2740 Human Anatomy & Physiology I & Lab 4 F, S, M High School Biology and Chemistry
BIOL 2840 Human Anatomy & Physiology II & Lab 4 F, S, M BIOL 2740

*Data and information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics
**Data and information from UNMC
Last update: 9.2025

WHAT PRACTICING PROFESSIONAL SAY

“The good physician treats the disease; the great physician treats the patient who has the disease.”
-William Osler

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