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When to Apply

If you wish to enter medical school or some other health profession training program in the fall following your graduation you must complete all of your required courses by the end of your junior year. You will also want to take any required standardized tests at this time (MCAT, DAT, etc.). However, most Brown students aspiring to the health professions (around two-thirds) choose to take one or more years off from school before beginning their professional training. In this case you need not complete your premed courses until the end of your senior year. This "four-year plan" can give you more flexibility in course selection and make it easier to take a semester or two abroad.

Following are some sample plans of study. Note that these are just samples to give you an idea of what is possible. You should design a plan that works best for you!

Before reading over these plans, we suggest that you first view the list of courses that fulfill premedical requirements at Brown.

Three Year Plan Sample Programs*

Time Period Sample I Sample II
Year 1 Fall--CHEM 0330, math course
Spring--CHEM 0350, math (if no AP) and BOL 0200 (if no AP)
Fall--math course (if no AP), CHEM 0100
Spring--math course (if no AP), BIOL 0200
Year 2 Fall--CHEM 0360
Spring--Bio course w/lab
Fall--CHEM 0330, Bio course w/lab
Spring--CH 0350
Year 3 Fall--PHYS 0300
Spring--PHYS 0400, MCAT, DAT, etc.

Fall--CHEM 0360, PHYS 0030
Spring--PH0040, MCAT, DAT, etc.

Summer Complete applications Complete applications
Year 4 Complete fourth chemistry course or BIOL 0280, Interviews at schools and decisions

Interviews at schools and decisions


Four Year Plan Sample Programs*

Time Period Sample I Sample II
Year 1 Fall--CHEM 0330, math course (if no AP)
Spring--CHEM 0350, BIOL 0200 (if no AP), math (if no AP)
Fall--math course (if no AP), CHEM 0100
Spring--math course (if no AP), BIOL 0200
Year 2 Fall--CHEM 0360
Spring--Bio w/lab
Fall--CHEM 0330
Spring--CHEM 0350
Year 3 PHYS 0030-0040 and fourth course in chemistry or BIOL 0280
MCAT (or other) spring of senior year
study abroad junior year?
Fall--CHEM 0360
Spring--Bio w/lab
Year 4 Fall--PHYS 0300
Spring--PHYS 0400; MCAT, DAT, etc.
Summer Following
Graduation
Complete applications Complete applications
Year After
Graduation
Interviews at schools and decisions Interviews at schools and decisions

*Neither plan includes courses for the English requirement. Also, requirements are not always uniform from school-to-school. If you need to complete additional requirements, we suggest doing so during senior year.