Texas Tech University

Pre-Medicine

The Profession

Medicine is a branch of the health sciences concerned with maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, treatment and possible prevention of disease. The practice of medicine is evolving as the health care system changes. Managed care and health maintenance organizations are creating an increased demand for primary care physicians who provide most health care needs for their patients and refer them to other specialists as needed.

Physicians care for healthy people and for those who are ill or injured. Physicians examine patients, obtain medical histories, and order, perform and interpret diagnostic tests. They counsel patients about illness, injuries, health conditions, and preventivehealthcaree (i.e. diet and fitness, smoking cessation, etc.). They prescribe and administer medications and treatments, provide immunization services, care for pregnant women and deliver babies, perform surgery, and conduct research to aid in disease control or the development of new treatments. Physicians work in one or more specialties, such as anesthesiology, family and general medicine, general internal medicine, general pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry, and surgery.

Being Pre-Medicine

Pre-Medicine is an academic designation at Texas Tech University; it is not a degree-granting major. As Pre-Med, students prepare to apply to medical school, they have the option to major in any area they choose as long as they take the prerequisite courses required to enter medical school along with the courses necessary to complete that degree at Texas Tech University.

Regardless of which degree-granting major aPree-Medicine student chooses at Texas Tech, they will always have a PPHC Advisor on their team. If you have any questions whatsoever about being Pre-Medicine, contact your assigned PPHC Advisor today!

Pre-requisite Courses

Most medical schools require the following courses:

COURSE NAME Texas Tech University Texas Common Course Numbering System
GENERAL CHEMISTRY I and LAB CHEM 1307/1107 CHEM 1411, 1111, 1311
GENERAL CHEMISTRY II and LAB CHEM 1308/1108 CHEM 1414, 1412, 1312, 1112
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY I and LAB CHEM 3305/3105  
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY II and LAB CHEM 3306/3106  
MOLECULAR BIOCHEMISTRY CHEM 3310 (or CHEM 3311 - part of a more rigorous Biochemistry sequence)  
BIOLOGY I and LAB BIOL 1403 BIOL 1406, 1106, 1306
BIOLOGY II and LAB BIOL 1404 BIOL 1407, 1107, 1307
6 HOURS OF ADVANCED BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES ARE REQUIRED BY MOST MEDICAL SCHOOLS    
PHYSICS I and LAB PHYS 1403 PHYS 1401, 1101, 1301
PHYSICS II and LAB PHYS 1404 PHYS 1402, 1102, 1302
ENGLISH I ENGLL 1301 ENGLL 1301
ENGLISH II ENGLL 1302 ENGLL 1302
STATISTICAL METHODS or CALCULUS MATH 2300 or MATH 1451 MATH 1342, 1442, 2342, or MATH 2313

Recommended Advanced Biology Courses:

Some common advanced biological sciences
include, but are not limited to: Microbiology,
Molecular Biology, Genetics, Ecology,
Immunology, Parasitology.

Frequently check with the programs to which you plan to apply, as prerequisites and/or application procedures can change.

Other Requirements

Most medical schools require a minimum of three years of study (90 semester hours) completed at an accredited U.S. or Canadian college or university before anticipated date of enrollment. However, the completion of an undergraduate degree is highly desirable before entrance into medical school. Students applying without an undergraduate degree are likely to be accepted only if they have academic records superior to those of students accepted with a baccalaureate degree. They also must exhibit definite evidence of experience and maturity.

All candidates are required to take the Medical College Admissions Test (MCATT)

For application and/or prerequisite information, please contact each professional school and check their websites frequently.

Medical Schools

To learn more about medical schools (MD programs) both in Texas and elsewhere, please visit the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCMEE) directory here

To learn more about medical schools (DO programs) both in Texas and elsewhere, please visit the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) directory here