4-Compelling Reasons to Complete a Pre-Med Program Before Med School

Preparing for medical school involves more than just earning a bachelor’s degree and taking the MCAT. A pre-med program—whether part of your undergraduate plan or a post-baccalaureate program—can help you meet critical med school prerequisites, develop essential skills, and even accelerate your admission timeline.

If you’re serious about becoming a doctor, dentist, or other healthcare professional, here’s why completing a pre-med program could be one of the most strategic decisions you make.

Some Majors Don’t Cover All Required Medical School Prerequisites

The path to medical school starts with three major academic milestones: earning an undergraduate degree, completing a set of prerequisite courses, and gaining acceptance into a medical program.

Most medical schools in the United States require applicants to have completed the following coursework, often with lab components:

1 year of Biology
1 year of General Chemistry
1 year of Organic Chemistry
1 semester of Biochemistry
1 year of Physics
1 year of English
1 semester of Calculus or Statistics

Some schools may also recommend additional classes such as Psychology, Sociology, or Genetics.

The challenge? Many undergraduate majors don’t include all of these required courses. Rather than taking an entirely new major or delaying your graduation, enrolling in a pre-med post-baccalaureate program lets you fill in the gaps, especially if your original degree was in a non-science field.

Top Pre-Med Programs Can Help You Bypass the Traditional Med School Application Cycle

Did you know that some of the best post-bacc pre-med programs have formal partnerships—known as linkage agreements—with medical schools?

These agreements allow highly qualified students to skip the typical year-long application cycle and matriculate into medical school directly after completing their pre-med program. It’s a competitive advantage that could save you valuable time.

Not all universities offer linkage admission, so it’s essential to research which programs have these agreements. If time is of the essence and you meet the qualifications, linkage programs can be an ideal fast-track to med school.

Pre-Med Programs Help You Build the Core Competencies Med Schools Value

Beyond academic knowledge, medical schools are looking for applicants with a wide range of interpersonal and professional skills. Pre-med programs are designed to help students develop the following core competencies:

Critical thinking and scientific reasoning
Oral and written communication
Teamwork and collaboration
Service orientation and social awareness
Understanding of human behavior
Time and stress management

While traditional undergraduate degrees may touch on these areas, a focused pre-med program helps you refine them in preparation for the demands of medical school.

You can also enhance these competencies through immersive global experiences, such as Go Elective’s pre-med shadowing programs in Kenya and Tanzania, where students learn side-by-side with local physicians in high-impact clinical environments.

Broaden Your Career Options in the Healthcare Field

Even if you don’t ultimately become a physician, completing a pre-med program opens up a wide range of healthcare career paths. This includes:

Dentistry
Optometry
Podiatry
Physician Assistant (PA) programs
Public Health
Global Health and Development

Pre-med training provides foundational science education and clinical context that apply across these fields, making you a more flexible and competitive candidate for various healthcare roles.

If you’re still exploring different specialties, consider enrolling in global health internships to experience a range of medical settings before choosing your path.

Final Thoughts: Should You Complete a Pre-Med Program?

Completing a pre-med program is not mandatory—but it’s often the most efficient and effective way to meet medical school requirements, especially if your undergraduate major didn’t cover core science courses.

More importantly, pre-med programs help you:

Strengthen your med school application
Build the competencies needed for healthcare success
Expand your options within the healthcare field
Potentially fast-track your med school admission through linkage agreements

And thanks to flexible options—including online coursework and in-person clinical internships abroad—there’s no reason not to take this valuable step.

Remember, your MCAT score, GPA, and real-world experiences like shadowing or volunteering all contribute to your med school readiness. By pairing a solid pre-med program with a clinical internship abroad, you’ll be positioned as a well-rounded, resilient, and passionate applicant.