Biology for Pre-Med

Biology Gives You An Edge for Med School

At PSU we are ready to help you prepare for medical school and beyond. Biology majors make up a large portion of medical students, and for good reason. Study of Biology delivers a comprehensive understanding of the human system and its building blocks, setting you up for success in medicine programs. At PSU, our faculty are invested in your success and offer meaningful hands-on experiential learning opportunities through coursework and mentorship. Our programs are unique in how closely we work with Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU) and Oregon State University (OSU) dental and medicine students through our state-of-the-art Robertson Life Sciences Building at our vibrant waterfront campus.

Biology Degree Requirements

Pre-Med Prerequisites	PSU Course Equivalency	Fulfills Biology major requirements	Additional Info
Mathematics	MTH 111Z Precalculus I: Functions and MTH 112Z Precalculus II: Trigonometry	N/A
Inorganic Chemistry (1-year sequence with labs)	General Chemistry: CH 221/227 CH 222/228 CH 223/229	Yes	Prerequisite: Must take chemistry placement assessment and score 90% or higher prior to registration
Organic Chemistry (1-year sequence with labs)	Organic Chemistry: CH 334/337 CH 335/338 CH 336	Yes	CH 334 fulfills Biology’s general departmental requirements; others in sequence can count toward 12 credits of additional coursework in related disciplines
Biochemistry	CH 350 Biochemistry	N/A	Prerequisite: CH 229 and CH 336
Physics (1-year sequence with labs)	General Physics: PH 201/214 PH 202/215 PH 203/216 or General Physics with Life Science and Medical Applications: PH 231/214 PH 232/215 PH 233/216	Yes	Prerequisite: MTH 111Z or MTH 251 or Aleks Placement Test score 76 or higher. PH 201/214 or PH 231/214 fulfills Biology’s general departmental requirements; others in sequence can count toward 12 credits of additional coursework in related disciplines
Statistics	STAT 243Z Elementary Statistics I and STAT 244 Introduction to Probability and Statistics II	Yes
Biology (1-year sequence with labs)	Principles of Biology: BI 211/214 BI 212/215 BI 213/216	Yes	Enrollment requires concurrent enrollment or prior completion of CH 221/227
Genetics	BI 341 Introduction to Genetics	Yes	Fulfills Biology’s Area A requirement
Behavioral Sciences	Psy 201Z Introduction to Psychology I Psy 202Z Introduction to Psychology II PSY 311U Human Development	N/A	Fulfills general university requirements (10 credits minimum in social sciences)
Social Sciences	Soc 200 Introduction to Sociology or Soc 250 Introduction to Sociology for the Health Sciences	N/A	Fulfills general university requirements (10 credits minimum in social sciences)
Writing	Varies	N/A	Completion of University Studies or University Honors typically fulfills some or all of this requirement

Highly Recommended

Though not required for medical school, the following courses are highly recommended and can fulfill your biology major requirements:

BI 380 Microbiology (fulfills Area B)
BI 388 Microbiology Techniques (fulfills one of two courses with major lab/field component)

Additional Biology Major Requirements

Though not required for medical school, the following courses are required to graduate with a Biology degree.

Area C: Ecology/Evolution
- BI 357 General Ecology
- BI 358 Evolution
12 credits of upper-division courses numbered 412-499; courses recommended for medical school include:
- BI 421 Virology
- BI 487 Immunology and Serology
- BI 452 Cancer Biology
- BI 462 Cellular Neuroscience
- BI 463 Systems Neuroscience
- Bi 440/540 Evolutionary Medicine