I'm Pre-Med—What Major Should I Choose?

We commend you on your goal of serving others through a career in human medicine! Iowa State has pre-medicine programming, clubs, advising, and specializations within several majors that can help you reach your goals.

Pre-Med Iowa State students may choose any major that suits their interests and goals while allowing them to complete pre-med admissions requirements. With enough preparation, any major at Iowa State could facilitate successful admission to medical school; however, some majors' core curriculum will have more overlap with pre-med admissions requirements. It is up to you to determine which major is best for you as a pre-med student, and Iowa State faculty and staff are here to help provide the information you need to make a good decision.

If you are Pre-Med and preparing to apply to or visit Iowa State, we have special advice for you! Please see "Special Considerations for Iowa State Pre-Med Visitors and Applicants".

Biochemistry: A Smart Pre-Med Major at Iowa State

Biochemistry is one of the top pre-med majors reported by physicians. The biochemistry major with Pre-Medicine specialization allows for successful completion of typical medical school admissions course requirements within the major's 4-year plan. As a Pre-Medicine biochemistry major, you'll receive advising and coursework specifically designed to support your goal of becoming a physician. 

The Biochemistry Pre-Medicine specialization may also be customized for allied health careers such as Pre-Dental, Pre-Pharmacy, and Pre-Veterinary. We'll help map your plan in our award-winning Biochemistry Learning Community (BBMB 1100). 

Overall, Pre-Med Iowa State students should choose a major they're passionate about that allows them to succeed academically, meet pre-med course requirements, gain clinical experience, develop leadership and empathy, and demonstrate commitment to causes they care about. 

In Biochemistry, that could include conducting undergraduate research (#2 in this "10 Tips on Getting Into Med School" list) or helping to plan Stupka Undergraduate Research Symposium. There are so many ways to make an impact! In addition to conducting research and participating in multiple science-related clubs, Kathryn Wittrock (Biochemistry '23, current student at Carver College of Medicine) founded a nonprofit to help distribute musical instruments to students in need. Matthew Beard (Biochemistry '25) founded Smiles for All, a student organization that distributes dental hygiene supplies to local communities.

The path to medical school is different for everyone, but it starts with deciding how you want to develop and distinguish yourself. Read here about the medical school journey of Kathryn Wittrock (Biochemistry '23). 

Other Common Pre-Med Majors at Iowa State

While most (60%) successful applicants to medical school major in the biological sciences—such a biochemistry, biology, genetics, or microbiology (source)—many other majors may lead you to an M.D. The Iowa State majors that have most commonly led to successful acceptance to medical school are below (source):

• Biology
• Microbiology
• Chemistry
• Biochemistry
• Biomedical Engineering
• Kinesiology and Health
• Genetics
• Nursing
• Psychology
• Athletic training
• Chemical Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Economics
• English
• History
• Music

Your major is only part of successful preparation for medical school. You also need to make time to study for the MCAT, gain relevant experience beyond the classroom, and complete any pre-med coursework that might not be included in your core major, all while maintaining a competitive GPA. Thus, it is important that you select a major that meets your individual academic strengths and goals.

To read more about pre-medicine at Iowa State, visit these sites:

• Iowa State Pre-Med and Pre-Health Programs  (campus-wide)
• Iowa State Pre-Med Club
• Iowa State Pre-Med Conference
• Pre-health and Pre-Medical Professions Advising in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (Biochemistry major available)
• Pre-Health Professions in the College of Human Sciences (Biochemistry major not available)

Choosing Between Biological Sciences Pre-Med Majors at Iowa State

At Iowa State, we want you to find a major you feel passionate about that will allow you to achieve your goals! We understand you may want to keep your options open in terms of major while building the expertise to make you a competitive medical school applicant.

The most similar potential pre-med biological sciences majors at Iowa State are biochemistry, biology, chemistry, genetics, kinesiology and health, and microbiology. These majors all build a foundation of biology, chemistry, math, and physics, and they have significant overlap in coursework, especially in the first two years. It is not uncommon for students to switch between these majors during the first or even second year at Iowa State, or for students to add a minor, double major, or even second degree in another one of these majors. It is also not uncommon for students to switch majors between biochemistry and chemical engineering within the first year. 

For these reasons, we provide a summary of these majors' typical coursework in the first year:

• Source: 4-year plans of each major as provided on https://catalog.iastate.edu/. Major-specific Catalog pages are linked above in lefthand column. Please refer to the course catalog and each major's departmental website, materials, and faculty/staff for the most up-to-date information.
• Please note that the majors of Biochemistry, Biology, and Genetics are offered in both CALS and LAS. 

Special Considerations for Iowa State Pre-Med Visitors and Applicants

When you create an admissions account at Iowa State, it may look like you can select "Pre-Med" as a major, but pre-medicine is not an actual major at Iowa State. Rather, "Pre-Med" is a professional interest designation that helps Iowa State admissions staff find the best advising and resources for you to prepare for entrance to medical school. Thus, when selecting your major at the time of admissions, you should consider what major suits your interests and strengths and will still allow you to complete pre-medicine course admissions requirements. You would then indicate that major in addition to the "Pre-Med" professional interest designation.

As a pre-med applicant to Iowa State, you might feel unsure about what major to select. 

• If you are not ready to choose a major at the time you visit or apply to admissions at Iowa State, one strategy is to select one of your top choices, even if it may change. By selecting a major at the time of admissions, you will be directly connected with the advisors, faculty, and staff that administer that program. They can provide you specific guidance about that major as well as closely aligned majors (for example, biochemistry, biology, genetics, and microbiology all have fairly similar first-year coursework and it is not uncommon to switch majors between these choices the first year; see Table 1 for an illustration). You can always change majors at a later time. Additionally, during your campus visit, it may be possible to meet with a second potential major; just let your admissions counselor know so they can schedule with the second department of interest. 
• Another approach as a pre-med applicant to Iowa State is to select "Open Option" in the "major" field and be sure to also add the "Pre-Medicine" professional interest designation. This will allow you to meet with advisors who can speak to a broad range of potential majors—from biology to sociology, music to psychology—and you will pick a major later.