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. 

Pre-Med PrerequisitesPSU Course EquivalencyFulfills Biology major requirementsAdditional Info
MathematicsMTH 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
YesPrerequisite: 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
YesCH 334 fulfills Biology’s general departmental requirements; others in sequence can count toward 12 credits of additional coursework in related disciplines
BiochemistryCH 350 BiochemistryN/APrerequisite: 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
YesPrerequisite: 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
StatisticsSTAT 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
YesEnrollment requires concurrent enrollment or prior completion of CH 221/227
GeneticsBI 341 Introduction to GeneticsYesFulfills Biology’s Area A requirement
Behavioral SciencesPsy 201Z Introduction to Psychology I
Psy 202Z Introduction to Psychology II
PSY 311U Human Development
N/AFulfills general university requirements (10 credits minimum in social sciences)
Social SciencesSoc 200 Introduction to Sociology or Soc 250
Introduction to Sociology for the Health Sciences
N/AFulfills general university requirements (10 credits minimum in social sciences)
WritingVariesN/ACompletion 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