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Premed Curriculum Advice for MB&B Majors with Advanced Placement Credit

Compiled by Michael Koelle (MB&B) and Linda De Laurentis (Assistant Director, Yale Premedical Advising Center)

Some MB&B majors come to Yale with substantial AP credit. The MB&B department allows this credit to substitute for the introductory courses we normally require of our students. However, many medical schools have stricter requirements with respect to this issue. Premed students majoring in MB&B must be aware of both sets of requirements in planning their course of study.

MB&B Advanced Placement Policy
A score of 4 or 5 in the Advanced Placement Exam for Biology, Chemistry, or Physics C fulfills the requirements for the respective introductory lectures and laboratory courses (i.e., Bio 120, 122, and Lab; Chem 113/114 and Lab; Phys 180, 181 and Lab). In Math, a score of 4 or 5 on the AB or BC Advanced Placement Exam will exempt students from taking Math 112 and Math 115.

Medical School Admissions Advanced Placement Policy
This is a more complex issue, as requirements vary at different medical schools. Students are urged to contact the Yale Premedical Advisory Program (1 Hillhouse Ave, 432-0818) for information regarding specific schools. However, some general trends in medical school admissions requirements are described below:

I. Biology
Most medical schools require students to take two semesters of biology, with lab, in college. AP credit cannot be used to substitute for this requirement. However, students with AP credit may usually take more advanced biology electives (with lab) instead of introductory biology. This fits nicely with the MB&B requirements, which ask students to take at least one advanced biology elective anyway (although MB&B does not require labs with advanced courses). Appropriate biology electives would include courses in areas such as genetics or cell biology. Courses in the areas of botany or evolutionary biology may not satisfy medical school admissions requirements.

Important exceptions to the above discussion are certain University of Texas schools. These programs require students to take a year of introductory biology, with lab, in college. Students may not substitute AP credit or more advanced biology courses. The new MCDB department is currently changing its introductory biology courses: check with the premed advising office regarding this issue if it is of concern to you.

II. Chemistry
Most medical schools require two semesters of general chemistry, with lab, and two semesters of organic chemistry, with lab. However, students with AP credit for introductory chemistry will satisfy most medical school admissions requirements by taking one year of organic chemistry, with lab, followed by one semester of biochemistry, with lab.

MB&B also asks students with AP credit for introductory chemistry to take a year of organic chemistry, with lab, followed by one or more semesters of biochemistry, with lab. Any student who fulfills the MB&B requirements in chemistry and biochemistry should satisfy chemistry admissions requirements at most medical schools.

III. Physics
This is the most difficult area for MB&B students with AP credit to negotiate. The MB&B department allows students to substitute AP credit for introductory physics. Some medical schools also allow this. Many do not. The safest bet for a premedical MB&B student with AP physics credit is to take two semesters of introductory physics at Yale, with lab, or to take two semesters of more advanced physics courses, with lab.

IV. Math
Some medical schools require two semesters of mathematics to be taken in college, and will not allow AP credit to substitute. However, the Yale Premedical Advising Office finds that medical schools will accept students who use AP credit to skip Math 112 and Math 115, and then complete the one semester of Math 120. Thus any student who fulfills the MB&B requirements (Math up to 120) should satisfy most medical school admissions requirements in math.

Certain schools do strictly require two semesters of math to be taken in college. However, courses in computer science, statistics, or other quantitative disciplines will generally substitute for one of the two required "math" semesters. The safest bet is to take Math 120 and an additional quantitative course, e.g. in computer science.