Pre-med Requirements

Our pre-medical requirements are detailed below. These prerequisites do not need to be completed to apply but must be met prior to matriculation. Applicants educated outside the United States are eligible for admission, but the required courses must be completed in an accredited U.S., U.K, or Canadian college or university. Advanced courses in the same field may be substituted for required introductory-level courses.

The minimum requirements for admission to the first-year class are:

Attendance for three academic years, or the equivalent, at an accredited college, university, or institute of technology.
Satisfactory completion of the following courses, including laboratory work:

General Biology or Zoology

2 semesters of lecture
2 semesters of laboratory work

General Chemistry

2 semesters of lecture
2 semesters of laboratory work

Organic Chemistry

1 semester of lecture
1 semester of laboratory work

Biochemistry

1 semester of lecture
1 semester of laboratory work (recommended, but not required)

General Physics

2 semesters of lecture
2 semesters of laboratory work

Biostatistics

1 semester of lecture (recommended, but not required)
Beginning in the 2027-28 application year, 1 semester of Biostatistics is required

To help students and academic advisors ensure that prospective students are meeting our pre-medical requirements, we’ve provided some general guidelines for acceptable courses below.

Biology

All applicants must complete a full year of general biology or zoology with a lab (2 semesters). We will accept advanced or higher-level biology courses (such as Genetics or Cell Biology) toward this requirement. Preparation in biology should emphasize human biology and principles of systems biology.

Chemistry

All applicants must complete a full year of general chemistry with lab (2 semesters), one semester of organic chemistry with lab and one semester of biochemistry (lab recommended, but not required). Preparation in chemistry should include exposure to general chemistry, organic chemistry, and biochemistry in a sequence that provides the foundation for the study of biologically relevant chemistry.

Physics

All applicants must complete a full year of general physics with lab (2 semesters). Preparation in physics should focus on biologically relevant areas of mechanics, kinetics, thermodynamics, the properties of matter (quantum theory) and wave theory, electricity and magnetism, and optics.

Biostatistics

In the 2026-27 application year, all applicants are recommended (but not required) to complete a half year of biostatistics. Preparation in biostatistics should address quantitative reasoning and statistical analysis, especially in biological, medical, or public health contexts. Students should reflect the ability to analyze and interpret data, evaluate probability and hypotheses, and apply mathematical principles to explain natural phenomena.

In the 2027-28 application year, all applicants are required to complete a half year of biostatistics (1 semester).

Frequently Asked Questions

Semesters Equivalency: Acceptable courses in the above subjects are usually given three to four semester hours of academic credit per semester. Students on a quarter or trimester system must still complete the equivalent amount of coursework, as measured in credit hours. Your registrar’s office and academic advisors can provide information on how to convert your school’s quarter or trimester credit hours into traditional semester credit hours.
Community College Coursework: Community College courses are acceptable, provided that the courses include the required laboratory work and are comparable in content to courses at four-year colleges, universities, or institutes of technology.
Online Coursework: Online courses are acceptable for pre-requisite lecture coursework if they are comparable in content to in-person courses at four-year colleges, universities, or institutes of technology.
Pre-requisite laboratory coursework must be completed in person at an accredited academic institution. Online courses, including those that utilize at-home laboratory kits, will not be accepted. This requirement reflects the Committee on Admissions’ expectation that in-person laboratory experiences are essential for developing a comprehensive understanding of scientific concepts and methods.
Pass/Fail: Acceptable courses should be completed for a letter grade beyond Pass/Fail, unless there are extenuating circumstances.
AP or IB Credits: U.S. Advanced Placement credits or International Baccalaureate credits satisfy the premedical requirements, so long as your primary undergraduate institution gave you credit on an institutional transcript.
Placement Exams & Advanced Coursework: Advanced college or university courses may also be substituted for introductory-level courses in each of these subjects. The Yale Secondary Application includes space where you may elaborate further.
Laboratory Coursework: Additional coursework without a lab component cannot be substituted for lab requirements. However, you may take a relevant lab independent of a lecture component to meet the lab requirement for a subject.
Additional Coursework: We have no recommended course of study beyond our premed course requirements. However, we encourage applicants to progress beyond the elementary level in the field of their choice rather than pursue an undirected, generalized program. The student of medicine enters a profession closely allied to the natural sciences and must be prepared to cope with chemistry and biology at the graduate level. Science courses should not be your sole focus; a liberal education is the supporting structure for graduate study and should include an understanding of the humanities, arts, and society as well as the foundations of technology and civilization.