Medicine

Career Info

For motivated individuals, the field of medicine offers a challenging, yet rewarding career. Due to the number of specialties, it is a diverse and complicated profession. There are two types of medical degrees which lead to the role of a physician: allopathic, who hold an MD degree (Doctor of Medicine), and osteopathic, who hold a DO degree (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine).  Both degrees offer the opportunity to be fully qualified to practice medicine in the United States. Both allopathic and osteopathic doctors attend 4 years of medical school, 3-8 years of residency, and must pass multiple licensing exams. According to the American Osteopathic Association, “osteopathic medicine is a parallel branch of medicine with a distinct philosophy and approach to patient care which focuses on holistic patient care, the unity of all body parts, the body’s ability to heal itself and preventive medicine.”

Physicians are well compensated for their work, with a median annual wage of $239,200 in 2023. The job outlook is strong, as the United States looks to combat the projected physician shortage in the coming years. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 3% growth rate for the field by 2032.

For more information

Outlook: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physicians-and-surgeons.htm

Education and Training

 Medical school programs are four years in length. The first two years entail learning the basic sciences essential to medicine. The second two years include a series of required & elective clinical rotations, lasting 4-12 weeks each. During the fourth year of medical school, students apply to graduate medical education training programs (known as residencies). Residencies last 3-8 years, depending on the specialty. Medicine offers an opportunity to provide primary care or specialized medicine. Primary care residencies are in pediatrics, internal and general medicine, and OBGYN. Specialties can be in a variety of areas including surgery, dermatology, radiology, oncology, psychiatry, etc. Medical students must pass a series of national board exams during medical school, residency, and prior to licensure.

Applying to medical school is a competitive process, so students need to strive for high academic achievement and perform well on the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) exam which covers content from all the general prerequisite courses listed below. To learn more about the MCAT, visit the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) website.

Community service, leadership skills, research, health-related experience, a personal statement and strong letters of recommendation are also needed. Since the application process is highly competitive, students are encouraged to see a Pre-Health Professions Peer Advisor in their freshman/sophomore years in order to plan properly. In their third/fourth years, they should meet with a Pre-Health Professions Staff Advisor for application planning. The national average GPA for entrance to allopathic medical schools in 2020 was 3.73 overall and 3.66 in the sciences, with an average MCAT of 511. For osteopathic medical schools in 2019, the average accepted GPA was 3.57 overall and 3.51 in the sciences, with an average MCAT of 504.

Additionally, many allopathic and osteopathic medical schools are now requiring situational judgment tests via either the CASPer or PREview exam. Each exam presents the examinee with ethical scenarios in which they are testing a student's interpersonal core competencies and non-cognitive skills. Please review the following links to learn more about these respective exams.

AAMC PREview Exam

CASPer Exam

Quarter Course Recommendations

Note:  Admission prerequisites vary by institution.  Some schools will not accept AP credit for prerequisites.  Check requirements carefully!

See below for an example of admission course prerequisites that may be required at CA programs. Please research professional programs for the specific admission requirements. If you need guidance on how to search for schools, please see the Peer Advisors during drop-in hours. 

• Note:
  • Bio, Mcro, Bchm, and Msci majors should enroll in Mcro 224
  • Biology requirements vary widely between programs. Check individual program requirements closely. 

• Note: Engineering & Physical Science majors should enroll in Chem 124, 125, 126

• Note: Biochemistry & Chemistry majors should enroll in Chem 216, 217/221, 218/324

• Note: Please see a pre-health peer advisor with any questions on the best preparation for you based on your major and time remaining at Cal Poly

Physics: Phys 121, 122, 123 or Phys 141, 142, 143

Suggested Preparation

Biology:
Histology: Bio 410
Cell Bio: Bio 452
Genetics: Bio 351 or Bio 303 or Bio 302 (Upper-Div B)
Embryology: Bio 405
Immunology: Bio 426
Anat/Physio: Bio 231, 232 (for all majors except Bio) or Bio 361, 406-409, & 426
Molecular Biology: Bio/Chem 475

Social Sciences:
Anthropology: Ant 201 (D2), Ant 344 (Upper-Div D), Ant 345 (Upper-Div D), Ant 360 (Upper-Div D), Ant 401
Psychology: Psy 201/202 (E), Psy 311 (Upper-Div D), Psy 318 (Upper-Div D), Psy 310, Psy 320, Psy 330, Psy 340
Sociology: Soc 110 (D2), Soc 326 (Upper-Div D)

Business:
Bus 207, 212
Econ 201 or 222 (D2)

Biomedical Ethics: Phil 339 (Upper-Div C)

Foreign Language

Mathematics: 1-2 quarters of introductory calculus, Math 118-119; Math 141-143 or 161-162; Stat 217 or 218; Stat 313

Physics: Phys 125* 

• *PHYS 125 is a 1-unit lab that corresponds to PHYS 121 or PHYS 141. Bailey College Student Services maintains an internal, ongoing waitlist for PHYS 125. Outreach and permission numbers are prioritized based on students’ health profession interest and expected graduation term. Please note that placement in the course is not guaranteed, even for students on the waitlist.

  To be added to the waitlist, please email bcsmadvising@calpoly.edu with the following information:

  • Your name
  • Cal Poly email
  • Major
  • Health profession of interest (i.e. DDS, PT, DVM, etc.)
  • The quarter you took PHYS 121 or PHYS 141 (or indicate if you are currently enrolled)
  • Animal Science majors: Please contact animalscience@calpoly.edu, as the Animal Science Department manages the PHYS 125 waitlist for their own students.

Last updated: 09/07/2022.

Semester Course Recommendations (Under Construction)

Schools in California

CA Allopathic Medical Schools
UC Davis
UC San Francisco
UC San Diego
UC Los Angeles
UC Irvine
UC Riverside
University of Southern California
Loma Linda
Stanford
California Northstate University
California University of Science and Medicine
Kaiser Permanente

CA Osteopathic Medical Schools
Western University of Health Sciences
Touro University 
California Health Sciences University

Professional Association Links

For more information on allopathic medicine, visit the Association of American Medical Colleges website at: www.aamc.org. For osteopathic medicine, visit the Association of American Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine at: www.aacom.org. 

Cal Poly American Medical Student Association (AMSA)

To get involved with the Cal Poly American Medical Student Association (AMSA) chapter, contact calpolyamsa@calpoly.edu, visit their website (calpolyamsa.wixsite.com/website), or follow them on Instagram (@calpolyamsa).

Cal Poly Alumni in Medicine

Nic Lalanne - Oregon Health Sciences University
Laura Clayton - Frank H. Netter School of Medicine
Abby Wilmer - University of North Dakota School of Medicine