Geography Pre-Med
Pre-Med
Geography's attention to cultural, environmental, and global issues makes it especially suitable as a background for practitioners of medicine in the twenty-first century.
According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, prospective medical students, regardless of major, should complete 1 year of Biology, 1 year of Physics, 2 years of Chemistry, and one year of English. (This is easily accomplished alongside a Geography major). Pre-med students should consider volunteering in a local hospital, and pursue a well rounded sample of extra-curricular or work experiences. The Medical College Admission Test should also be taken.
Students at UT can (and should!) take advantage of the advising services of the Health Professions Office.
Although many students and parents think first of biological science or psychology as appropriate pre-medical majors, Geography (and other liberal arts and sciences) are also very appropriate, as demonstrated by high success rates in admission to medical schools. For example, in 1998-1999, liberal arts majors were more successful than other students in gaining admission to medical school, as indicated in the following table:
| 1998-1999 entering class nationwide | Applicants | Accepted | Success Rate |
| Biological Science | 19,101 | 7,616 | 40% |
| Other Science and Engineering | 7,167 | 3,273 | 46% |
| Psychology | 2,355 | 971 | 41% |
| Liberal Arts, other than Psychology | 2,830 | 1,378 | 49% |
| Other (dual, interdisciplinary) | 9,551 | 4,141 | 44% |
| TOTAL | 41,004 | 17379 | 42% |
