Identifying the undergraduate coursework that will make you the best medical school applicant—and eventually help you succeed as a medical student—is an inexact science. Still, the bulk of prospective medical students tend to follow a science-heavy course trajectory in their studies. Is that the wisest course of action?
A look at the data and insight from veteran faculty members shed some light on the relevance of undergraduate majors to medical school performance.
Applicants favor biology
According to the most recent data released by the Association of American of Medical Colleges (AAMC), among the nearly 52,000 candidates who submitted scores on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) as part of their medical school application, roughly 60% had an undergraduate major that could be classified as focusing on biological sciences.
In total, the AAMC has data tracking 23,156 students who matriculated to medical school in 2024. The breakdown of primary undergraduate majors in that group generally had a heavy emphasis on science and math, which tend to align with medical school prerequisite requirements.
The most common majors were:
- Biological sciences—13,420 total matriculants.
- Physical sciences—2,121.
- Social sciences—2,040.
- Specialized health sciences—1,002.
- Humanities—785.
- Math and statistics—172.
It is worth noting that the second largest group of matriculants (3,616) tracked by the AAMC fell into the “other” category.
The AMA Succeeding in Medical School series offers tips and other guidance on a wide range of critical topics, including preparing for the USMLE and COMLEX exams, navigating clinical rotations, publishing scientific research, and maintaining optimal health and wellness.
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Do any majors have an admissions advantage?
The data seems to indicate that is not the case. For instance, 30,202 students with majors in the biological sciences applied to medical schools in 2023–2024. The matriculation rate for that group was roughly 44% lower than several other primary majors like math and statistics (53%), humanities (53%) and physical sciences (52%).
Among the listed majors, students who studied biological sciences also had an average total MCAT score of 511.6, which places those applicants in the middle of the group of tracked primary undergraduate majors. Matriculants who majored in math and statistics and humanities had slightly higher scores.
The vast majority of medical schools evaluate medical school applicants through a holistic review process, defined by the AAMC as “a flexible, individualized way of assessing an applicant’s capabilities by which balanced consideration is given to experiences, attributes, and academic metrics. It allows for the consideration of the context of an applicant’s educational journey.”
Tonya Fancher, MD, MPH, is associate dean for workforce innovation and education quality improvement at the University of California, Davis School of Medicine (UC Davis). UC Davis’ admissions office uses a holistic applicant review to admit students. Dr. Fancher said the school doesn’t give more weight to one major or another as long as a student has completed the required prerequisites. “We look for mastery in an area that a student is passionate about,” Dr. Fancher said. “That could be in the study of art or history or science, in participation in college athletics or music or dance, or in making an impact in their community.”
That holistic approach to admissions may have benefits. A 2019 study published in the journal Medical Education found that medical students with premedical backgrounds in the humanities and social sciences may be more effective at communicating with patients.
In terms of what medical schools expect once students get on campus, the core competencies for entering medical school consist of a list of 15 traits the ideal medical student should possess. The list is broken down into three groups—preprofessional competencies, thinking and reasoning competencies and science competencies—and some of those traits may be screened for in the admissions process.
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Will certain majors foster success?
The preclinical phase of learning—often the first two years of medical school in a traditional curriculum model—is science heavy. So there might be some group to make up for if that isn’t their biggest focus in undergraduate studies.
Mark Meyer, MD, is senior associate dean for student affairs at the University of Kansas Medical Center—a member of the AMA UME Curricular Enrichment Program, which provides on-demand education through a micro-learning approach to help medical students distinguish themselves for residency and succeed in medicine.
“If your undergraduate major is less common among medical students, for example an engineering major, that is likely to mean that your science background— specifically, chemistry, biology, and biochemistry—is not as robust as many of your classmates. For these individuals, the early weeks and months of medical school may be more challenging relative to those who have done the more traditional pre-med majors,” said Dr. Meyer, an AMA member.
This can be evident in the science heavy pre-clinical phase of training through the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 exam. But “with sustained exposure and experience, these students catch up,” Dr. Meyer said. It is also important to mention that these students bring other strengths that unquestionably serve them well in the broader medical school curriculum.
A faculty member at the University of Michigan School of Medicine, David Marzano, MD, has found that medical student performance correlates more with individual aptitude than with undergraduate major.
"Being an English major doesn't mean you can't think analytically or like a scientist either,” said Dr. Marzano, an AMA member. “Students from the less traditional science backgrounds don’t perform any better or worse than students who may have been biology majors.
“As someone who works with students on things like clinical rotations, I usually can’t tell what a student’s major is when I’m working with them.”
As a program director, Dr. Marzano also evaluates applicants for Michigan’s ob-gyn residency program.
“As a program director, the only time an undergrad major is noticeable is if there’s something curious there,” he said. “It could provide an interesting talking point in an interview if you majored in English or engineering.”
