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Pre-med Advice for ECE Students

This page is a collection of resources and frequently asked questions by pre-med students who are enrolled in ECE. The Pre-Health Professions web page, developed by the Georgia Tech College of Sciences, and MedRescue, maintained by the Georgia Tech School of Biology, provide further information and online resources regarding medical professions and volunteer programs. Below is a list of frequently asked questions from ECE majors interested in pre-med:

• Can I fit all the pre-med courses into an undergraduate EE/CmpE curriculum?
• What other courses should I take?
• What are my chances of getting into medical school with a EE/CmpE degree?
• Are there any campus organizations that I should know about?
• I'm still interested - what is next?

Can I fit all the pre-med courses into an undergraduate EE/CmpE curriculum?

Yes, you can. While both degrees only require 2 3-hour science courses (in addition to physics), you typically need 1 year of biology and 2 years of chemistry, including a year of general chemistry lab and at least 1 semester of organic chemistry lab. The ECE curriculum allows for 12 hours of free electives. You may ultimately take more courses than required for the degree.

From a scheduling perspective, you should try to take all biology/chemistry courses by the end of your junior year to adequately prepare for the MCAT. Trying to follow the "Suggested Schedule" in the General Catalog may require reordering when you take science courses and delaying some humanities and social science electives until your junior or senior year.

If you try to follow the suggested schedule for an electrical or computer engineering student in the 2001-2003 General Catalog, a way to modify it to fit in the required courses is shown below. The general recommendation is to defer some of the humanities/social sciences courses to future years, with the net effect being less free and more humanities/social sciences courses taken in Year 4.

Year 1

• CHEM 1310 General Chemistry (4)
• CHEM 1311 Inorganic Chemistry I (3)
• CHEM 1312 Inorganic Chemistry Lab I (1)
• Suggest delaying first ENGL1101 until second semester

Year 2

• CHEM 2311 Organic Chemistry I
• CHEM 2312 Organic Chemistry II
• Suggest delaying HIST/POL/INTA course until a future year
• If ENGL1102 was not taken in year 1, take ENGL1102/LCC3401 in year 2

Year 3

• CHEM 2380 Synthesis Laboratory
• BIOL 1510 Introduction to Biological Principles
• BIOL 1520 Introduction to Organismal Biology
• CmpE: possibly delay ECON2100 to year 4

What other courses should I take?

Many other courses may enhance your pre-med interests and help you in medical school. Some common courses include biochemistry, human anatomy and physiology, and senior-level bioengineering courses offered by most of the engineering schools at Georgia Tech.

What are my chances of getting into medical school with a EE/CmpE degree?

ECE pre-med students are quite successful at gaining admission to medical school. The Pre-Health Professions web site provides some guidance.

Be aware that almost every pre-med student does not get into every school to which they apply. Visit the top medical schools listing at U.S. News and World Report and examine the "acceptance rate." For most schools listed, it is less than 10 percent of the applicants.

Research the medical schools to which you are applying, including their mission statements. For example, Mercer University School of Medicine states that "the School of Medicine emphasizes training for practice in primary care and other needed medical specialties, with a focus on rural and underserved areas of Georgia. The School ranks among the nation's top schools in producing primary care and family practice physicians." Make sure that your career goals match the program to which you are applying.

Are there any campus organizations that I should know about?

Yes, visit the Georgia Tech American Medical Student Association for more information about meetings and activities.

I'm still interested - what is next?

Last revised on November 13, 2007.