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Liberal Arts to Medicine Pathway

A Pathway from Liberal Arts to Medicine

Medical schools often look to recruit liberal arts majors to become doctors because of their ability to communicate clearly and listen effectively. Find out suggested courses to take to prepare you for medical school in the future.

Choose a minor that fulfills some of the pre-med requirements

Always check the catalog for the most up-to-date Information and review med.unr.edu for admission requirements.

Biology (cell bio option)

  • BIOL 190A
  • BIOL 191A
  • BIOL 192
  • BIOL 300
  • BIOL 315
  • BIOL 395
  • BIOL 415

Chemistry (analytical option)

  • CHEM 121A/L or CHEM 201
  • CHEM 122 A/L or CHEM 202
  • CHEM 330
  • CHEM 341
  • CHEM 342
  • CHEM 345

Create your own minor

  • Liberal arts specialized field of study
  • Work with your College advisor at the CLA Student Center to customize

Use your summers to focus on pre-med requirements

Get involved outside of the classroom to network and gain necessary experience.

Common pre-med requirements offered over summer

  • CHEM 121 A/L – General Chemistry I
  • CHEM 122 A/L – General Chemistry II
  • BIOL 190A – Intro to Cell and Molecular Biology Lecture
  • BIOL 191A – Intro to Organismal Biology Lecture
  • BIOL 300 – Principles of Genetics
  • BCH 400 – Introduction to Biochemistry
  • PHYS 151 – General Physics I & Lab
  • PHYS 152 – General Physics II & Lab
  • PSY 101 - General Psychology
  • PSY 341 – Foundations of Abnormal Psychology
Wolfie mascot and doctor look over a fake robotic patient in a clinic

Pre-med experiences and activities

  • Join a pre-med club
  • Shadow in a clinical setting
  • Participate in a summer medical program
  • Engage in undergraduate research
  • Volunteer for a cause you care about
  • Get medical experience by getting certified as an emergency medical technician, certified nursing assistant, certified medical assistant, phlebotomy tech, etc.
  • Work in a hospital or another caretaking setting
  • Meet with a pre-professional advisor

Explore health-related or AAMC competency-related courses through your breadth requirements

Potential breadth courses (check with your advisor)

  • ANTH 101 – Intro to Cultural Anthropology
  • ANTH 102 – Intro to Physical Anthropology*
  • ANTH 222 – Fundamentals of Forensic Anthropology
  • ANTH 426 – Medical Anthropology
  • ANTH 462 – Human Osteology*
  • ANTH 465 – Human Growth and Development*
  • ANTH 467 – Health and Disease in Antiquity*
  • ANTH 468 – Forensic Anthropology
  • ANTH 476 – Human Variation*
  • COM 101 – Oral Communications
  • COM 302 – Issues in Interpersonal Communication
  • COM 395 – Crisis Communication
  • COM 412 – Intercultural Communication*
  • CRJ 311 – Forensic Science
  • CRJ 472 – Mental Illness and the Criminal Justice System
  • ENG 333 – Professional Communications*
  • GRI 103 – Intro to Intersectional Analysis of Identities
  • GRI 201 – Contemporary Diversity
  • HIST 305 – Women & Science: A Historical and Biographical Perspective*
  • HIST 490A/B – History of Early Medicine* | Social History of Medicine in the Modern Era*
  • HIST 494A – Medicine and Technology in Traditional China
  • PHIL 224 – Intro to Philosophy of Science
  • PHIL 244 – Bioethics
  • PHIL 245 – Contemporary Moral Issues
  • PHIL 280 – Philosophy of the Body
  • PHIL 434 – Philosophy of Cognitive Science*
  • PHIL 435 – Philosophy of Mind*
  • PSC 320 – Policy Analysis
  • RST 101 – Intro to Religious Studies
  • SOC 101 – Principles of Sociology
  • SOC 423 – Sociology of the Body*
  • SOC 457 – Society and Health*
  • SOC 458 – Sociology of Mental Health*
  • THTR 105 – Intro to Acting I

* Indicates a pre-requisite or co-requisite

Study abroad in a location that offers a foreign language and pre-health opportunities or pre-med pre-requisites

People stand in foreign country wearing cultural regalia and holding an umbrella

specialty programs and options

  • San Ramón, Costa Rica (Spanish for Medical Professionals, Global Health, Women’s Health)
  • Heredia, Costa Rica (Medical Spanish)
  • La Habana, Cuba (The Cuban Health Care System)
  • Accra, Ghana* (Global Health)
  • Bengaluru, India* (Health Care Services)
  • Cork, Ireland* (Food, Obesity and Society)
  • Reggio Emilia, Italy (Healthy Aging, Health and Wellness Communication, Comparative Global Health Issues and Systems, Aging: An Interdisciplinary Approach, Cognitive Psychology)
  • Madrid, Spain (Spanish for Medical Professionals)
  • Valencia, Spain (Chemistry, Physics)
  • Chiang Mai, Thailand* (Global Health Psychology)
  • Khon-Kaen, Thailand* (Global Health Issues, Aging Well: The Sociocultural Context of Healthcare Systems, Comparative Studies in Global Health Care, Traditional Thai Medicine; Aging and Eldercare in the 21st Century)

* Indicates no eligible language requirement courses.

All courses are subject to availability.