Student surrounded by anatomy models

Going to medical school takes preparation. No matter your major, Ball State students have a strong track record of acceptance and success in medical schools. That success depends on starting early and staying focused. 

Metzler_Jennifer

Dr. Jennifer Metzler
Pre-Health Professions Advisor

You do not need to have a specific major to be accepted into medical school. Medical schools are looking for well-rounded students who possess a broad range of competencies that will enable them to learn and develop in medical school. You will see that many of these competencies can be developed outside of STEM disciplines in fields like humanities or social sciences. You should choose a major that you are passionate about, and one that you believe will help you develop the competencies that medical schools are looking for in applicants. Many Ball State students who have gone on to medical school have graduated with science degrees such as biomedical sciences, chemistry, and biochemistry. But many Ball State students have successfully matriculated to medical school with other majors such as psychology, exercise science, and English.

Be sure to work with the pre-health professions advisor to ensure that you have a plan, and are staying on track, to complete all of the requirements for a successful medical school application.

Contact Your Pre-Health Professions Advisor

Types of Medical Schools

There are two types of medical school programs and pathways to becoming a physician: Allopathic Colleges of Medicine (earn an MD) and Osteopathic Colleges of Medicine (earn a DO). Both MDs and DOs are licensed physicians who can perform surgery, practice in specialty areas, and prescribe medicine.  However, osteopathic medicine places emphasis on holistic approaches to healthcare and preventative medicine and DO students receive extra training in Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment, which is a hands-on technique used to diagnose and treat illness or injury.

The majority of our Ball State graduates attend IU School of Medicine or Marian University Wood College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Required Courses

Regardless of what major you choose, medical schools do require specific prerequisite coursework in biology, chemistry, physics, and math. They will also calculate your GPA specifically in these courses (BCPM GPA) and use that as one of the admissions criteria that you are reviewed on. If you intend to apply to medical school, be sure that you complete all of the required coursework listed on this page. Also be sure to check the requirements of all medical schools you intend to apply to, as requirements can vary.

All students planning to attend medical school should take BIO 203, which is a course on professional readiness for students who plan to attend a professional school. This course provides information about how to prepare for medical school and the courses, activities, and qualities you need for a successful application.

Course Plan

Activities and Information

Medical schools are looking for well-rounded applicants that have varied experiences and can demonstrate the competencies needed to be a successful medical school student.

Refer to the table below for information on each category. 

Average/Recommended GPAs

A good benchmark for allopathic (MD) schools is to have a cumulative GPA of 3.6 or higher, and a good benchmark for osteopathic (DO) schools is to have a cumulative GPA of 3.4 or higher.

  • Average GPA of Ball State students accepted to medical school in recent years is 3.75.

BCPM GPA

In addition to your overall GPA, medical schools will also evaluate your BCPM GPA, which includes all of your undergraduate courses in biology, chemistry, physics, and math. All of your courses will be assigned a course classification based on the course content, so be sure to refer to the AAMC course classification guide when calculating your BCPM GPA. Grade calculations in your medical school application may differ from how grades and GPA are calculated at Ball State, so be sure to refer to information from AAMC about grades, GPA calculations, and how to convert your grades into what will be reviewed by medical schools.  Most medical schools use all grades when calculating your GPA, so repeating courses does not help the GPA as much as one might think.

The BCPM should be the same as the cumulative GPA or higher if possible.  Average BCPM for recent IUSM matriculants and BSU students accepted to medical school is currently in a range of 3.7 to 3.8.

Medical schools’ policies vary in regard to whether or not they accept Advanced Placement (AP), dual credit, or similar credits for required courses. If you are planning on using AP or other credit, be sure to check the policies of the medical schools you are interested in early to understand whether these credits will be accepted. Additionally, even if AP credits are accepted, you will need to supplement these credits with successful completion of upper-division courses in that science discipline.  It is recommended you speak to pre-health professions advising as early as possible in your journey to go over the credits you bring with you to college.

Medical schools are looking for well-rounded applicants that have varied experiences and can demonstrate the competencies needed to be a successful medical school student. These include:

  • Clinical Experience: Clinical experience involves direct experience in a clinical setting that involves caring for patients. These experiences are important in helping you understand whether medical school and a career in health care is right for you, as well as to provide you with a greater understanding of the health care industry. The clinical experience you accumulate could involve paid or volunteer time, and can take place in settings such as hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and similar facilities. It is recommended that you have at least 300 hours of clinical experience by the time you apply to medical school.
  • Shadowing: Shadowing involves following physicians or other healthcare professionals at work to observe their routines and behaviors. In doing so, you will develop a better understanding of their job as well as healthcare more generally. It is also a great opportunity to start to build your professional network and make connections. It is recommended that you have at least 50 hours of shadowing by the time you apply to medical school. You want 20-30 hours in primary care and the rest in 1 to 3 other specialties of interest.
  • Community Service: Community service demonstrates a commitment to serving those in need and to serving one’s community. Engaging in community service can help you develop the competencies of empathy and compassion, ethical responsibility to self and others, service orientation, and understanding others. You may also develop oral communication skills. Developing all of these competencies through community service will convey your commitment to helping and supporting others in your medical school application and prepare you for the support you will need to provide to patients as a physician. It is recommended that you have at least 300 hours of community service by the time you apply to medical school.  It is best if the hours are part of long term engagement as opposed to many short term efforts.
  • Research: Demonstrating that you have engaged in research is an additional way to enhance your medical school application. Although research experience is not required to be admitted into medical school (in contrast to clinical experience/shadowing and community service), it will help you to demonstrate development of the thinking and reasoning competencies: critical thinking, quantitative reasoning, scientific inquiry, and written communication. Recommendations on amount?  It is suggested that you spend anywhere from 1-3 years working on a project.  Tangible products such as presentations, posters, or publications are very beneficial.
  • Demonstrated Leadership: Leadership experience is highly valued by medical school admissions committees as physicians are often in management roles where they are leading a team and need to be able to communicate well and make quick, critical decisions. Leadership can be demonstrated via a formal role such as a team captain, resident advisor, or an elected position in a club or organization. It can also be shown in an academic setting by serving as a teaching assistant, supplemental instructor, or tutor. It can even be shown in a work environment by being a shift leader or a trainer. You want these roles to last three months or more and a competitive candidate often has three such roles.

Talk with a pre-health professions advisor for advice on creating a competitive resume. 

The Association of American Medical Colleges identifies 17 competencies that pre medical students need to successfully learn and develop in medical school and continue to embody to be an effective physician. Students are encouraged to seek ways to develop these professional, science, and thinking/reasoning competencies as they prepare to attend and succeed in medical school. These competencies are a helpful framework for thinking about what you need to develop to have a competitive medical school application.  These competencies are a very important part of the holistic approach most medical schools use in evaluating applicants.

The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is a standardized, computer-based test developed and administered by the Association of American Medical Colleges. It is a critical component of your medical school application, and is designed to test your knowledge and abilities in four multiple-choice sections: (1) chemical and physical foundations of biological systems, (2) critical analysis and reasoning skills, (3) biological and biochemical foundations of living systems, and (4) psychological, social, and biological foundations of behavior. The MCAT is approximately 7.5 hours long, including breaks, so preparation is important.

Each section is scored from 118-132, with scores from all sections combined to produce a total MCAT score ranging from 472 to 528. The midpoint score (approximately the 50th percentile) is 500.

  • Average scores to matriculate to MD, DO school: MD – 512.1 in 2025; DO – 502.95 in 2025
  • Average scores of Ball State students who have matriculated to medical school: 507-508

Preparing for the MCAT

Students should plan to take the MCAT in the spring semester their junior year (or the year they intend to apply to medical school). You can take the MCAT more than once, but schools will see the scores from all of your attempts.

You should plan on studying 250-300 hours for the exam. It is strongly recommended that you start your preparation early (at least 6 months prior to the exam) to allow plenty of time to study and prepare for the exam.

In addition to reviewing content, you should plan on taking multiple timed practice tests to prepare you for the MCAT. Be sure to review your answers from each practice test to identify areas where you need to focus your preparation and problem-solve questions that you got incorrect.

Test preparation resources:

Details about the Application Process

Applications for medical school are submitted through centralized application portals, AMCAS for MD granting schools and AACOMAS for DO programs.  These applications open in early summer and students typically apply at the end of the junior year.  The application consists of demographic information, all coursework to allow for GPA calculations, MCAT scores, experiences, personal statement, and recommendation letters.  If selected, students will be invited for an interview.  Many schools also now require situational judgement tests at some point during the application process which include the Casper or PREview exam.  These exams help medical schools evaluate competencies they are looking for in candidates.  Many programs also have secondary applications in which they ask essay-style questions directly related to their programs.  The pre-health advising office provides guidance and support during this process including exam prep advice, personal statement review, application assistance, and mock interviews.

Application Timeline