You have elected to attend a liberal arts college. Take advantage of the opportunities you have for broadening your horizons as you select a major and elective courses. The goal of an undergraduate education is to support the development of a well-rounded individual who demonstrates competency in the basic sciences. Increasingly, medical schools are open to a wide variety of undergraduate majors. Most applicants continue to choose a traditional course, with approximately 70% of the allopathic medical school class of 2003 majored in biological or physical sciences (See AAMC: FACTS - Applicants, Matriculants and Graduates). Note that approximately 11% of the entries in the class of 2003 came from liberal arts majors.

However, before deciding on a major be sure you have taken several of the science courses which are required by medical schools. If your performance in those courses was B+ (3.3) or better, you could be advised to major in any area you wish. On the other hand, if you struggle to make a B, have some C's and no A grades in science, you many need to major in a science to improve your science GPA and demonstrate your ability to handle the type of studies you have in medical school.

Advice from the 2004 Pfizer Medical School Manual by Mike Magee, MD (available in the Health Career Advisor's Office, Plyler Hall 224) states the " … medical schools accept a broad range of undergraduate majors. Indeed, approximately 15% of the medical school Class of 2006 (who enetered medical school in Fall, 2002) majored in liberal arts. The acceptance rate for liberal arts majors mirrored the overall acceptance rate of 52%. Still, most applicants choose a traditional path, with approximately 70% of the medical school Class of 2006 majoring in biological or physical sciences. …. Most medical schools require successful completion of the following laboratory courses: introductory biology (one year), inorganic chemistry (one year), organic chemistry (one year), and physics (one year). Other courses commonly taken include calculus, English (one year), humanities elective, anatomy and physiology, biochemistry, and genetics (pages 8-9). "

General advice from Medical School Admission Requirements (2005-2006): "Medical schools recognize the importance of a strong foundation in the natural sciences - biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics - and most schools have established minimum course requirements for admission. …Admission committee members know that medical students can develop the essential skills of acquiring, synthesizing, apply, and communicating information through a wide variety of academic disciplines. ….. Choosing science based primarily on enhancing one's chances for admission to medical school is not in a student's long-term best interest. Medical school admission committees seek students whose intellectual curiosity leads them to a variety of disciplines and whose intellectual maturity assures that their efforts are persistent and disciplined." (MSAR pp 11)

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) is an excellent source of information for the perspective medical school bound student. One particular page from this web site is the FACTS - Applicants, Matriculants and Graduates. You can look up information on the current national statistics on Grade Point Averages and MCAT score. For example the current national average overall GPA and math/science GPA for medical school matriculants is a 3.6. The current national average MCAT score is 30 (out of 45 points)