Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine prerequisites

2 semesters · 8 credits · lab

Two semesters with lab. The single most universal prerequisite: essentially every MD and DO program asks for it, and it is the foundation the MCAT assumes.

2 semesters · 8 credits · lab

Two semesters with lab. Take it early: organic chemistry, biochemistry, and most upper-division biology all sit behind it, so a late start pushes the whole sequence past your MCAT date.

2 semesters · 8 credits · lab

Two semesters with lab at most schools. A meaningful and growing minority accept one semester of organic plus one of biochemistry. Do not drop the second semester on that assumption until you have checked the schools you actually want.

1 semester · 3 credits

One semester, lab rarely required. Roughly two thirds of schools require it outright and the MCAT tests it heavily, so treat it as required even where it technically is not, and take it before you sit the exam.

2 semesters · 8 credits · lab

Two semesters with lab. Algebra-based is accepted almost everywhere; take the calculus-based sequence only if your major needs it or a target school names it.

2 semesters · 6 credits

Two semesters of English or writing-intensive coursework. Many schools accept writing-intensive courses from any department, but a few name English specifically. If your writing credits come from elsewhere, confirm before you count them.

1 semester · 3 credits

One semester. Most schools with a math requirement accept statistics or calculus; statistics is the more widely accepted of the two and the more useful for reading clinical research, so the baseline tracks it here. If a target school names calculus, its own requirements will say so.

1 semester · 3 credits

One semester. Required outright at a minority of schools (several of them highly selective) and accepted in place of statistics at most of the rest. Take it if calculus is already in your major's path.

1 semester · 3 credits

One semester. A minority of schools require it, but a quarter of the MCAT is psychological and social foundations: this is the cheapest points on the exam.

1 semester · 3 credits

One semester. Same reasoning as psychology: required by fewer schools, tested directly on the MCAT.

1 semester · 3 credits

One semester. Required by a small number of schools and a common way to fill the upper-division science coursework that strengthens a science GPA.

150+ hours

NSU MD says outright: "NSU MD does not set a minimum number of experience hours and requires the experiences be meaningful to the applicant." What it does look for is "meaningful medically-related experiences that demonstrate a realistic understanding of the medical profession", counting both direct and non-direct clinical exposure. Deliberately no number here: chasing a total is the wrong move at this school.

50+ hours

Aim for 40-50 across more than one specialty, including primary care. DO programs weigh shadowing more heavily and several ask for hours with a DO specifically. If DO schools are on your list, get those hours and the letter early.

150+ hours

NSU MD also asks for "meaningful non-medically related experiences that provide evidence of the ability to establish a sensible work-life balance", and applies the same no-minimum-hours rule to them.

100+ hours

Effectively expected at research-heavy MD programs and genuinely optional at many DO and community-focused schools. If research is not your path, put those hours into clinical work and say so clearly rather than padding a semester in a lab.

No published minimum

"Applicants are required to submit at least three, but no more than four, letters of recommendation... If applicants' premedical advising office provides a committee letter compiling feedback from multiple sources, this will suffice to satisfy the letters requirement." All evaluations go through AMCAS and must arrive before the secondary is completed.

No published minimum

"We strongly advise that applicants submit at least one letter of recommendation from a science faculty member who has taught them and can evaluate their academic readiness for medical school." Strongly advised rather than required: NSU MD grants "wide-ranging discretion in selecting evaluators."

No published minimum

"Clinical research coordinators or preceptors" are among the sources NSU MD names for the remaining letters, alongside professors, advisers, supervisors, coaches, mentors, and colleagues.

No published minimum

"We strongly advise... one letter from a clinician who has directly supervised or observed them in a clinical setting and can evaluate their professional readiness and suitability for the study and practice of medicine." Advised rather than required, and the writer need not be a physician.