Everything to know about being a premed at Carnegie Mellon, including premed extracurriculars and research, premed course requirements, and the Carnegie Mellon premed acceptance rate

Carnegie Mellon premed student wearing scrubs takes notes from a laptop — Everything to know about being a premed at Carnegie Mellon

Part 1: Introduction

Part 2: Carnegie Mellon premed requirements

Part 3: Carnegie Mellon premed extracurriculars

Part 4: Getting into medical school as a Carnegie Mellon premed

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Part 1: Introduction

Founded in 1900 as a technical institute offering both arts and engineering certificates, Carnegie Technical Schools quickly grew into a world-renowned research institution. Over the 20th century, it developed an innovative interdisciplinary curriculum, requiring science and engineering students to take on humanities and social science courses in addition to their major courses.

Its merger with the Mellon Institute in 1967 gave the institution its current name, Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), and the Mellon College of Science and Marianna Brown Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences later became two invaluable additions to the university. It has since expanded its campuses across the globe, including Qatar and Silicon Valley, and in 2024 it was ranked #24 in the US News and World Report’s list of Best National Universities.

Today, CMU’s Health Professions Program (HPP) provides a thorough range of services to support and enrich premed students’ academic experience and med school application process. Serving both current premeds and alumni, the program provides students with opportunities to explore career options, network with other students and professionals, develop an actionable plan for their education and career, and piece together a strong med school application.

As a CMU premed, you’ll be part of a long tradition of forward-thinking, innovative, exceptional students, and with the support of the HPP, you’ll have the tools you need to excel in this challenging academic environment as you embark on your journey toward medical school.

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Part 2: Carnegie Mellon premed requirements

As you navigate the wide array of opportunities for growth, enrichment, and entertainment at CMU, you’ll need to be sure that your course schedule has you on track to graduate with all the requirements you’ll need to take before applying to medical school.

The HPP provides a very helpful breakdown of which courses fulfill the requirements for most U.S. medical schools, but you should always check with each individual medical school once you know where you plan to apply.

Carnegie Mellon Premed Requirements
Medical school requirement	Carnegie Mellon premed required courses
Chemistry: Two semesters with lab	09-105 Modern Chem I or 09-107 Honors Modern Chem I 09-106 Modern Chem II or 09-107 Inorganic Chem* 09-207 Techniques in Quant. Analysis I or 09-221 Chem Lab I
Biology: Two semesters with lab	03-121 Modern Bio or 03-151 Honors Modern Bio 03-135 Structure & Function of the Human Body or 42-202 Human Phys. 03-124 Modern Bio Lab or 03-206 Biomed Engineering Lab or 03-343 Bio Lab or 03-261 Comp Bio Lab
Physics: Two semesters with lab	33-121 Physics I or 33-141 Physics I for Engineering Students or 33-151 Matter & Interactions I 33-122 Physics II or 33-142 Physics II for Engineers & Physics Students or 33-152 Matter & Interactions II 33-100 Basic Experimental Physics or 33-104 Experimental Physics
Organic Chemistry: Two semesters with lab	09-217 Org Chem I or 09-219 Modern Org Chem I 09-218 Org Chem II or 09-220 Modern Org Chem II 09-208 Techniques in Org Synthesis & Analysis or 09-222 Chem Lab II
Biochemistry: One semester	03-231 Honors Biochem or 03-232 Biochem
Statistics: One semester	36-200 Reasoning w/ Data or 36-202 Methods for Stats & Data Sciences
Calculus: One semester	21-111 Calc I or 21-112 Calc II or 21-120 Differential & Integral Calc I or 21-122 Integration & Approximation or 21-124 Calc II for Bio & Chem
College-Level English Writing: Two semesters	76-101 Interp & Argument 76-xxx Any second course in English

Notes:
- Students are strongly encouraged to take 85-102 Intro to Psych or 85-241 Social Psych prior to taking the MCAT.
- * All students (except for Chemical Engineering majors) who have earned an A in 09-107 Honors Modern Chemistry I are exempt from taking 09-106 Modern Chemistry II. Instead, they’re encouraged to take 09-348 Inorganic Chemistry.

Carnegie Mellon premed course plan

Since the pre-health program at CMU allows you to major in anything you like while fulfilling your medical school requirements, you’ll want to take advantage of a special feature designed to help you stay on track. By adding the non-degree audit titled “Undergraduate Prehealth” to your Stellic academic advising portal and then adding the prerequisite classes to your four-year plan, you can keep an eye on how many credits you’ve taken and how many you have yet to take on your journey toward the MCAT and med school application season.

Be aware that some courses may differ slightly for premeds depending on your major. For example, if you’re a Neurobiology major, you’ll need to take Bio Lab 03-343, but if you’re a Computational Biology major, you’ll need to take the 03-261 section of the class.

The HPP also stresses the importance of the following stipulations:

Inorganic chemistry must be taken before organic chemistry
Biology lab cannot be taken until you’ve completed modern biology
The 33-100 Physics lab can be taken before or after you’ve completed the Physics I and II lecture courses

With this in mind, we’ve put together an example of what your first five semesters at Carnegie Mellon may look like. Remember: this will vary depending on your major, personal preferences, and extracurricular schedule, but it’s important to ensure you’ve covered all the material you need for the MCAT ahead of taking the test in spring of Junior year.

Sample Carnegie Mellon 2.5-Year Course Plan
Semester	Courses
Freshman Fall	03-121 Modern Bio 76-101 Interp & Argument 85-241 Social Psych 21-111 Calc I
Freshman Spring	09-105 Modern Chem I 03-135 S&F of the Human Body 76-107 Writing About Data 36-200 Reasoning w/ Data
Sophomore Fall	09-106 Modern Chemistry II 09-207 Chem Lab I 33-121 Physics I 03-343 Bio Lab
Sophomore Spring	09-217 Organic Chem I 33-122 Physics II 03-231 Honors Biochem
Junior Fall	09-218 Organic Chem II 33-100 Basic Experimental Physics 09-222 Chem Lab II

How to maintain a high GPA as a Carnegie Mellon premed

This foundation of coursework will equip students with all they need to do well on the MCAT. Still, the MCAT isn’t the only essential part of the enigmatic admissions formula: GPA, too, will hold a lot of weight in your application.

And although CMU has a reputation for challenging coursework, you’ll also benefit from a high level of individualized attention professors provide each student. With a 7:1 student-to-professor ratio and an average class size is 25-35 students, you’ll probably have the chance to get to know your professors quite well.

Additionally, most CMU professors teach both undergraduate and graduate courses—which could mean, for example, that they’ll be more likely to place you on a project with a team of graduate researchers. These settings also frequently lead to publication opportunities, which can prove vital to your med school application profile.

We strongly recommend taking the extra steps to establish a connection with your professors from the first semester of freshman year. Not only will this improve your chances of success in class, but it can also yield outstanding recommendation letters and exclusive research or clinical opportunities.

Still, even in such a rich and intimate learning environment, you’ll inevitably face a few hurdles along your premed journey. In those cases, CMU provides resources and services through the Student Academic Success Center to meet students wherever they’re struggling and empower them to overcome obstacles. Their various offerings include tutoring as well as one-on-one and workshop-based academic coaching, where you’ll learn methods for managing your time and stress more effectively.

Premed majors at Carnegie Mellon

CMU premeds are encouraged to pursue any major of their choosing. With the guidance of your academic advisor and the HPP office, you can pursue your niche interest while still equipping yourself with the foundational knowledge you need to do well on the MCAT and fulfill med school prerequisites.

CMU’s roots as a truly interdisciplinary institution shine through in its BXA Degree program, which offers, among other majors, a Bachelor of Science and Arts path. For premeds, this course of study offers a uniquely integrated perspective that could spark innovative ideas about the future of patient care. It’s also bound to stand out to medical school adcoms, who are accustomed to seeing a high volume of Biology and Chemistry majors in the stack of applications.

Similarly, students interested in combining studies in technology and the arts can pursue minors or take courses in the IDeATe program.

CMU Students who wish to combine an interest in medicine with an interest in engineering—at the #5 best engineering school in the country, no less— should consider the Biomedical Engineering major.

However, students interested in pursuing this path should consider the rigorous demands of this major, coupled with the demands of the premed curriculum, before declaring. They also should ideally declare this major during freshman year, in order to allow ample time to plan out all of the necessary coursework under the guidance of their academic advisor.

When should you take the MCAT?

Another crucial element of a carefully-planned course schedule is factoring in your MCAT test date. If you don’t intend to take any gap years between college and medical school, you’ll need to take your MCAT by April of junior year. This way, you’ll free up time and energy to focus on your personal statement and secondary essays, which also will play a key role in your chances of being accepted to medical schools.

But there’s no point in taking your MCAT in April of your junior year if you haven’t completed all the prerequisite classes or taken the time to stick to a serious MCAT study regimen. Here’s what you should be sure you’ve accomplished before taking the MCAT:

Completing your MCAT study schedule
Taken the following courses:

Biochemistry
Psychology or Social Psychology
Biology I & II
Chemistry I & II
Organic Chemistry I & II
Physics I & II

(Suggested reading: The Ideal MCAT Student Schedule)
(Suggested reading: What MCAT Score Do You Need to Get Into Medical School?)

Looking for MCAT practice questions? Check out our proprietary MCAT Question Bank for 2000+ sample questions and eight practice tests covering every MCAT category.

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Part 3: Carnegie Mellon premed extracurriculars

CMU prides itself on building student leaders through its “social change model of leadership” and “student leadership, involvement, and civic engagement” in a clinical context. As a result, you’ll be surrounded with opportunities to serve and connect with your community while also gaining professional skills that will one day make you a great physician.

Clinical and community service opportunities at Carnegie Mellon

In Pittsburgh, with 86,000+ students attending its ten colleges and universities, you’ll never have to look far for opportunities to give back to the community, pick up a new hobby, or meet a new friend. Opportunities abound on and off-campus, many of which you’ll find through joining a few of CMU’s pre-health and premed student organizations. These include:

CMU Docs: a community of pre-health students designed to foster connection and mentorship while also providing volunteer opportunities.
CMU EMS: a fully volunteer-based, student-run campus Emergency Medical Services organization that provides emergency care in addition to hosting First Aid and CPR classes.
Minority Association of Health Students (MAPS): a campus chapter of the national organization aimed at supporting underrepresented students in medicine and solving health disparities at the local and global levels.
Alpha Epsilon Delta (AED): a campus chapter of the national honor society established to bring together students from various preprofessional health fields for networking and service opportunities.
Global Medical Brigades & Global Public Health Brigades: campus chapters of the national nonprofit organization, Global Brigades, which runs free health clinics in underserved communities and seeks sustainable solutions to pressing public health crises around the world.
Peer Health Advocates: a peer-based health and wellness program for varsity athletes.

In addition to abundant clinical and leadership opportunities, CMU premed students will benefit from the university’s focus on wellness. Several wellness-themed courses and workshops, open to all students regardless of major, will help premed students in particular cultivate a personal practice and a community culture focused on health and wellbeing in all its forms.

Student organizations like Here for You and Mindfulness Room also help students develop strategies for prioritizing their mental wellbeing and building sustainable wellness habits.

Premed shadowing at Carnegie Mellon

Whereas clinical and volunteer opportunities are a great way to gain hands-on experience, shadowing allows you to gain hands-off—but equally valuable—experience observing a seasoned physician as they perform their daily tasks. The more shadowing experience you gain with a broader variety of specialists or patient demographics, the clearer picture you can paint of what you want your career in medicine to look like.

The HPP encourages students to contact physicians and other hospital staff to secure shadowing positions beginning as early as freshman year. Although this may seem daunting to students who haven’t ever cold-called or cold-emailed a professional, many healthcare professionals are eager to provide this opportunity for premed students.

CMU previously hosted the Xinspire Shadowing platform—which connected students to professionals and alum in their fields of interest—as well as the Preceptorship Program—a competitive long-term volunteer and shadowing opportunity at UPMC hospitals in the Pittsburgh area. These programs appear to have been temporarily halted, but premeds should continue to keep an eye out for updates.

Premed research at Carnegie Mellon

As a Carnegie Mellon premed, you’ll be attending the #2 institution in the country for Undergraduate Research/Creative Projects according to the 2024 US News and World Report rankings.

One of many factors that qualified CMU for this accolade is its host of research funding opportunities are available to undergraduates, including:

SURA: Summer Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship, which is a for-credit, tuition-free opportunity for students to contribute to a body of research for a CMU faculty member’s existing project, under their mentorship.
SURF: Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships, which awards $4500 for selected students to take on a full-time research position at CMU for eight to ten weeks during the summer.
ISURF: International Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships, similar to SURF, which enables selected sophomores or juniors to spend the summer conducting research full-time under an overseas faculty advisor who is either currently collaborating with a CMU faculty member or has done so in the past.
Community-Based Research-to-Practice Program, which awards $5000 for selected students to engage in full-time summer research projects alongside local organizations in the Greater Pittsburgh Region

Recent projects undergraduates have contributed to have yielded new findings in topics such as expansion microscopy (which expands biological study samples physically rather than microscopically) and biomedical engineering, including the design of a revolutionary new brain probe that’s less prone to breakage and easily customizable for a variety of uses. The faculty spearheading the latter project was awarded a $1.95 million grant from the NIH in 2019.

Other thrilling projects currently underway among CMU faculty include the development of an AI system called Coscientist, which is capable of executing the full experimental process in response to a prompt. Its ability to conduct internet research and develop an experiment accordingly, then transmit the experiment to robotic application programming interfaces (APIs) that carry it out, could revolutionize the manner and speed with which scientists can develop and conduct experiments in the near future.

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Part 4: Getting into medical school as a Carnegie Mellon premed

As you work to balance your extracurricular, clinical, shadowing, and research experiences with your coursework and MCAT studies, things will ramp up when you reach junior year and begin preparing your medical school applications.

This level of responsibility can easily get overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. One of the best ways to prevent burnout and overwhelm during your med school application year is to lay the groundwork early on. As a freshman, do yourself the favor of connecting with the HPP to establish relationships with your advisors and take full advantage of their services and support systems. Don’t hesitate to consult with an advisor in the HPP if you have any questions about course selection, majors, research, shadowing, clinical opportunities, and more.

Another major advantage to connecting with the HPP early on is that it will position you well to participate in their Committee Process. This process functions as a pre-application designed to ensure that premed students are fully prepared and qualified to apply to medical school

In addition to a two-part workshop, meetings with the HPP Director, and a Q&A panel discussion, participants in the Committee Process will also participate in a committee interview and prepare a committee letter.
Held between March and late June of your application year, committee interviews function as a trial run for your medical school interviews and as a means by which faculty and staff of your choosing can evaluate your readiness for medical school.

Your interviewers will provide feedback on your application’s strengths and weaknesses. If you choose to opt into the HPP’s committee letter service, they will also assist the HPP Director in writing a committee letter that will accompany your med school applications.

The committee letter essentially serves as the HPP’s official stamp of approval on your application. In addition to reflections on your committee interview, this letter also includes an overall assessment of your application materials—including your personal statement essay, MCAT scores, and other letters of recommendation.

Obtaining Letters of Recommendation for medical school

You’ll need to start requesting these individual recommendation letters at least several months before your med school applications are due. This way, your recommenders will have plenty of time to write a letter that reflects all you have to offer the medical schools to which you’re applying.

If you’re unsure of whom to ask, stick to this basic list of recommenders:

A science professor whose classes you took for a letter grade (the HPP recommends obtaining 2 of these)
A non-science professor whose classes you took for a letter grade,
A physician who observed you caring for patients,
The principal investigator (PI) of a research project you worked on,
A supervisor, volunteer coordinator, postdoc, hospital staff member, etc. with whom you worked closely in an extracurricular

The HPP provides a letter template and list of guidelines for recommenders, which can be especially helpful for those less familiar with the world of medicine or the med school admissions process. Keep in mind that the most important factor when choosing your recommenders is that they know you very well, and they can speak in depth on at least one of the following topics, based on their own personal interactions with you:

Your work ethic
Your care and compassion for others
Your research experience
Your clinical and/or community service experience
Your personality

In order to streamline and centralize the recommendation letter request process, CMU premeds can request letters through the veCollect portal.

(Suggested reading: Committee Letter for Medical School: Do You Need One?)
(Suggested reading: (The Ideal Medical School Application Timeline)

Carnegie Mellon premed acceptance rate and admissions statistics

Carnegie Mellon’s matriculation data is not publicly available, but the AAMC does disclose that only 76 CMU premeds matriculated into medical school in the 2023-2024 cycle. While this is a relatively low number, it’s to be expected, considering that CMU has a far larger population of students pursuing tech careers than medical careers.

Attending a school with a smaller cohort of premed students can have its advantages, though. HPP advisors are able to afford far more personalized attention and guidance to this small group of driven premeds than the advising team trying to serve hundreds of students at an institution that’s known specifically for its premed program.

In lieu of med school acceptance and matriculation data, HPP does share a list of medical schools CMU alumni have gone on to attend—including Harvard Medical School, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, and UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine.

Final Thoughts

Carnegie Mellon University is best known for its technological advancements, but premed students can thrive in this environment, especially if they’re interested in exploring the intersection of medicine and technology. As a CMU premed, you’ll have access to a wide variety of clinical and research opportunities, as well as the HPP’s extensive support network of advisors who will expertly guide you along your path to medical school.