Everything you need to know about being a Columbia University premed, including detailed premed requirements, the best extracurriculars, and the Columbia University premed acceptance rate

Part 1: Introduction

Part 2: Columbia premed requirements

Part 3: Columbia premed extracurriculars

Part 4: Getting into medical school as a Columbia premed

Part 1: Introduction

Part 2: Columbia premed requirements

Part 3: Columbia premed extracurriculars

Part 4: Getting into medical school as a Columbia premed

Sample Columbia two-year course plan

How to maintain a high GPA as a Columbia premed

What is the best Columbia premed major?

When should you take the MCAT?

Volunteering at Columbia

Research at Columbia

Shadowing at Columbia

Columbia premed acceptance rate and admissions statistics

Considering postbaccalaureate programs

Final thoughts

Is Columbia University good for premed? From navigating prerequisites and extracurricular activities to Columbia's unique Core Curriculum and diverse range of majors, Dr. Shemmassian explains the essential factors to consider when determining if pursuing a premed path at Columbia aligns with your medical school goals.

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Situated in the heart of America’s most important city, Columbia University embodies the dynamism and future-oriented thinking that springs forth from New York’s multicultural streets. More than 250 years of ideas from across the globe coalesce into a center for learning and research that is unparalleled.

Add to this that it was the fifth of nine colleges chartered by King George II in the American colonies and the first in America to award an MD degree, and it becomes clear that its standing stretches as far into history as it does into the future.

For hardworking students dreaming of a tomorrow filled with the privilege of wearing a white coat, navigating the premed path at Columbia can seem laden with opportunity as well as risk. What if you don’t get enough shadowing hours? What if you didn’t choose the right extracurriculars? What if your GPA dips during the next four years? How hard is it to get into medical school anyway?

We’ve written this guide to help dispel your concerns by giving you an in-depth look at what it takes to thrive as a Columbia premed. We’ll cover general premed requirements and the courses you’ll need to take at Columbia, the best extracurriculars, strategies for obtaining shadowing hours, and even the Columbia premed acceptance rate.

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Whichever way you choose to get from freshman undergraduate to premed success story at Columbia is ultimately up to you, with a few caveats. Most medical schools have similar requirements that must be met to be considered for entry. During your time at Columbia, you’ll need to consider how to satisfy those requirements while also maintaining your major.

The Berick Center for Student Advising (CSA) is a fantastic place to learn about those requirements and how to meet them while studying as a Columbia premed. Working in tandem with prehealth advisors through the CSA in your first two years as an undergrad is highly recommended to help you stay on track. Furthermore, if you ever have questions or doubts about your progress, you can schedule an appointment with an advisor anytime.

Having a solid plan in place for how to juggle all of your responsibilities is vital, and knowing precisely what you need to do is an important first step. You’ll also need to know how your courses at Columbia meet the premedical requirements. To make things easier on you, we’ve listed the requirements for medical schools along with the equivalent courses at Columbia in the table below.

Columbia Premed Requirements
Medical school requirement	Required courses	Optional courses
Biology: Two courses with lab	One of the following sequences: Option 1: BIOL UN2005-UN2006 Intro to Biology I and II BIOL UN2501 Contemporary Biology Lab Option 2: Columbia states this option is suitable for students who intend to major in Environmental Science or Sustainable Development EEEB UN2001 Environmental Biology I: Molecules to Cells BIOL UN2006 Intro to Biology II: Cell Biology and Physiology BIOL UN2501 Contemporary Biology Lab	Alternatively, students may satisfy the lab requirement by completing one of the following: Any 5-point biology laboratory OR Two semesters of BIOL UN3500 including the submission of a research report OR A summer of research as part of the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program and one semester of BIOL UN3500 in the same laboratory OR If you are a biomedical engineering major, you can fulfill this requirement with BME labs
General Chemistry: One year with lab	One of the following sequences: Option 1: CHEM UN1403-UN1404 General Chemistry I and II CHEM UN1500 General Chemistry Laboratory Option 2: CHEM UN1604 Second Semester General Chemistry (Intensive) CHEM UN1507 Intensive General Chemistry Laboratory OR CHEM UN1500 General Chemistry Laboratory Option 3: CHEM UN2045-UN2046 Intensive Organic Chem for First Year Students CHEM UN1507 Intensive General Chemistry Laboratory CHEM UN2493-UN2494 Organic Chemistry Lab I and II OR CHEM UN2545 Intensive Organic Chemistry Lab
Organic Chemistry: One year with lab	CHEM UN2443-UN2444 Organic Chemistry CHEM UN2493-UN2494 Organic Chemistry Lab
Biochemistry: One course	BIOC UN3300 Biochemistry	Alternative course that will satisfy this requirement: BIOC UN4501 Biochemistry, I: Structure and Metabolism
Calculus: One course	One of the following: MATH UN1101 Calculus I MATH UN1102 Calculus II MATH UN1201 Calculus III
Statistics: One course	Recommended by Columbia: STAT UN1101 Introduction to Statistics (without calculus)	Other options for fulfilling this requirement: STAT UN1201 Introduction to Statistics (with calculus) PSYC UN1610 Stats-Behavioral Scientists BMEN E4110 Biostatistics for Engineers IEOR E3658 Probability for Engineers IEOR E4150 Introduction to Probability and Statistics STAT GU4001 Introduction to Probability and Statistics STAT GU4204 Statistical Inference
Physics: Two courses with lab	Option 1: This option is suitable for all premed students unless your major is Chemistry, Physics, Biophysics, Chemical Physics, or Astronomy. Likewise, it is not suitable for SEAS students. If your major requires more advanced physics courses, choose from options 2-4. PHYS UN1201-1202 General Physics PHYS UN1291-1292 General Physics Laboratory For options 2, 3, and 4 students should choose a lecture and lab based on their major. Option 2: PHYS UN1401-1402 Option 3: PHYS UN1601 – 1602 Option 4: PHYS UN2801-2802 Accelerated Physics I and II Possible Labs: PHYS UN1291-1292 General Physics Lab PHYS UN1494 Intro to Experimental Physics Lab PHYS UN3081 Intermediate Laboratory Work
College-level English/writing: Two courses	ENGL CC1010 University Writing and either: HUMA CC1001 Masterpieces of Western Literature and Philosophy I OR COCI CC1101 Contemporary Civilization I	Students may elect to combine one of the following with ENGL CC1010: HUMA C1C002 Masterpieces of Western Literature and Philosophy II OR COCI CC1102 Contemporary Civilization II
Psychology: One course	PSYC UN1001 The Science of Psychology
Sociology: One course	There is no one course Columbia recommends. Students are welcome to take a course in preparation for the MCAT but they note that many students choose to self-study.

There’s a lot of information in the table above, so let’s parse through some of it. Columbia clearly offers a variety of paths to ticking off those prerequisites for medical school. The path you’ll take is, to some extent, determined by your major, your exam placement scores, and potentially whether you opt to engage in undergraduate research.

For example, there are two broad options for earning the requisite biology credits whereas there are multiple options for chemistry, physics, and statistics. The biology, physics, and statistics courses you take will depend on your major. However, your chemistry courses will likely depend on your scores on a placement exam. Some majors will require more advanced physics or a deeper knowledge of statistics than the basic premed prerequisites.

Also, it’s worth noting that labs at Columbia work a little differently from other schools. Medical schools usually require applicants to have taken biology, chemistry, and physics courses with labs. Often, this amounts to a year-long lab course, hence the year-long requirement for students.

Columbia premeds taking general chemistry and biology labs only take them for one semester, while physics and organic chemistry labs are two semesters. Whether they last one or two semesters at Columbia, these courses still fulfill the one-year requirement.

Furthermore, the organic chemistry and physics labs are 2 semester courses worth only 1.5 credits and 1 credit each, so the coursework for these labs will be a bit lighter as it’s spread across a full year. The labs for general chemistry and biology, however, are full-credit, single semester courses.

With all of the varied courses to choose from, charting your journey involves a lot of effort. Weighing your potential responsibilities and coursework while considering your graduation timeline, taking the MCAT, and applying to med school is a lot to balance.

With this in mind, we’ve put together a sample two-year course plan to show you how you might go about achieving your prerequisite goals as a Columbia premed. In the table below, we’ve made a few basic assumptions, namely:

You’re not intending to take a gap year
You’ll take the MCAT during your junior year
You’re not taking summer courses

As you can see from this table, meeting the requirements to go straight into medical school after graduation will leave you with a hefty schedule if you’re not taking courses in the summer. You shouldn’t be afraid to spread out your commitments. As an example, we’ve created another table so that you can get an idea of how taking summer classes might affect your schedule at Columbia.

Sample Columbia Two-Year Course Plan with Summer Courses Columbia does not recommend taking science courses over the summer. This is reflected in the table below.
Semester	Courses
Freshman Fall	CHEM UN1403 MATH UN1101 PHYS UN1201 PHYS UN1291 (General Physics Lab)
Freshman Spring	CHEM 1404 CHEM UN1500 (Gen chem lab) PHYS UN1202 PHYS UN1292 (General Physics Lab)
Summer	STAT S1101 ENGL UN1010
Sophomore Fall	CHEM UN2443 CHEM UN2493 (Ochem lab) BIOL UN2005 - Columbia notes most students take Biology in their sophomore year. HUMA CC1001 - Only offered in Fall and Spring Semesters
Sophomore Spring	CHEM UN2444 CHEM UN2494 (Ochem lab) BIOL UN2006 BIOL UN2501 (Bio lab)
Summer	PSYC S1001 Begin volunteering/extracurriculars

The above table grants some relief by moving a few non-science courses to the summer, but the workload will still be intense. We’ve grouped labs together in this table with their associated courses, but it should be noted that it’s possible to take some labs separately. Columbia states that most biology and biochemistry majors don’t take their labs until senior year.

Let’s face it, life is tough in the Ivy League. What’s more, it’s tough to get into the Ivy League. But if you’ve made it this far, the last thing you want is to let that stellar GPA of yours drop for lack of planning or knowledge of resources when you’ve been given the rare opportunity to stamp your degree with a top-tier pedigree on your way to medical school.

Your classes will be demanding as it is, but when combined with extracurriculars, research, and shadowing to balance, along with your major and prerequisites (not to mention the huge transition to college life), you will undoubtedly feel the struggle.

Over the years that we’ve been advising students, we’ve nailed down a few choice pieces of advice to help in keeping that GPA up.

Slow and steady wins the race. As a Columbia premed, you’ll have to cultivate diligence and discipline to truly succeed. This means working through blockages and sticking to a study schedule. When you’re tasked with absorbing complex information, cramming before a test just won’t cut it. Set aside dedicated time for focused study. Remember, there’s no shortcut to mastering new material.
Make a plan and stick to it. As we mentioned earlier, planning what classes you will take and when is necessary for every premed, however, you should also plan when you will add in time for extracurricular activities, shadowing, or clinical volunteering. Having a good idea about when you can achieve these goals and what is feasible for you will go a long way to supporting your GPA.
Don’t be afraid to change. That being said, sometimes plans don’t seem to be working or we overcommit ourselves. This can lead to burnout, and, in turn, falling scores. While you may think you had crafted the perfect plan with the perfect timeline, you should remain open to altering it slightly if necessary. For example, taking a lighter load one semester than anticipated may mean you delay taking the MCAT or take courses over the summer. Either way, this doesn’t have to derail your plans. In fact, giving yourself space to breathe can help keep your GPA up and make you look like a stronger candidate when you do apply to med school—even if that is slightly later than you wanted.

You may have heard that you can major in anything you want and still get into med school. You may have friends or family who have encouraged you to major in biology or chemistry, thinking that will give you the best shot at achieving your dreams. Many premeds feel a twinge of confusion at the seeming contradiction between these two statements, but actually, they both contain a bit of truth.

The real answer is more nuanced. Your well-meaning relatives are right in that many premeds major in biology and chemistry. In fact, there’s a good amount of overlap between the required courses for those majors and the prerequisites for medical school. It’s also true that you could major in Film and Media Studies at Columbia and still receive an acceptance into medical school.

According to data released by the AAMC concerning the 2023-2024 application cycle, while many more applicants majored in the biological sciences than the humanities, a higher percentage of humanities majors were accepted into medical school (51% for humanities majors, compared to 43% for biology majors). What’s more, the mean MCAT and GPA scores for the two majors were quite similar with 511.5 and 3.78 for biology majors and 513.1 and 3.76 for humanities students.

While majoring in biology or chemistry may make it easier to complete the prerequisites for med school it’s hardly your only option for doing so. In fact, choosing a focus among the 100 majors and concentrations at Columbia can prove tricky. From Linguistics to Neuroscience and Behavior and even Russian Literature, you’ll have the chance to dive deep into almost any interest.

Furthermore, Columbia is unique in that it offered students the option to choose between a ‘concentration’ and a ‘major.’ It should be noted, however, that this option is being phased out and is no longer available to Columbia College students who matriculated beginning in Fall 2024.

Essentially, the difference between the two is that a concentration has slightly fewer requirements than a major, which may give premeds more time to engage in extracurricular activities or pursue other interests on their way to medical school. In the end, you will still need to gain 124 credits to graduate regardless of whether you chose the concentration or the major.

There’s no evidence to suggest that medical schools prefer one over the other. Whichever path you take you’ll still have to meet all the premedical requirements.

So, what’s the best Columbia premed major? Our recommendation is to major in something you’re passionate about. As the saying goes, if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life, and the same holds true for premed students; it’s much easier to maintain a high GPA studying something you’re excited about.

Deciding when to take the MCAT is one of the most important parts of the Columbia premed journey. You’ll want to feel prepared enough by your classes and self-studying to get your highest score possible and you’ll also need to consider whether attending med school straight out of college is your goal or taking a gap year is in the cards.

A lot of this decision comes down to personal preference. You’ll want to be sure not to overload yourself with classes or other commitments to avoid cramming your MCAT study into a compressed timeframe. The MCAT is hard. Don’t underestimate that when determining how much you can handle.

For Columbia premeds, the CSA office provides their take on recommended courses before sitting the MCAT. Essentially, they recommend taking all of your prerequisites with the exception of additional biology courses. However, if you have the time, these can be beneficial.

If you’re not happy with your score the first time around, it is possible to take the MCAT again, but this could delay your matriculation to medical school. Furthermore, for a retake to help you, you must achieve a higher score.

We typically recommend taking the MCAT in the fall of your junior year for students who don’t wish to take a gap year. This is to plan for any potential retakes without disrupting the timeline. Although, for many students, this will require taking summer courses to hit the right level of preparation for the test at that time.

Looking for MCAT practice questions? Check out our proprietary MCAT Question Bank for 3000+ sample questions and eight practice tests covering every MCAT category.

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During your time as a Columbia premed, you’ll have access to an unprecedented array of extracurriculars and student groups allowing you to showcase your individuality to adcoms. What’s more, the mere location of Columbia in a city as vibrant and diverse as New York grants you ample opportunity to gain volunteering, research, and shadowing experience.

Columbia itself is awash with student groups that cater to every interest. Categories encompass athletics, music, media, performing arts, cultural groups, academic groups, and many others. Imagine yourself delving into Japanese culture with like-minded individuals, practicing or learning Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, or joining the Philolexian Society, Columbia’s oldest student organization that counts luminaries such as Alan Ginsberg and Jacques Barzun as former members.

Participating in student organizations is a chance to demonstrate your talents, interests, and leadership ability to adcoms, all three of which they love to see. And when it comes to premed-specific student groups, you couldn’t be at a more advantageous university than Columbia.

The Charles Drew Premedical Society is a fantastic place to get support and guidance through the premed journey and can help you in finding clinical volunteering opportunities through association. In addition, membership in the Columbia Bioethics Society, the Biomedical Engineering Society, or the Chandler Society for Undergraduate Chemistry are all great ways to endear yourself to adcoms. Additionally, you may choose to join the Columbia University Emergency Medical Service (CU-EMS), American Medical Student Association (AMSA), or assist in teaching health education at New York schools through the Peer Health Exchange.

Gaining volunteer experience helps you stand out from the crowd on your med school applications as a leader and a go-getter. There are many volunteer organizations in New York City that would be happy to have your assistance and time. Columbia even makes finding roles a bit easier with Columbia Community Service (CCS).

Its homepage lists an array of open roles at CCS-supported non-profits allowing you to choose something that suits you. Whether that’s supporting the elderly as a Friendly Visiting Volunteer at DOROT, or joining the West Side Campaign Against Hunger (WSCAH) to help with their front-line operations, volunteering experience in this capacity will look great on any application.

Other community-focused volunteer initiatives include Community Impact at Columbia University, which runs 27 community service programs assisting low-income and homeless families in the New York area.

If you’re seeking something more clinically oriented, the New York-Presbyterian Columbia University Irving Medical Center has plenty of volunteer opportunities for you. Roles are offered in patient services administration, the emergency department, and even the patient care unit. Additionally, you may consider volunteering at a hospice. This is another great way to gain experience in a real-world patient setting and help solidify those clinical credentials.

The New York and greater New England region is world-renowned for research, and there are a number of opportunities for students to engage in this important aspect of their medical school applications.

The Department of Biological Sciences at Columbia runs a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) that runs for 10 weeks with participants receiving a $5,000 stipend. Although it is run by the biology department, you don’t need to be a biology major to join. However, you will be working on independent research for 40 hours a week, so it’s best to keep this in mind if you’re thinking of taking summer classes on the side as you likely won’t be able to juggle both.

The Columbia CSA provides a convenient list of extracurricular and research opportunities, making it easier to sift through possibilities. The list is searchable as well, allowing you to sort results by keyword, type of opportunity, state, and category. Using this list, if you’re able to travel a bit or you intend to go home during the summer, you could broaden the scope of your search by looking for opportunities nationally.

Furthermore, be sure to sift through the larger category of undergraduate research. Columbia is quite keen on helping their undergraduates achieve their research goals and has many resources available for undergraduate research and fellowships.

Finding shadowing opportunities is always a daunting task for many premeds. Often, they’re not sure where to start or how to go about approaching physicians they might want to shadow.

The University of Columbia is aware of this and Columbia premeds have chances to join various fellowships that include shadowing experience in addition to clinical volunteering experience. The Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP) is a six-week program open to freshman and sophomore undergraduates interested in a career in the health professions. The program encompasses labs, coursework, and practical hands-on experiences where you may be shadowing medical professionals.

If you’re particularly interested in cardiology, the Seymour, Paul, and Gloria Milstein Division of Cardiology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) runs a mentorship program that includes clinical shadowing experiences.

Also, don’t forget there are other methods that may prove fruitful to you if you aren’t accepted for a fellowship or program. Leaning on your family connections and network is a great place to start. Perhaps you have a physician in the family (or just a family friend) that may be willing to help. Maybe a biology teacher has some recommendations.

Furthermore, you can always try cold-emailing doctors—or “cool-emailing” as we like to call it. For example, you can look for current practicing physicians with Columbia as an alma mater on LinkedIn. Leading with a shared connection to a place they spent a formative portion of their life is one way to warm up the interaction and you may be more likely to get a positive answer.

Suggested reading: (How to Ask to Shadow a Doctor)

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Once you’re nearing the end of your premed journey and it comes time to actually apply to medical school, you may assume that your Ivy League degree from Columbia will grant you a significant advantage over other applicants.

While a degree from an elite institution certainly doesn’t hurt, it won’t necessarily grant you a significant advantage without having put in a lot of hard work during your undergrad years. Once you’ve achieved a top-notch GPA and MCAT score, clocked in shadowing and research hours, and demonstrated leadership via extracurriculars, only then will the prestige of the Ivy League really come into play.

Furthermore, when you’re actually putting together your applications, you’ll also need to ensure every aspect of your application is complete to the best of your ability. As a Columbia premed, you’ll work with the CSA and Premedical Advisory Committee (PAC) to get everything in order.

This includes finishing a pre-applicant process consisting of a resume, autobiography, letters of recommendation, a supplemental information form, an activities grid and graph, expanded statements, and an interview with the PAC.

If all of that sounds like an involved process, don’t worry because there will be plenty of information to guide you along the way. The CSA and Premedical Advisory Committee are here to assist you from making sure you’re staying on track to providing guidance with your personal statement.

An informational session is held in December each year for students planning to apply the following summer. When you attend this meeting, you’ll receive the Application for the Committee Evaluation which will allow you to obtain the PAC’s Letter of Evaluation, a necessary component to your application as a Columbia premed. It’s written after you complete the pre-applicant process and have made a request for it and it is intended to detail a nuanced picture of you as an applicant to admissions committees.

When it comes to hard data about the Columbia premed acceptance rate, we can look to the Columbia Medical School’s most recent class profile. This class had GPAs in the range of 3.39–4.0 and MCAT scores from 508–528. Without even delving into the particulars of extracurricular activities and research, we can see that getting into Columbia Medical School is tough.

We also know from data released by the AAMC that in 2023, Columbia University had 181 students apply to medical school from one of their undergraduate programs. While data about where they applied or if they got in isn’t available, we can nonetheless surmise that if their school is providing a large number of applicants with the added requirements from the PAC tacked on top, the candidate pool they produce must be of a high caliber.

This may lead you to wonder if having a degree from Columbia will benefit an application to Columbia Medical School in any way. There’s no direct evidence for this, but if you’ve nurtured relationships with professors during your time there and garnered stellar letters of recommendation, it may be of some help. Keep in mind that with 7,291 applicants in the 2023–2024 admissions cycle and only 140 matriculating, that translates to a challenging 1.9% matriculation rate.

Every student’s path to medical school is unique with some taking more circuitous routes than others. Perhaps you’re reading this guide and thinking of switching to the premed path at Columbia or perhaps you’re near the end of your undergraduate years and have only just discovered your passion for medicine.

It’s not uncommon for students to realize they have many premed prerequisites to complete late in the game and wonder what, if anything, they can do. The good news is that for late-stage Columbia premeds, there is a postbaccalaureate program at Columbia that may be an option for you after graduation. Completing a post-bacc program during a gap year (or two) before medical school is a great way to knock out the prerequisites you need and to bolster your chances of acceptance by earning stellar grades.

Program Structure and Curriculum

The post-bacc curriculum at Columbia includes essential courses such as biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics. Students can choose between various formats, including traditional, part-time, or accelerated schedules, allowing for flexibility based on individual needs. Completing all of the courses in the program will require a few years if done part-time, but can be accomplished in one year if following the accelerated timetable. Also, keep in mind that you may be able to place out of required courses if you’ve taken them already.

Sample Columbia Two-Year Course Plan

Semester

Courses

Freshman Fall

CHEM UN1403
ENGL CC1010
MATH UN1101
PHYS UN1201
PHYS UN1291 (General Physics Lab)

Freshman Spring

CHEM 1404
CHEM UN1500 (Gen chem lab)
PHYS UN1202
PHYS UN1292 (General Physics Lab)
STAT UN1101
HUMA CC1001

Sophomore Fall

CHEM UN2443
CHEM UN2493 (Ochem lab)
BIOL UN2005 - Columbia notes most students take Biology in their sophomore year.
PSYC UN1001

Sophomore Spring

CHEM UN2444
CHEM UN2494 (Ochem lab)
BIOL UN2006
BIOL UN2501 (Bio lab)

As one of the foremost institutions of higher education in the nation, Columbia University has the research credentials, connections, and history to make it stand out even among schools in the Ivy League. Columbia premeds will be awash in opportunities to shine, but this will take an immense amount of planning, dedication, and hard work. If all three of those are in place, the payoff of acceptance into medical school is sure to be a feeling like no other.