How to Succeed as a Duke Premed
/Everything you need to know about Duke premed, including premed requirements, the best extracurriculars, and the Duke premed acceptance rate
LEARN HOW TO GET INTO MEDICAL SCHOOL AS A DUKE PREMED
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Part 1: Introduction
While Duke University may be heralded as a basketball powerhouse, it also consistently ranks among the ten best universities in the country and one of the top schools for premeds. With over 300 students applying to medical school each year, Duke’s student body has one of the highest percentages of premeds in the nation, given its intimate total enrollment of under 7,000 undergraduates.
Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke is well-known both for its liberal arts education and engineering focus, which are complemented by various top-tier graduate programs, including the Duke University School of Medicine. It is no surprise that Duke also offers a robust premed program. Students get plugged into pre-health advising and hands-on research experiences as soon as they walk on campus.
Yet, the journey is not for the faint of heart. Many first-year students who intend to become healthcare professionals quickly change their minds. Even so, approximately 25% of each incoming class will eventually apply to medical school. Students who stay the course face fierce competition from other top-notch students.
Being a premedical student at any school can be challenging. You’ll take classes in many difficult subjects, including physics, biology, biochemistry, and statistics. Your time will be split between studying, volunteering, and clinical exposure. Duke offers many opportunities—with hundreds of student groups, study-abroad programs, clinical shadowing, and domestic and international volunteer experiences available, students often feel overwhelmed by the prospect of being a Duke premed student.
Taking advantage of the full breadth of a Duke education while maintaining a high level of excellence requires insight, planning, and hard work. In this guide, we’ll provide advice from current Duke premeds and alumni, using their insight to create a resource for success both in and out of the classroom. Using this four-year map, you’ll be able to cultivate a diverse resume of volunteer activities and extracurriculars by identifying the most high-yield experiences, allowing you to develop an outstanding application to medical school.
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Part 2: Duke premed requirements
Duke offers a wide range of interesting classes and majors! As a student, you could choose from areas of study ranging from engineering to evolutionary or cultural anthropology to public policy to literature.
As an entering student in any major, it can be intimidating to select your coursework. However, as a premed, you will have a little more structure than many of your peers since you will need to complete a specific series of science courses to satisfy the requirements for medical school admission. Duke’s pre-health advising office provides a full list of the premed courses, which can be found here.
Most freshmen and sophomores focus on completing the introductory science classes. As a result, early premed schedules are usually very similar. This helps underclassmen generate an informal network of premed students who help support each other in and out of the classroom. However, you can still be flexible when arranging the course order to fulfill the premed requirements.
Different medical schools may look for slightly different academic courses, either in the sciences or in the humanities, but most schools follow the guidelines above. It is essential to periodically check the websites of medical schools in your home state and any others you are interested in to monitor any changes.
Additionally, some upper-level science classes may differ according to your specific major requirements or interests, so the flexibility and diversity of your schedule often increases as you become a junior or senior. Once you declare a major, you will also need to complete major-specific requirements in addition to your premed coursework. Ultimately, students in non-science disciplines, such as English or public policy, may have significantly different schedules. Choosing to be premed and declaring a major early can help lessen the burden of scheduling constraints.
High-achieving high school students always have questions about using AP credits. At Duke, students can subtract a total of two AP credits from the 34 needed for graduation, so students with at least two credits will only need to complete 32 credits at Duke to graduate in four years.
However, while most medical schools will accept at least some form of AP credit, many look for additional coursework in a similar area of study to demonstrate success at the college level. Additionally, the content taught in these AP courses may not always match perfectly with the material taught in the equivalent Duke courses. Plus, medical schools can change their mind about accepting AP credit at any time, so as always, it is prudent to check the requirements each year for medical schools you are interested in.
Duke has a detailed structure of college course equivalents for AP credits, which you can find here.
| Biology: Two courses with lab | One of the following sequences: Biology 201L + 202L Biology 203L (AP score 5) + another bio lab course (Bio 212L, 329L, or other) |
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| Chemistry: 1. General chemistry: One year with lab 2. Organic chemistry: One year with lab 3. Biochemistry: One course |
One of the following sequences:
Chemistry 99D, 101DL, 201DL, 202L, 210DL, Biochemistry 301 Chemistry 101DL, 201DL, 202L, 210DL, Biochemistry 301 Chemistry 20 (AP), 110DL, 201DL, 202L, Biochemistry 301 Chemistry 21 (AP), 201DL, 202L, Biochemistry 301 Chemistry 21 (AP), 201DL, 202L, 210DL, Biochemistry 301 |
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| Calculus: One course | One of the following: Math 21 (Calculus I by AP credit) Math 105L + 106L (Calculus I spread over two semesters) Math 111L (Calculus I in one semester) Math 121 (Calculus I by transfer) |
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| Statistics: One course | Statistics 101, 102 or higher, Biology 304, Psychology 201, or Sociology 333 | Psychology 204 & 205 (need to take both) | ||||
| Physics: Two courses with lab | One of the following sequences: Physics 141L + 142L (Trinity students) 151L + 152L (Pratt students) 161L + 162L (Physics majors) Physics 25 (AP) and 142L/152L/162L Physics 26 (AP) and 141L/151L/162L Physics 25 and 26 (AP) – enroll in 141L or 142L (Trinity) (Pratt students follow Pratt guidelines) |
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| College-level English/writing: Two courses | One of the following sequences: Writing 101 and 2 W courses for the curriculum (Trinity students) Writing 101 and one more English course, writing course or AP English (Pratt students) |
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| Psychology: One course | Psy 101, Psy 106/107 (cross-listed Neuroscience 101) or other course that addresses the behavioral determinants of health care | |||||
| Sociology: One course | Sociology 110D or other course that addresses the social determinants of health care | |||||
Sample Duke premed two-year course plan
As you can see from the requirements above, certain subjects offer several classes that will satisfy medical school requirements. For example, for your first semester of biology, you can take either Biology 201L or 203L (depending on your prior high school experience).
Don’t forget that premed courses will only comprise a fraction of all the courses you take. You’ll also have to fit in your major requirements and elective or advanced classes that interest you.
Duke’s schedule is divided into semester-course units, with one unit equivalent to four credit hours. To be full-time, most students take four course units (or 16 credit hours) per semester. Ideally, there will also be space for one or two elective classes of your choosing to balance your premed coursework. A full course catalog can be seen on Duke’s website. Don’t forget to have fun and be creative when choosing your classes!
Here's one example of how you might arrange your first two years as a Duke premed:
| Freshman Fall | Chem 101DL Writing 101 Math 111L |
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| Freshman Spring | Chemistry 201L Psychology 101 Stats 101 |
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| Sophomore Fall | Chem 202L Bio 201L Phys 141L |
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| Sophomore Spring | Chemistry 210L Bio 202L Phys 142L |
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Commonly, premeds will complete introductory courses in biology, calculus, and chemistry with the associated labs during their freshman year. This will be followed by Organic Chemistry I & II with lab and General Physics I & II with lab during sophomore year, as seen above. Others will complete physics during their junior year.
Duke students considering spending a semester abroad often study overseas during the fall of junior year so as not to miss basketball season in the winter and spring. However, many premed students find this difficult to accommodate and will choose to spend a summer semester abroad instead.
How to maintain a high GPA as a Duke premed
As you can tell from the premed requirements listed above, as well as the sample schedule, you will have to contend with notoriously difficult and time-consuming courses from day one. No matter how you space your schedule, you will at times be juggling multiple premed courses and their associated labs all at once.
Not only will you be developing new skills, like synthesizing chemical formulas and visualizing a 3D chemical reaction in space, you’ll also be learning new exam formats. Consider the “multiple multiple choice” exam in biology, where any or all of the A–E answers could be correct for a single question.
These courses will push your critical thinking skills to the max and ultimately help distinguish those who can succeed in the rigors of medical school. Walking into a 250-person introductory premed course can be daunting, but walking across the graduation stage with a medical school acceptance is worth the long wait. So, how exactly do you succeed as a Duke premed?
First, it is important to know your relative strengths and weaknesses when you start college. Take time to reflect on your study habits and time-management skills prior to your first midterm exam. Set a study schedule and stick to it!
Here are some important things to specifically consider when creating your initial premed schedule:
Avoid taking too many premed required courses in one semester.
Plan out the requirements for your major early.
Balance heavy science classes with easier elective courses or courses with fewer out-of-classroom requirements.
Allow adequate space between classes for studying and extracurriculars.
For students who want to go straight through to medical school, plan your sophomore and junior year schedules around preparing for the MCAT (we’ll discuss MCAT timing more shortly).
Consider whether a gap year(s), which will provide more flexibility in your schedule, is within your goals. This will allow you to stretch out your premed coursework, which gives you more time to study for each individual course.
If you need to space your classes but don’t want to take a gap year, consider summer terms to complete some of your premed coursework.
Finally, follow these foolproof tips for academic success. While they may seem obvious and straightforward, they really work!
Schedule dedicated study time without other distractions. Don’t just squeeze in studying in your spare time. Rather, make it a priority.
Avoid procrastination. Instead, stay up-to-date on required readings and assignment due dates, even if you have several weeks to complete those assignments.
Manage expectations. Your college courses will likely be more difficult than your high school classes.
Join study groups and attend TA sessions. Group studying can both improve your understanding of a topic and help you make friends! Similarly, talk to a pre-health advisor early. They will not only guide you through the process but can also be an advocate for you later on.
Maintain health and wellbeing as a Duke premed
Maintaining that top GPA is often taxing for Duke premeds, but it can be done. Practicing wellness and self-care will help with the academic pressures you may face. Here are a few strategies and resources at Duke to help support your overall health and wellbeing.
DuWell Program Duke’s DuWell program is where you can go to learn about mindfulness techniques, learn about using alcohol responsibly, as well as strategies for building healthy relationships.
Duke Reach If you’re experiencing any issues related to mental health, social adjustment, or other stressors, Duke Reach provides non-clinical services and individual support to help manage your stress and keep you on the path to academic success.
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) If you feel you need counseling, CAPS is where you can go to find a listening ear. Offering both individual and group counseling sessions as well as workshops CAPS is a place where you can have your concern heard.
Stay active Don’t forget to look after your physical health as well! This is a big part of maintaining your mental health and dealing with stress. Duke Recreation and Physical Education has countless ways you can achieve this from group fitness classes, personal training, and sports clubs.
Maintain healthy habits With so many tasks ahead of you along with the changes of entering college, your healthy habits can fall by the wayside. Letting them slip too much can have a knock-on effect on your grades. Remember to get adequate sleep, stay hydrated, and cook healthy meals. You may even want to try journaling to process thoughts and emotions. Keeping these habits can improve your mental clarity and keep your GPA up.
What’s the best premed major at Duke?
It’s a common misconception among incoming students that there is one premed major. However, you cannot graduate from Duke with a degree in the “premedical sciences,” for instance.
Instead, being a premed student simply means completing all of the courses (listed earlier) that are required in order to apply to medical school. Premed students should round out the rest of their coursework with classes that intrigue or inspire them and choose a major (or multiple!) in that area of interest.
This begets the question of what exactly is the best major to choose as a premed. Again, there is no one perfect major that will blow medical schools away, just as there is no major that completely prepares you for medical school—that’s what the MCAT and premed courses are for!
Different majors can bestow different advantages. While majoring in the sciences may give you an edge when it comes to preparing for the biological and chemical sections of the MCAT, students majoring in the humanities often have more developed critical reading skills.
Another benefit of a science major is that some classes will count both towards your premed and major requirement credits, which can make it logistically easier to plan your schedule, especially over the first two years. Traditionally, these majors have been very among premed students as a whole.
Among all Duke students, the most popular major is usually a toss up between computer science and public policy. Every year, however, economics, biology, and psychology are also consistently in the top five. While premeds often select majors in one of these categories, the most popular premed major is biology.
Here is a full list of majors and minors. It is important to select the right major from you instead of following the crowd. Your major should ideally be something that you’re interested in and that makes you excited to learn!
If you’re deliberating between majors, we encourage you to take a variety of classes in addition to the premed requirements. You should also talk to your advisor, as well as older students, to learn more about individual major requirements. Remember that at Duke you can declare your major any time during and before the end of your sophomore year.
When should you take the MCAT?
In a traditional schedule (in which a premed student starts medical school right after graduation), most students choose to take the MCAT sometime during their junior year.
Understanding that luck favors the prepared mind, we like to build in extra time for unforeseen circumstances. As such, we recommend taking the MCAT during the fall of your junior year. This gives you space to retake the test before applying if necessary.
When planning to take the MCAT, the most important thing to do is to give yourself ample study time. This means plenty of dedicated time, not just impromptu study sessions squeezed in between other obligations.
Suggested study schedules often combine MCAT-specific classes with independent, self-directed learning. You should also take several practice tests (the more the better!). This not only prepares you for the real day but also allows you to better predict where your score might fall.
While you should always give yourself enough time to study, it is also imperative to build an appropriate knowledge base before the test. We recommend completing the following premed courses prior to signing up for the MCAT:
General Chemistry: Chem 101DL and Chem 210D
General Biology: Bio 201L and Bio 202L
General Physics: Phys 141L and Phys 142L
Organic Chemistry: 201DL and 202D
Biochemistry 301
(Note: If you’ve had little exposure to psychology and sociology, you could also consider completing Psych 101 and Soc 110DL prior to taking the MCAT.)
Due to relatively recent changes in the MCAT, the test now has a heavy emphasis on biochemistry in addition to the basic sciences principles covered by the general biology and chemistry courses. In addition, the test has new sections incorporating psychology and sociology. These classes are of course recommended before taking the MCAT, but in general their content can also be learned independently during MCAT prep.
In contrast to the traditional schedule, more and more students are taking a gap year(s) following graduation, during which they focus on gaining real world and hands-on clinical experience. This type of elongated schedule also enables more flexibility in taking the MCAT.
In any case, students should plan to have their MCAT scores back before the start of the application cycle. Official scores are usually released 30–35 days after an exam date. Thus, students often take the MCAT at least one to two months in advance of the start of the application cycle. AMCAS generally opens the first week of May.
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Part 3: Duke premed extracurriculars
At Duke, it can be difficult to know which activities to get involved in, especially considering the sheer amount of opportunities available to the ambitious premed student. When it comes to extracurricular activities, it is important to both diversify your experiences and make a longitudinal commitment. In this regard, quality not quantity is often preferred by admissions committees.
Premedical extracurricular activities fall into three distinct domains:
Clinical experiences (which includes healthcare shadowing and EMT work)
Volunteer and service work
Research
Medical schools would also like to see positions of leadership, which can fall into any of these categories. Most importantly, medical schools look for humanism and service to others. Find experiences where you can actively engage with patients and those with basic health care needs. Take time to observe the health profession you are contemplating. Medical school, residency, and a career as an attending is a long, arduous path. Make sure you like the field you will be entering!
While there is no rush to do these things, students who do not want to take a gap year will need to fit in all of these activities around their course work. However, it is equally important to remember that preparing for a health career will take you several years.
Duke has 400+ student organizations. These range from traditional premed societies, Greek life, and club sports to things you’ll likely only find at Duke, like DukeEngage and BassConnections. To hear about these opportunities, sign up for the pre-health listserv on day one, which will send weekly emails about jobs, research opportunities, volunteering, and much more.
A few organizations that might interest a Duke premed student are listed below.
American Medical Women’s Association—This group is for female (undergrad) Duke premed students.
American Physician Scientists Association—The APSA educates students about careers as physician-scientists. It also offers members the opportunity to network and engage in mentorships.
Biology Cultural Association—The Biology Cultural Association was formed to unite underrepresented groups who are also biology majors.
Biomedical Engineering Society—This is an organization designed to promote and advance biomedical education among students.
Duke Medical Ethics Journal—The mission of this group is to increase public awareness concerning medical ethics issues.
Duke University EMS—Their mission is to promote health, service, and leadership in the Durham community.
Engineering World Health—This national organization exists to inspire, educate, and empower the biomedical community.
MEDesign—This is a group for those interested in medical device design.
Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students—This is one of the Student National Medical Association’s groups, and its mission is to support underrepresented minority students in medicine.
Phi Delta Epsilon International Medical Fraternity—This fraternity is centered on fellowship by creating a group of physicians who adhere to its values such as integrity and philanthropy.
Duke premed clinical and community volunteering
As mentioned, Duke's Office of Health Professions Advising will be your go-to for finding almost any relevant premed experience. It is a great resource for finding opportunities for volunteering, both clinical and non-clinical. They maintain a searchable list of potential upcoming opportunities for community and hospital volunteer work.
In brief, here’s a short list of organizations at Duke that offer opportunities for volunteering that many students love:
Bull City Fit looks for volunteers who want hands-on experience working with children in a community-based wellness program setting. Associated with the Duke Children’s Healthy Lifestyles Program, you help promote weight loss and healthy lifestyles, and you have lots of fun while doing it!
DukeEngage provides fully-funded service opportunities and civic engagement experiences nationally and internationally. Most programs are eight weeks over the summer and may give you experience in global health, education, social justice, and community volunteering. Students must apply for DukeEngage and can only enroll in one program throughout their undergraduate experience if selected.
Duke Partnership for Service: This website includes a conglomerate of student organizations focused on engaging with the Durham community. They include Duke Adopt-a-Grandparent, Global Brigades, Innoworks, Harmonies for Health, DukeHAND, GANO, FEMMES, ArtsConnect, ScienceDay, Duke Red Cross, WISER, Know Your Status, Duke Splash, Duke PAWS (animals), and many more.
Duke premed shadowing
All premed students should obtain at least 150–200 hours of shadowing experience. In fact, it is practically impossible to be accepted into medical school without some physician shadowing on your resume.
Shadowing throughout the year and in several different specialties can provide a realistic view of medicine, an understanding of patient care, as well as a familiarity with different roles in healthcare. At Duke, the Office of Health Professions Advising provides training for current Duke undergraduates (sophomores through seniors) who wish to shadow at Duke Hospital.
Here’s a list of hospitals in the area that often have shadowing experiences available:
Students can also arrange shadowing experiences at home by calling their local hospitals and outpatient clinic providers.
(Suggested reading: How to Ask to Shadow a Doctor)
Duke premed research
One of the easiest aspects of being a premed at Duke is that you’re surrounded by incredible research opportunities from world-class faculty and graduate students. In fact, as of 2024, fifteen Nobel laureates have been affiliated with Duke University!
To get involved in research as an undergraduate student, first visit the Undergraduate Research Support Office (URS), either through an in-person appointment or by visiting their website online. URS supports students through workshops and symposiums, funding independent research, assistantships, and conferences, and by supporting summer research programs.
Not only does URS supply a consolidated list of summer and semester research opportunities at Duke and other universities, but it also supports scholarly endeavors with summer research grants.
Duke students can also explore projects with a faculty team through Bass Connections. Many of these projects specifically address pressing global issues involving society, energy, and global health.
However, despite these resources, some students still find the prospect of obtaining research intimidating. If you are still looking for a position, here are some tips:
Talk to faculty. If you’ve made close relationships with a professor in class or during office hours, discuss research opportunities with them. They can often refer you to other colleagues as well.
Talk to upperclassmen. Your friends, and especially older premeds, may know of positions in labs that may be opening up as other students graduate. This gives you a quick insight into and connection with a lab that otherwise may not be listed at the formal Undergraduate Research Support Office.
Take an upper-level course. Many majors offer courses with formal research components with fewer students. These upper-level capstone courses can become a senior thesis and may even let you graduate with distinction at Duke!
Cold-call PIs (Principal Investigators). After using up other options, this can be an unexpected way to find research opportunities. Look at the websites of departments you are interested in and email faculty you think have exciting research. You will likely need to send quite a few emails before getting results, but with determination, this method can find you an opportunity that is unique to you.
(Suggested reading: How to Write a Great Research Assistant Cover Letter)
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Part 4: Getting into medical school as a Duke premed
Although many Duke students apply to medical school after the end of their junior year, more and more are taking at least one gap year after graduating from college before attending medical school. You should choose the timeline that is best for you!
Before applying to medical school, you’ll need to take time to prepare the rest of your primary application. During the year that you’re applying, you’ll begin to work closely with the Duke Pre-Health Office to prepare your primary AMCAS application, which includes your personal statement and Work and Activities section.
In particular, you’ll need their help to draft the committee letter. The Duke Committee Letter is a formative summary of your time at Duke and does not include your individual letters of recommendation. It is highly recommended to obtain a committee letter from your home institution, as many medical schools require you to submit one if your school offers it.
Once you’re ready to apply, we suggest you follow our ideal medical school application timeline.
(Note: The Duke pre health committee has historically been conservative when it comes to encouraging students to apply during a given cycle. We’ve heard numerous stories from students with high GPAs [e.g., 3.8] and strong MCAT scores [e.g., 516] who were told they have low stats and advised to take an additional year to bolster their application before applying. In comparison, our team has helped many students with these same profiles achieve success in past cycles. If you’re concerned about the advice you receive, make sure to seek a professional’s opinion.)
Duke premed acceptance rate and admissions statistics
In many ways, Duke is a mecca for premed students as you will have access to a wide variety of resources to help you get into medical school. Duke’s excellent pre-health advising office offers support for premed students during all four years on campus. In addition to this personalized advising, Duke students never struggle to fill out their resumes with impressive experiences, from research and internship opportunities to clinical exposure provided by Duke’s prestigious medical school to fully-funded service opportunities supported by Duke’s generous endowment.
In light of all of these resources and opportunities, how do Duke students actually fare when they apply to medical school?
At a minimum, Duke students accepted to medical school have a science GPA and total GPA of at least 3.4. However, students accepted to top-ten medical schools generally have much higher GPAs than this.
The med school acceptance rates for Duke undergrads are remarkable. In 2017, 70–80% of Duke premeds got into medical school; in contrast, the national average was around 40–45%. Duke students applied to, on average, 22 different medical schools and had an average science GPA of 3.6.
Getting into Duke Medical School as a Duke premed
Many premed students, including Duke undergraduates, vie to attend Duke’s prestigious medical school, currently ranked sixth among academic research medical institutions.
Like its undergraduate counterpart, Duke School of Medicine is highly selective. Approximately 10% of applicants receive interviews, while applicants have a roughly 4% chance of admission overall. For students offered admission, the average GPA is a 3.9 and the average MCAT score is 520.
Understandably, Duke premed students often wonder if their odds of receiving an acceptance or even an interview are higher given their existing connection with the university. Anecdotally, this seems to play out; however, Duke does not share interview data based on applicants’ undergraduate institutions.
(Suggested reading: How to Get Into Duke Medical School: Requirements and Strategies)
Final thoughts
Duke University is well known for producing strong premeds who become top-tier applicants, gaining entrance into premier medical schools across the U.S. (including many who choose to stay at Duke for medical school). Although navigating the Duke premed landscape seems daunting, by following this guide’s advice you’ll be able to pick a navigable schedule, maintain a high GPA, and develop a unique resume of extracurricular activities. By using this as a map throughout college, you too can find success as a Duke premed.
About the Author
Dr. Shirag Shemmassian is the Founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting and one of the world's foremost experts on medical school admissions. For nearly 20 years, he and his team have helped thousands of students get into medical school using his exclusive approach.
