How to Succeed as a Northwestern Premed
/Everything you need to know about premed at Northwestern University, including premed requirements, the best premed extracurriculars, and the Northwestern University premed acceptance rate
Learn how to get into medical school as a Northwestern University premed
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Part 1: Introduction
Northwestern University is a school where students can gain a broad, yet in-depth education to serve as the foundation for bigger things. Students here go on to become doctors, business leaders, lawyers, and more. As a premed student, the interdisciplinary experience you can have at Northwestern is perfect for creating a strong background for your application to medical school.
Situated near Lake Michigan with 240 acres of natural beauty on campus, students at Northwestern get the best of city life without sacrificing their proximity to nature. Offering hundreds of student organizations, dozens of study abroad programs, and frequent undergraduate research opportunities, Northwestern is committed to providing students a hands-on education.
One of only four U.S. universities ranked in the top 20 across all graduate education categories, Northwestern is currently the 10th best U.S. school overall. Their facilities and faculty are some of the best in the world and, as such, the courses there will challenge you as you compete against thousands of other premed applicants for admission to your top choice school.
Their plethora of options encourage students to explore many areas of study, making it easy to fulfill med school requirements but difficult to choose where to place your focus. In this guide, we’ll help you figure out what and how you’ll want to study in preparation for med school applications.
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Part 2: Northwestern University premed requirements
Each medical school will have slight differences in its admission requirements, but you can be well-equipped to fulfill all of these through your undergraduate studies. The table below provides a list of suggested pre-medicine courses available at Northwestern University.
If you took Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses in high school, you may have a jump start on your college career with some introductory course credits earned through the program. Again, some medical schools will accept AP credits while others won’t, so you’ll want to double-check the policies of each school that interests you.
| General Chemistry One year |
CHEM 110, CHEM 131 + lab (141), and CHEM 132 + lab (142) | CHEM 151 + lab (161) and CHEM 152 + lab (162) OR CHEM 171 + lab (181) and CHEM 172 + lab (182) |
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| Organic chemistry One year |
CHEM 215-1,2,3 + labs (235-1,2,3) | CHEM 212-1,2,3 + labs (chemistry majors and ISP students only) | ||||
| Biology One year |
BIOL SCI 201 (Molecular Biology; offered spring quarter), BIOL SCI 202 (Cell Biology; offered fall quarter) + BIOL SCI 232 (Molecular & Cellular Processes Lab) | BIOL SCI 203 (Genetics & Evolution; offered winter quarter) + BIOL SCI 233 (Genetics & Molecular Processes Lab), BIOL SCI 301 (Biochemistry; offered spring quarter), BIOL SCI 234 (Investigative Lab; offered spring quarter) | ||||
| Physics Two years |
PHYSICS 130-1,2,3 + labs (Algebra-based) | PHYSICS 135-1,2,3 + labs (Calculus-based; engineering majors can skip 135-1 as it is covered in Engineering Analysis sequence) | ||||
| Math One year + Statistics |
MATH 218-1,2,3 (Department permission required) Any Statistics course |
MATH 220-1,2
MATH 226-0 MATH 228-1,2 or MATH 230-1,2 (formerly MATH 230-0 and MATH 234-0) MATH 290-1,2,3 or MATH 291-1,2,3 |
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| English One year |
2 WCAS freshman seminars + 1 course in English or Comparative Literature | 3 courses in English or Comparative Literature Engineering students: ENGLISH 106-1 & 106-2, plus 2 courses in English or Comparative Literature |
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| Behavioral and Social Sciences One year |
Introductory courses in psychology and sociology are recommended for MCAT preparation. Some medical schools may also require courses in the behavioral and social sciences and/or the humanities. | |||||
Northwestern also offers some specific FAQs for their premed students, but you should absolutely plan on meeting with a pre-health advisor early on. A pre-medicine advisor will help you map out each semester, which canmake the scheduling process much less stressful.
Sample Northwestern premed two-year course plan
Med school prerequisites aren’t the only thing you’ll need to focus on; there’s also requirements for your undergraduate major. Many students choose a major that overlaps with their medical school requirements, but this can lead to a rigorous schedule that isn’t for everyone.
To help you get a feel for how your schedule might look, we created a sample course plan for your freshman and sophomore years pursuing a BS in computer science. This sample is designed to complete the MCAT prerequisites in a timely manner without overloading you. Your own schedule will vary significantly from this sample depending on your major, but completing your MCAT-related courses is typically considered important to do before your junior year. The only exception is if you’re planning on taking a gap year.
| Freshman Fall | Math 220-1 PRDV 101-1 CHEM 110 Math 115 Gen. Eng 205-1 CS 110 |
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| Freshman Winter | Math 220-2 CHEM 131 + Lab BIOL SCI 201 PRDV 101-2 CS 111 |
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| Freshman Spring | Math 228-1 Gen. Eng 205-2 CHEM 132 + lab BIOL SCI 202 CS 214 |
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| Sophomore Fall | CHEM_ENG 210-0 EECS 302 PHYSICS 130-1 DSGN 106-1 |
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| Sophomore Winter | PHYSICS 130-2 Gen_CMN 102 CHEM 215-1 PSYCH 110-0 |
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| Sophomore Spring | BIOL SCI 203 CHEM 215-2 PHYSICS 130-3 PSYCH 248-0 |
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How to maintain a high GPA as a Northwestern premed
The prerequisites listed above are far from easy, and the quantity can be overwhelming, but they’re meant to be. Med school adcoms only want the best since their curriculum promises to be even more of a challenge.
Maintaining high grades in these courses shows off not only your aptitude for academically challenging material but also your commitment to becoming an MD. But how do you maintain a high GPA through such an ambitious course load?
First and foremost, staying organized is key. You’ll be balancing academics, extracurriculars, and a social life, and you simply won’t be able to do that without careful planning. There are tons of mobile apps available to help you, although many people still find that using physical planners and notes keeps them most on track.
Once you’ve got a system going, you can use a number of key strategies and school resources to keep your grades up.
Have multiple study spots. Northwestern University has five libraries and dozens of public student spaces where you can focus for a few hours on whatever you need to study. Make sure to use different study spots to avoid noise or events and to help prevent burn out.
Use drop-in hours. Professors will often have drop-in hours after class to allow for questions and clarifications. Be sure to mark any questions you have about the material during class so that you can ask them during drop-in hours. If your professor has public drop-in hours, it may be worth your time to listen in on other students’ questions, especially right before exams. You may learn something you thought you knew or gain a better understanding of a concept you’re only mostly sure about. Regularly seeing your professors in this capacity may also be helpful when it comes time to ask for letters of recommendation.
Take courses during the summer. Some of your courses can be taken care of during the summer, when you’ll have much less on your plate. While there are certain rules about transferring credits to Northwestern, you may be able to make your semester a bit easier by completing general requirements during the summer.
Pre-med Peer Mentoring Program This group of students provides flexible mentoring to incoming premeds. This group is an excellent resource for premeds to get acclimated to life at Northwestern through answering questions, sharing study tips, and pointing you in the direction of important extracurricular opportunities such as research or shadowing.
(Suggested reading: How to Study as a Premed)
What’s the best premed major at Northwestern?
Northwestern University doesn’t have a specific premed major, so it’s tough to say which major is best for premeds. In general, we advise students to major in whatever interests them rather than in something they think will impress adcoms.
By choosing a major that you actually feel passionate about, you’ll be giving yourself the best chance at getting into med school. A major that you really love will lead you to courses that feel more engaging, higher grades because of your interest, and an academic narrative that will make your application much more genuine.
There are hundreds of paths with an infinite number of underlying end goals for premed students, and you aren’t expected to have all of the answers immediately. Whether you become a physician-scientist or end up pivoting to healthcare policy while still being a practitioner isn’t determined by your undergraduate studies.
In fact, majoring in science isn’t even required to be accepted into medical school. Plus, having interests outside of the basic sciences makes you unique as an applicant and adds to the diversity of your future student body in medical school.
Ultimately, there’s no statistical advantage to choosing one major over another when it comes to getting into medical school. You might be able to get your premed required courses to overlap with your major requirements, but then you’ll still need to fill a good number of general education credits. The benefits just don’t outweigh the detriments of struggling through a science major that you don’t care about.
When should you take the MCAT?
As you progress through your premed studies, don’t forget about the MCAT! You’re probably already familiar with the MCAT, the standardized test required by all medical schools for admission, but that means you probably know how difficult and important it is.
Luckily, you have plenty of time to take the test. MCAT test dates are available throughout the year and the earliest we would recommend an attempt would be as soon as you have completed most of the prerequisites, which is typically the summer between your sophomore and junior years.
If you’re planning on going directly to medical school, you should take the MCAT no later than January through April of your junior year. This allows ample time for studying without the stress of finals, personal statements, or other “to-do’s” that come along at the end of the academic year.
Another approach to deciding when to take the MCAT is to aim to complete the following courses, which will cover most of the questions:
Inorganic Chemistry
Organic Chemistry
Biology 1, 2, & 3
Physics 1 & 2 (any sequence)
Biochemistry
Statistics is another highly recommended course to have completed before taking the MCAT, with sociology and psychology often suggested as well. However, the MCAT sociology and psychology curriculum can be self-studied effectively, so it’s not a major cause for concern if they don’t fit into your schedule.
It’s much more important to fit study time into your schedule. The minimum amount of dedicated study time we recommend for the MCAT is two to three months, so choosing a time frame that will support a serious time commitment is vital.
With so much pressure on this tough exam, getting started can seem like a daunting task, but it’s important to remember that you’ve already spent two years managing a robust academic schedule, improving your study habits and gaining better context for much of the material. If you approach your MCAT prep as you would any other course, you can be a top scorer.
The nice thing is that after all of this hard work, you can keep your score with your resume for up to three years for most medical school applications. This makes it easier to consider a gap year before diving fully into med school.
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Part 3: Northwestern University premed extracurriculars
As a premed student, you’ll be expected to participate in a variety of activities, ranging from professional development to community service. Medical schools want to shape doctors from well-rounded individuals who have a passion for medicine. How you engage with your community tells adcoms a lot about who you are and what you care about.
Typically, you’ll want to have four types of extracurricular activities:
Clinical Experiences Becoming a medical scribe and shadowing a doctor are just two ways to gain clinical experience. These hands-on experiences are great for determining whether being a doctor is really right for you.
Research Working on a team in a lab is a wonderful experience that will teach you new levels of organization, how processes work in the field, and may even yield entirely new knowledge.
Volunteering Charitable work is so important to experiential learning. You’ll meet people from all walks of life, from a wide swath of industries, and you’ll get a feel for compassionate careers as a whole.
Clubs & Student Groups Being a part of a club for something that you’re passionate about is a great way to put something fun on your resume that will actually help you appeal to adcoms. Whether you’re in a band or lead a rocket club, having a significant role will help your application stand out.
Northwestern has hundreds of opportunities to join extracurriculars that will excite you and impress med schools. Many of the extracurriculars above involve unique locations, lucrative networking, or convenient flexibility. Let’s discuss some specific extracurricular programs Northwestern has to offer.
Northwestern University Clinical Apprentice Program
The Northwestern University Clinical Apprentice Program (NU-CAP) was created with the aim of providing Northwestern undergrads with an opportunity to work with Northwestern Medicine (NM) physicians, learn about their professional roles and responsibilities, receive mentorship, and observe patient interactions in a clinical setting.
Selected candidates will spend time each week with a practicing NM physician to learn more about their profession. This is one of the best opportunities to shadow doctors at Northwestern.
Chicago Field Studies
Similar to NU-CAP, the Chicago Field Studies are a group of courses that take students on-site to whichever industry they’ve decided to study. One of these courses is public health. This experience is extremely useful to any premeds looking to get into global health or anyone who would like to practice medicine in underserved areas.
Engage Chicago
Another experiential course, the health and medicine concentration of the Engage Chicago program is an excellent way to get an inside look at the more business side of medicine. Led by Kathy Chan, the Director of Policy for Cook County Health and Hospitals System, students will visit places like the Chicago Department of Health and Stronger Hospital of Cook County to discuss topics about medicine, policy, patient perspective, and more.
You can explore more of Northwestern’s experiences on their site, which updates regularly so you know exactly what opportunities are available each semester. By planning carefully and not over-committing yourself, you can add a number of experiences to your medical school application.
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Part 4: Getting into medical school as a Northwestern premed
Just as with any school, there are multiple pieces of your application to collect. After passing your classes with flying colors and scoring high on the MCAT, you’ll begin filling out your application through AMCAS. This application will require your full academic resume, a completed AMCAS Work & Activities section, letters of recommendation, a personal statement, and secondary essays.
You’ll need a minimum of three letters of recommendation, and you’ll want to be mindful of who you ask for a letter from. The best people to ask are doctors that you’ve shadowed and professors that you’ve built a relationship with through extracurricular activities.
Writing your personal statement is extremely important, as this will set the stage for the rest of your application, weaving together your education and experiences into a narrative that medical schools will find attractive. Northwestern provides support through advising, seminars, and frequent events to help you craft your personal statement.
The rest of your application will be supported through your grades and your overall essay writing strength.
Northwestern premed acceptance rate and admissions statistics
Unfortunately, Northwestern University doesn’t publish stats on how many students end up matriculating into medical school, but we can learn about what types of students they’re producing by reviewing the admission expectations for the Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine.
The class of 2026 had an acceptance rate of just 1.9%, and nearly every applicant chose to matriculate. The median MCAT score was a staggering 520 with a median GPA of 3.92.
Of particular note, the entire Feinberg School of Medicine class of 2026 had undergraduate research experience and 89% had teaching experience. With such consistent extra experience among applicants, it’s no wonder that 63% of them chose to take at least one gap year.
Northwestern Undergraduate Premedical Scholars Program (NUPSP)
One way to move directly from undergraduate studies at Northwestern to Feinberg School of Medicine is to be accepted into the Northwestern Undergraduate Premedical Scholars Program. Every year, six to eight undergraduate juniors are accepted for matriculation into Feinberg after their fourth undergraduate year.
This program allows students to participate in a wide range of pre-professional experiences at the Feinberg School, support for gaining other extracurricular experiences, exemption from taking the MCAT, and a path to the following combined degree programs:
MD/MA (Master of Arts in Bioethics and Medical Humanities)
MD/MPH (Master in Public Health)
MD/MS (Master of Science in Health Services & Outcomes Research)
MD/MS (Master of Science in Healthcare Quality & Patient Safety)
MD/MBA (Master of Business Administration)
Obviously, this is very tempting for most premed students, but that only means the competition is stiff. NUPSP requires that all applicants:
Must be committed to a career as a medical physician and be able to express their commitment in a sincere and convincing manner, both orally and written.
Have demonstrated their commitment to medicine by participating in several years of on-going, extra-academic clinical and research activities.
Have completed two full years in residence at Northwestern University with an overall and science GPA of 3.7 or higher.
Have completed either chemistry 110, 131, and 132 with labs, or chemistry 151 and 152 with labs, or chemistry 171 and 172 with labs.
Have completed organic chemistry 215-1, 215-2 with labs, and Biochemistry 301.
Have completed physics 130-1, 130-2, and 130-3 or physics 135-1, 135-2, and 135-3 with labs.
Have completed biology 201, 202, and 203, with labs 232, 233, and 234 or biology 215, 217, and 219 with labs 220, 221, and 222.
It’s also highly recommended to have taken English composition, statistics, and biochemistry prior to applying to NUPSP. Having taken courses in genetics, global health, the humanities, and social sciences (i.e., Psychology, Sociology, Ethics) will give you further advantages over other applicants.
The NUPSP accepts applications at the end of the calendar year, with interviews typically scheduled in January and February, just like with most regular med school admissions.
Final thoughts
Deciding to become a Northwestern premed student means committing yourself to an academically challenging path but with a little perseverance, and a lot of hard work, it can be incredibly rewarding.
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.
