How to Succeed as a Vanderbilt Premed
/Learn everything you need to know about being premed at Vanderbilt University, including premed requirements, the best extracurriculars, and the Vanderbilt premed acceptance rate
As a Vanderbilt premed, you’ll have everything you need to get acceptance letters from your top med school choices.
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Part 1: Introduction
Vanderbilt University is a private institution that aims to marry in-depth research with a broad spectrum of interdisciplinary studies to foster global advancement and improve local communities. Located in Nashville Tennessee, what makes Vanderbilt University special is their combination of rigorous academics and a robust sense of community.
While there are many reasons a student might want to attend Vanderbilt University, premed students will find one feature especially attractive: the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. This health center provides specialized care unavailable anywhere else in Tennessee. Although VUMC is independent from the university, they maintain close ties and support student education through many programs.
Such a prestigious university is obviously going to have high expectations for applicants and stiff competition. After all, Vanderbilt is ranked as the 13th best university in the nation, the 8th best value school, and 2nd in student happiness. For the class of 2026, the acceptance rate was just 4.7%. While this number may be frighteningly low, it doesn’t have to be intimidating. You can win out over most of the competition with ease by planning accordingly, being organized, and staying laser-focused throughout every part of your application. Easier said than done, but that’s where we come in.
In this guide, we’ll go over the Vanderbilt requirements for premed students and how you can fulfill them. Then, we’ll discuss options for extracurriculars that you’ll want to participate in to add to your resume. Finally, we’ll go over key strategies for you to best prepare for applying to medical school after graduation from Vanderbilt University.
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Part 2: Vanderbilt premed requirements
At a university like Vanderbilt, with many different majors to choose from, it can be challenging to know exactly which courses to take to fulfill med school application requirements and get an education that will support you in future endeavors. What classes do you need to take at Vanderbilt to get into med school? Which courses will help you achieve your career goals as an MD?
(Further reading: Medical School Requirements: The Definitive Guide)
To answer these questions and more, Vanderbilt has compiled a recommended premed plan. They also strongly encourage students to meet with their advisor frequently to make sure they’re on the right track.
| General Chem Two semesters with lab |
CHEM 1601 + 1601L &
CHEM 1602 + 1602L |
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| Organic Chem Two semesters with lab |
CHEM 2221 + 2221L & CHEM 2222 + 2222L OR (With AP credit of 5) CHEM 2211 + 2221L & CHEM 2212 + 2222L |
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| Biology Two semesters with lab |
BSCI 1510 + 1510L &
BSCI 1511 + 1511L OR BSCI 1511 + 1512L |
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| Physics Two semesters with lab |
One of the following sequences: PHYS 1501 + 1601L & 1502 + 1602L (Life Sciences) PHYS 1601 + 1601L & 1602 + 1602L (Engineering) PHYS 1911 & 1912 (Physics Major) |
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| English Two semesters |
Any ENGL and/or Writing Intensive ("W" courses) not in a foreign language and not technical writing | |||||
| Calculus One semester |
MATH 1100, 1200, 1201, 1300, 1301, 2200, 2300 (AP credit accepted) | |||||
| Biochemistry One semester |
BSCI 2520 | |||||
| Statistics One semester |
MATH 1011, BSCI 3270, ECON 1500 | |||||
| Psychology One semester |
PSY 1200 | |||||
| Sociology One semester |
SOC 1010, 1020, 3301, 3303, or 3304 | |||||
Students who took AP or IB courses may be able to avoid taking entry-level courses, but there are some stipulations.
Students of the College of Arts and Science are limited to a total of 18 credit hours earned by AP, IB, or other advanced courses prior to enrollment and they cannot use these credits to fulfill Vanderbilt’s AXLE courses, which make up a third of their graduation requirements, focusing on writing and liberal arts education.
However, students can take advantage of their local schools during the summer, as Vanderbilt will allow students to take up to 2 summer courses away. (Many universities don’t like to let students take too many courses off-site as this takes control away from the school in regards to the rigor of the material.)
Along with these stipulations, students should keep in mind that not all medical schools accept prerequisites fulfilled by online courses. You should check with your list of prospective med schools to see whether online courses can be added to your undergraduate plans.
(Further reading: How Many Medical Schools Should I Apply To? Which Ones?)
By looking at the table above, you can see that while these courses are certainly challenging, they won’t take up all of your time. You’ll need to fill in the gaps with Vanderbilt’s AXLE courses, electives that help expand your knowledge base, and extracurriculars that interest you. Vanderbilt aims to give students a truly interdisciplinary education so that they can carry different perspectives with them throughout their careers, wherever they end up. This is especially important for aspiring medical doctors, who will be working with and for the general public no matter which field they choose to go into, be it genomics or global health.
When creating your undergraduate plan, you should heed Vanderbilt’s words and schedule a meeting with a pre-health advisor. This advisor can let you know whether you have chosen acceptable courses and whether those courses will be available during the semester you’ve chosen. Additionally, they can help you determine whether the course credit will be accepted at the schools where you plan on applying.
Below, we’ve put together a four-year plan based on suggestions from Vanderbilt’s premed advising office and the requirements for a major in Communication of Science and Technology. While you may not choose this major for yourself, this sample should give you an idea of what kind of schedule you’ll want to set up for your own premed path. You can search for courses on your own here.
| Year 1 | CHEM 1601 + 1601 Lab MATH 1011 ENGL 1100* BSCI 1510 & 1510 Lab PSY 1200** |
CHEM 1602 + 1602 Lab MATH 1100 BSCI 1511 & 1511 Lab BSCI 1111 CSET 3090 |
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| Year 2 | CHEM 2221 + 2221 Lab BSCI 2520 SOC 1010 SPAN 1101 |
CHEM 2222 + 2222 Lab PHYS 1501 & 1601 Lab CMST 3250W SPAN 2201 |
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| Year 3 | PHYS 1502 + 1602 Lab MATH 1011 CMST 1500 CSET 2550 |
CMST 1501 HIST 6410 |
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| Year 4 | GSS 2259W HIST 1380 |
SOC 3001 PUBH 5524 MHS 1920 |
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**If you do not qualify for bypassing ENGL 1100, PSY 1200 should be taken later during your undergraduate studies.
You’ll notice that there are only 2 science courses during the first semester. This is because we feel strongly that taking more than 2 science courses during your first semester is a recipe for disaster and it’s fairly difficult to overcome poor grades during your freshman year.
Overall, creating a schedule like this balances very difficult courses with easier ones to account for things like:
Adjusting to college life
Maintaining high grades
Joining clubs or organizations
Volunteer work or community service
Shadowing a doctor
Studying for the MCAT
It’s imperative to properly plan out your studies and adequately prepare for the MCAT, so creating a realistic schedule that fits your premed requirements and your lifestyle is key. This sample schedule takes care of most of your premed requirements before you need to start studying for the MCAT if you plan on taking it between your 3rd and 4th year. Additionally, by taking care of your premed requirements by the end of your junior year, you’ll have plenty of time to concentrate on your extracurricular activities and, more importantly, your med school applications.
(Further reading: The Ideal MCAT Study Schedule)
As a premed student, maintaining a high GPA is one of the most important things you’ll have to do. Having an aptitude for a certain subject isn’t always enough, either.
While there are some tips and tricks for successfully studying throughout your undergraduate years, like planning ahead and not overloading yourself with various responsibilities, you may need some extra help along the way. Vanderbilt has an academic support department where students can get academic advising, tutoring, and even STEM learning assistance.
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Part 3: Vanderbilt premed extracurriculars
When applying to medical schools, you will of course need to demonstrate your academic ability through a rigorous course list and high grades, but that’s not all you’ll need to be a competitive applicant. Med school adcoms will also expect to see that you’ve spent time outside the classroom gaining experience that will prepare you for a life of serving individuals and whole communities through medicine. More often than not, they’ll want to see commitment rather than a spread of different types of engagement.
This means that you’ll want to focus on extracurricular activities relevant to your overall career path and personal interests. This is where your carefully planned course schedule comes into play. You’ll need to commit to your extracurriculars almost as much as your general studies, so choosing when and how to take up different activities deserves serious consideration. Thankfully, Vanderbilt has hundreds of ways to get involved, including options that are especially helpful to premed students.
Common premed extracurriculars
There are a handful of fairly common extracurriculars that premed students tend to favor, such as shadowing a physician, community service, and research. Then there are paid opportunities, such as scribing for a physician or becoming an EMT. All of these activities will look good on a med school application, which can make it tough to choose where to spend your time. We typically suggest premed students set out to create a narrative with their extracurriculars. Join groups with missions that align with your passions and engage in activities that will demonstrate your commitment to healthcare, medicine, and communities beyond personal interest.
Extracurricular opportunities for Vanderbilt students
Vanderbilt has over 800 student organizations available for you to choose from, so your chances of finding something that interests you are very high. The school makes this even easier with their Anchor Link system, which serves as a central calendar for student life, offers management of every registered student organization and residence hall on campus, as well as a variety of university departments, and connects students to other various programs and resources.
One of the best groups to join as a premed student is the Vanderbilt Pre-Medical Society (formerly Alpha Epsilon Delta, or AED). This student-run organization is an extension of the pre-health advising office and serves as a central hub for premed resources. The group connects students to shadowing opportunities, volunteer work, and networking through medical school visits. The Vanderbilt Pre-Medical Society also offers mentoring throughout the year to further help premed students succeed.
Of course, the health professions advisory office also has resources for premed students available on their site. They offer an activities log to help you stay organized through your extracurricular experiences and have information for shadowing at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), the Veterans Affairs Hospital, and even in an operating room. In addition to this, Vanderbilt has connections with other medical centers and clinics for students to complete service hours.
(Further Reading: How to Choose the Right Extracurricular Activities for Medical School)
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Part 4: Getting into medical school as a Vanderbilt premed
Vanderbilt University does an excellent job of preparing students for medical school. Their focus on interdisciplinary studies and proximity to Tennessee’s main medical hub puts students in an environment that leads to success. It’s no wonder that 74% of premed students in 2021 were accepted into med school on their first attempt.
The opportunities to gain experience play a large role in that matriculation rate, but another factor is the higher mean MCAT scores compared to the rest of the country. Vanderbilt premed students who were accepted into medical school had a mean score of 516.2, nearly 5 points higher than the national mean score. Even students who were not accepted into medical school had a mean score of 514.3, a whopping 8 points higher than the national mean score! This impressive MCAT score for students who weren’t accepted may be at least partially explained by the fact that 60% of Vanderbilt premed students decide to take 1 or more gap years before actually applying to med school. (Remember, most med schools accept MCAT scores from 2-3 years prior to an application!)
All in all, if you stay focused on your studies and follow the advice of Vanderbilt’s pre-health advisory board, you will be in a great position to apply to almost any school you want!
Getting into Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
After spending so much time at Vanderbilt and engaging in the vibrant, cutting-edge medical community found in Nashville, you may be thinking about just staying put and applying to Vanderbilt’s own school of medicine.
If you do decide to apply to VUSM, you’ll be competing against some of the top performing students in the nation. In 2021, out of 7,410 applicants only 96 students entered the class of 2025. While VUSM doesn’t officially announce their acceptance rate, it’s assumed to have been around just 4% in 2022, similar to the undergraduate school.
Your application should go through AMCAS and once sent to VUSM, it will be reviewed holistically. VUSM states on their website that this review considers academic accomplishment, motivation, personal qualities, leadership skills, and educational background. This kind of holistic review is standard for modern medical schools, but it may pay off to tailor your resume and experiences to better fit VUSM’s goals.
As a Vanderbilt premed, you should graduate with a good idea of what Vanderbilt’s overall mission is and should have participated in activities that are in-line with the school’s goals.
If you’re finishing your undergraduate studies elsewhere, be sure to look over VUSM’s website regularly to understand what they value. In general, VUSM is an extremely hands-on school, offering clinical experiences early and often. There’s even a medical scholars program that allows some students to take a year of research with paid living expenses.
Most of their education programs revolve around improving healthcare for individuals and small communities within the U.S., explicitly stating, “Experience in research and evidence of a concern for others are positive factors for selection.”
Students looking to have a career in a hospital or as a general practitioner will likely have a resume that matches up with what VUSM is looking for. You can show off just how you fit in with VUSM’s principles through their secondary essays. If you receive a secondary application opportunity, you’ll be asked to write at least three essays, with two additional essays being optional.
After all that comes the interview process and then, hopefully, an acceptance letter!
Further reading: Medical School Secondary Essays: The Complete Guide
Final thoughts
Vanderbilt University is known for supporting its community by creating academically strong students who can make a difference in the world. Whether you matriculate from Vanderbilt into VUSM or decide to attend another medical school, your premed program will ensure you’re prepared. With the resources outlined in this guide, you can conquer a challenging course plan and excel in extracurricular roles to earn a spot at a medical school that will lead you to a successful healthcare career.
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.
