How to Succeed as a Yale Premed
/Everything you need to know about being a premed at Yale, including premed requirements, the best premed extracurriculars, and the Yale premed acceptance rate
Learn how to get into medical school as a yale premed
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Part 1: Introduction
In this, the 322nd year since its founding, Yale University remains one of the world's top institutions of higher learning. Its research output is recognized globally as being of the highest caliber, its graduates often join the ranks of world leaders; among them Hillary Clinton, George HW Bush, and Fareed Zakaria, and it holds a place in America’s coveted elite group of colleges known as the Ivy League.
Of the 50,022 applicants to Yale in 2022, only 2,234 were accepted giving it an acceptance rate of just 4.46%, meaning its exclusivity is very real. If you’ve been offered a place within this special club, you may be wondering what it takes to thrive in an environment surrounded by brilliant people. Furthermore, as someone interested in pursuing a career in medicine, what extra steps are required to flourish as a premed at Yale?
In this guide, we’ll scrutinize every aspect of what it takes to succeed as a Yale premed, from engaging in extracurriculars to the courses needed to meet med school admissions requirements, planning for success, and your options for gaining clinical and shadowing experience.
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Part 2: Yale Premed Requirements
Yale undergraduates that are interested in pursuing a path to a career in medicine are confronted with a wide range of possibilities for walking that path. No matter your major, you’ll be able to complete your premed courses at Yale and still have excellent chances of entry. 90% of Yale undergraduates gain acceptance into medical school, regardless of major. Compare this with a 45% national average, and the odds are clearly in your favor.
However, you won’t get there without hard work and proper planning. First off, that means difficult decisions will have to be made. Which courses should you take and when? What is the best major for premeds at Yale? When should you take the MCAT or start looking at shadowing opportunities?
Fortunately, there is help for many of these questions in the form of guidance from the Office of Career Strategy (OCS) at Yale. Undergraduates can connect with them and get advice on the courses and sequences to take to ensure all of your prerequisites are covered.
In the table below we’ve laid out all the courses you will need to take while at Yale that they list as currently satisfying most medical schools’ requirements for admission.
| Biology:
One year with lab |
BIOL 101 BIOL 102 BIOL 103 BIOL 104 * Note: (From Yale) The BIOL 101–104 modules are each half-semester, half-credit courses that together make up a yearlong course known as the biology sequence. |
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| General chemistry:
One year with lab |
One of the following sequences: CHEM 161 and 165 OR CHEM 163 and 167 With associated laboratories: CHEM 134L and 136L |
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| Organic chemistry:
One year with lab |
One of the following sequences: CHEM 174 or 175 OR CHEM 220 or 221 With associated laboratories: CHEM 222L or 223L |
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| Biochemistry: One semester | MBB300/301 or MCDB 300 | |||||
| Physics: One year with lab | One of the following sequences: PHYS 170, 171 OR PHYS 180, 181 With associated laboratories: PHYS 165L, 166L PHYS 205L, 206L |
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| Math: One semester to one year (calculus and/or statistics) | One of the following sequences: MATH 115 or 116 OR one term of statistics & data science S&DS 100 or 230 |
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| English One year | ENGL 114 and 120 Can be ENGL 114 + a second English course that will give you a WR (writing) credit |
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| Behavioral and Social Sciences One year | PSYC 110 SOCY 101 |
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Dr. Sandy Chang, the associate dean of science education at Yale has authored a helpful document of advice for premeds. In it, he offers a few sample course plans to tick off those premed requirement boxes. Each plan is separated into whether you are planning to take a gap year. We’ve put his suggestions into the tables below for you.
| First Year | General Chemistry CHEM 161 and 165 Math 112 or 115 or 116 or 120 (depending on your preparation) English 114 and 120 (or another WR* credit) Take a small STEM class (First year seminar or CURE class) |
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| Sophomore Year
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Organic chemistry + lab [or one semester of biochemistry]
Intro bio sequence Psychology (1 semester) Statistics (1 semester) WR (writing) course |
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| Junior Year
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Biochemistry (1 semester)
Physics 170 or 180 or 200 + lab Research for credit (if your major allows for this) ** Study for MCAT ** |
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| Senior Year | ||||||
| First Year | General Chemistry CHEM 161 and 165 Math 112 or 115 or 116 or 120 (depending on your preparation) English 114 and 120 (or another WR* credit) Take a small STEM class (First year seminar or CURE class) |
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| Sophomore Year
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Organic chemistry + lab [or one semester of biochemistry]
Intro bio sequence WR (writing) course |
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| Junior Year
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Biochemistry (1 semester)
Psychology (1 semester) Research for credit (if your major allows for this) ** Summer: More research and volunteering ** |
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| Senior Year | Statistics (1 semester)
Physics 170 or 180 or 200 + lab Research for credit Note: if you didn’t do any research in the biological sciences over the summers you will probably need to take 2 semesters of biology lab courses- this requirement varies among med schools. |
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How to maintain a high GPA as a Yale premed
Keeping your GPA as high as possible is crucial for your chances of getting into medical school. And like any problem that requires maintenance, you should approach it methodically and strategically with a view to long-term results.
As a Yale premed, you have an enormous number of resources available to you to keep that GPA in the stratosphere, but how you take advantage of them is up to you. We’ve listed some tried and true tips for GPA success below.
Utilize office hours. All of your professors at Yale will have office hours to provide individual help to students. Typically, professors set aside 2 hours a week for office hours, but with many students to attend to, their time is limited. You’ll want to formulate a question to bring to office hours and be as specific as possible. Keep in mind, though, that simple and direct questions can often be answered more easily over email. If you have a concern that requires discussion or some extra coaching, office hours can be a great help.
Strategize your course selection. Each course you take will have a different workload. Some will require you to spend much more time on an assignment than others. To keep your GPA up, think about how you will manage the tasks you are confronted with. For example, you know your own strengths and weaknesses better than anyone. If you struggle a bit with calculus and biochemistry, it would not be wise to take them both in one semester. Make sure to spread out the difficulty so you can focus when needed. Taking a course over the summer is a great way to give yourself plenty of space to engage with a topic.
Make use of the facilities available to you. Yale has fantastic resources to support your learning efforts and taking advantage of them will certainly help to maintain your GPA. The Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning offers academic help in almost any subject. If you’re a STEM major that’s struggling with a writing assignment, the Writing Center is where you can find a writing tutor, a partner, or just get general writing advice. Likewise, there is specialized support for STEM subjects, Humanities, and languages. The Academic Strategies Program offers individual and group mentoring sessions, interactive workshops, and general advice about how to succeed at Yale.
What’s the best Yale premed major?
We often get asked which major a student should choose to give them the best chance of acceptance into medical school. The short answer to this question is that there is no “best” major and no type of major that is favored by adcoms over others. Medical school acceptance rates hover around 40-50% for every major.
That being said, the majority of medical school applicants major in biology or one of the other sciences. Many undergraduates eyeing a white coat believe they need to major in biology or chemistry to improve their odds. Some merely choose those subjects because the required courses in their major often overlap with the prerequisites for medical school.
However, the best advice is to choose a subject you are passionate about since you’ll be more likely to get higher grades studying something you enjoy. We’ve seen many successful applicants gain acceptance into medical school with degrees in the humanities and social sciences.
In fact, according to the Yale Factsheet 2022-2023, the top 3 most popular undergraduate majors at Yale were Economics, Computer Science, and Political Science. As long as you work hard, a social science degree will not put you at a disadvantage for medical school. Furthermore, with subjects such as Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology, and Neuroscience also in the top 10, any science-minded premed will be in good company.
When it comes to declaring a major as a Yale premed, you’ll have a total of 80 to choose from with subjects from Archaeological Studies, Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, to the interdisciplinary Studies in Grand Strategy.
If you need some more assistance to nail down your choice of major, the Yale College Dean’s Office has created visual “roadmaps'' for students to get a better idea of their likely path through that major. This is a good way to compare options for majors side-by-side. For example, a Biomedical Engineering student will have quite a few prerequisites to complete before entering the major, whereas a Computer Science student has none. However, there are different requirements depending on whether they’ve chosen the BS or BA computer science path.
The Director of Undergraduate Studies in a particular department is a fantastic person to seek advice from. They are here to assist you in selecting your major and working through to graduation.
When should you take the MCAT?
The MCAT is arguably the single most important test of a premed’s life and adequate planning should go into when you decide to take it to allow for enough time to study while managing your other commitments.
Most premeds who don’t wish to take a gap year take the MCAT during their junior year. It’s important to remember that this is also a time when you will be engrossed in your major as well as engaging in volunteering or shadowing experiences, so it’s important to plan wisely.
Based on the material on the MCAT, we advise getting your Gen Chem, Org Chem, and Physics requirements out of the way before sitting the exam. It’s also helpful if you can take at least 1 semester of biochemistry as the test includes a lot of questions on this subject.
This is mentioned in Dr. Sandy Chang’s Advice for Premeds guide as well, which suggests taking general chemistry and organic chemistry during your freshman and sophomore years and a semester of biochemistry in your junior year.
However, every premed’s situation is different. Considering your plans and your available time for focused study will allow you to map out a course to follow and illuminate your options when it comes to choosing when to sit for the MCAT.
(Suggested reading: How to Get a Perfect MCAT Score: Strategies From a 528 Scorer)
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Part 3: Yale premed extracurriculars
Aside from the intellectually stimulating course offerings at Yale, you’ll also find a dizzying array of extracurricular activities, allowing ambitious premeds to add impressive entries in their AMCAS Work and Activities Section or interesting anecdotes in their personal statement.
Adcoms want to see you as a whole person and will evaluate your medical school application holistically. Therefore, it’s important to show them how you engage with your community, what interests you, and what you will add to the student body of their institution. Research, clinical and community volunteering, shadowing, and participation in student organizations are all activities you will need to undertake to craft a stellar application.
Yale student groups
Yale is home to 1,337 student groups, each catering to a different interest. With so many groups available, finding something that suits you may require narrowing your choices rather than choosing between options that don’t quite spark your curiosity.
From musical organizations such as A Cappella groups to political ones such as the Yale Model Congress, you’ll be able to dive deep into an interest among like-minded individuals. Also, let’s not forget the many science and health-related groups that are often attractive to premeds such as the Yale Undergraduate Society for Biological Sciences and the Public Health Coalition.
Membership in any of these organizations looks great on a med school application, but it’s important to remember you will also need to clock in those crucial volunteering, research, and shadowing hours to gain acceptance to the school of your dreams.
Yale premed clinical and community volunteering
Volunteering at a community clinic or other medical setting is a great way to gain experience in the different types of work a doctor may be involved in. These experiences signal to adcoms your dedication to the practice of medicine as well as your humanity.
There are a number of ways to get involved while you’re an undergraduate at Yale. Yale’s Office of Career Strategy publishes a list of healthcare-related volunteer opportunities in the surrounding area. These opportunities run the gamut from mental health to free clinics to Planned Parenthood. We’ve listed a few notable ones below.
Yale Undergraduates at Connecticut Hospice The Yale Undergraduates at Connecticut Hospice is an organization providing palliative care to individuals which takes on volunteers each year. Volunteers participate in various activities from basic patient care to merely keeping them company and offering conversation.
Leeway Since 1995, Leeway has been providing care to HIV/AIDS patients in the New Haven area. Equipped as a chronic nursing facility, they are capable of caring for patients long-term and are the only facility in Connecticut specifically focused on patients with HIV/AIDS. Volunteers can work with patients or just help out around the office.
Yale Unicef If you’re interested in children’s issues and their care, the Yale chapter of Unicef could be a great fit. Getting involved can have you advocating for refugee children and the right to access clean water. There’s no better way to showcase your humanity than by standing up for the vulnerable. This is also a great opportunity to display your leadership skills as their projects need organizing.
Yale premed shadowing
Finding shadowing opportunities is a perennial concern for any premed student. The likelihood of getting into medical school without any shadowing experience is incredibly slim, so students should begin looking for potential places early on in their undergraduate education.
Once again, the Office of Career Strategy is the place to look for figuring out where you might shadow a physician and how to go about approaching that physician. Meeting with an advisor goes a long way to clearing up these concerns.
Additionally, there are a number of hospitals in the area that are part of the Yale New Haven Health system that you can contact for shadowing opportunities. We’ve listed a few below.
Sometimes, gaining the acceptance of a doctor for shadowing is a result of networking. Yale Medical Professions Outreach (YMPO) holds events and provides shadowing opportunities to interested undergraduates. This can be a great help in getting connected with medical professionals in a field that fascinates you.
In the new world of ongoing Covid concerns, there are also virtual shadowing programs such as the ones at Hearts4Health and Pre-Health Shadowing. These programs can allow you to rack up some shadowing hours if you haven’t been able to find a space at a clinic near you.
(Suggested reading: How to Ask to Shadow a Doctor)
Yale premed research
As one of the foremost institutions for research in the world, Yale premeds will be spoiled for choice when seeking to gain experience for their medical school applications. Some of the world’s brightest minds are in residence at Yale, seeking answers to pressing questions, so participation in any of the notable programs below will certainly catch the eye of med school adcoms.
As a Yale premed, you’ll have the option of participating in undergraduate research at the renowned Yale School of Medicine, the Yale Summer Undergraduate Medical Research (SUMR) program, or even a number of internship opportunities.
Additionally, the Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (YCCI) runs a virtual research internship called the Exposures Program. Targeted at high school and undergraduate students, this program can be a great way to be introduced to some pressing issues of healthcare research and delivery through the medium of technology.
Over the four weeks of the program, students will gain insight into how clinical trials are constructed, how mobile apps can support the monitoring of patients, and even how data science is used in healthcare.
If you’re thinking of taking a gap year before medical school, YCCI also runs an internship program for graduates thinking about medical school. As a program participant, you’ll work alongside distinguished research faculty, gain experience protecting the safety of human subjects and potentially join rotations at Yale’s clinics.
Furthermore, the internship can take place at a variety of locations and departments within the Yale School of Medicine and you may be able to specialize in certain research areas.
If you belong to a group that is traditionally underrepresented in the sciences, the STARS program is a great place to start your research journey. STARS consists of three types of sub-programs that offer experiences such as professional development, original research, academic support, and even networking events. The sub-programs are geared toward first-year undergraduates, students who wish to focus on a summer research project, or juniors who plan to conduct individual projects.
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Part 4: Getting into medical school from Yale
With the Yale name embossed on your undergraduate diploma, you might believe your chances of getting into medical school are higher than most other applicants. While Yale is an incredibly respected institution, you’ll still have to prove to adcoms that you’re deserving of a space among their current year’s cohort and this will require making a solid case for your candidacy.
The application process itself can be daunting for any undergraduate. With personal statements, secondary essays, the MCAT, and gathering recommendation letters, it can help tremendously to have some structure to the process.
Yale’s Health Professions and Advising Program (HPAP) within the Office of Career Strategy is a great place to start for advice. Meet with an advisor to help you get clarity about your goals. Get feedback about your essays at the Poorvu Center for Learning and Teaching’s Writing Center.
Too many students struggle with their essays and studying alone, overlooking the importance of taking advantage of the support available to them. It’s crucial to remember to reach out and take all the help you can get.
Getting into Yale School of Medicine as a premed
You may be wondering if you have a greater chance of acceptance into the Yale School of Medicine (Yale SOM) if you completed your undergraduate degree there. There may be some anecdotal truth to this in that you’ve likely built up relationships with faculty during your time as an undergrad and their letters of recommendation could carry more weight with the Yale SOM admissions committee.
However, it’s unlikely that this alone will make much of a difference. Reputations among doctors and academics extend far beyond institutional boundaries so a letter of recommendation from a faculty member at Stanford or Cornell would be just as likely to impress adcoms.
Yale School of Medicine admissions statistics
In short, Yale SOM is incredibly selective. Their most recently published statistics were for the class of 2025 and their admissions rate was just 4.8 percent.
For that year, 131 of the applicants to Yale SOM were Yale College alumni and of those 112 were accepted. Yale has even created an interesting map that shows where Yale undergrads have matriculated around the country. For Yale SOM, they state that 43 Yale College graduates are enrolled. Keep in mind that this data only includes matriculants from 2019 - 2021.
Even with a degree from Yale, you’ll be competing against other extremely intelligent candidates from top-tier institutions around the country. Any evidence you may have come across pointing to an advantage for Yale College grads is likely to be anecdotal. There may be some truth to a recommendation letter from a respected physician at Yale SOM that you shadowed under carrying more weight with their own adcoms, but this is not something quantifiable and shouldn’t be relied upon. Simply put, there’s no substitute for hard work and dedication.
Final thoughts
Yale is a storied institution with a number of Nobel laureates having graced its halls. Its reputation for excellence reaches far and wide, granting it the option to select only the best of the best for admission.
To truly succeed as a Yale premed, you will need to cultivate your determination to rise above the rest. A top academic environment demands top academic performance, so keeping your GPA up while completing premed requirements and extracurriculars will take a concerted effort.
However, with proper planning and forethought, you can walk the path of a Yale premed from freshman year to med school acceptance and on to a career where you truly make a difference.
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.
