Northwestern offers a rigorous academic curriculum and a vast array of extracurricular opportunities. Premed classes range from those in traditional lecture halls, with 150 students learning Organic Chemistry, to smaller classroom settings, with 30 students studying physics or biochemistry together. And given the quarter system, students have ample opportunities – in 3 quarters of 10-week blocks instead of 2 semesters of 14-to-16-week blocks – to take a variety of science and humanities courses. Given this, Northwestern pre-med students have time to double major, to take interesting classes outside their majors, and to space out their premed requirements.
But beyond the classroom, what does pre-med at Northwestern University look like? And how do you navigate the abundance of resources – academic and extra-curricular – to prepare for medical school and a career as a physician?
We asked a former Northwestern graduate and current Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine medical student for tips on how to succeed, and what opportunities are best to take advantage of.
- Northwestern Undergraduate Premedical Scholars Program
- Northwestern Premed Requirements
- Tips From a Northwestern Alum: Succeed as a Northwestern Premedical Student
- Northwestern Premed Opportunities
Northwestern Undergraduate Premedical Scholars Program
Northwestern University is one of the few undergraduate schools in the country to offer a medical school early acceptance program: Northwestern Undergraduate Premedical Scholars Program (NU PSP). Northwestern undergraduate premedical students apply to NU PSP in the fall of their junior years. If accepted, they are able to matriculate to Feinberg’s MD or MSTP (MD/Ph.D.) program after their senior years.
The Northwestern Undergraduate Premedical Scholars Program requires applicants to have an overall GPA of 3.7 or higher, as well as a science GPA of 3.7 or higher in their first two years of college. Students must also take the following prerequisites: 3 quarters of inorganic, physical chemistry; 2 quarters of organic chemistry + biochemistry; 3 quarters of physics; and 3 quarters of biology with lab. The program also recommends applicants to take English Composition and Statistics. Read more details about NU PSP’s prerequisites and required classes here. Beyond the PSP program, a 3.7 or higher GPA is a good GPA target to aim for to be competitive for medical school admission. One notable perk of PSP is that students are not required to take the MCAT, and can use the rest of their time at Northwestern to pursue other extra-curricular interests. This program saves students a lot of time and money because many do not apply to medical schools broadly through the AMCAS / TMDSAS / AACOMAS (medical school primary applications).
Northwestern Premed Requirements
Northwestern premed requirement courses fall into 6 subject areas. There are a few different class sequences that can satisfy each subject area requirement, and one’s ability to take a specific sequence can depend on AP credit, major, and/or placement exams.
General Chemistry:
Sequence 1: CHEM 110, CHEM 131 (+ lab), CHEM 132 (+ lab) OR
Sequence 2: CHEM 151 + lab, CHEM 152 + lab OR
Sequence 3: CHEM 171 + lab, CHEM 172 + lab
Note: Sequence 1 is for students who do not have AP or IB experience with Chemistry.
Organic Chemistry:
Sequence 1: CHEM 215 (1-3) + labs OR
Sequence 2: CHEM 212 (1-3) + labs – this is only open to chemistry majors, and Integrated Science Program members
Biology:
BIOL SCI 201 (Molecular Biology)
BIO SCI 202 (Cell Biology) + lab
BIOL SCI 203 (Genetics & Evolution) + lab
BIO SCI 301 (Biochemistry)
BIOL SCI 234 (Investigative Lab)
Physics:
Sequence 1: Physics 130-1, 2, 3 + labs (algebra-based) OR
Sequence 2: Physics 135-1, 2, 3, + labs (Calculus based)
A note for the 135 physics sequence: although it is stated to be calculus-based, in practice, there isn’t a significant degree of calculus involved. This course also has a mix of pre-medical and engineering students. There’s less of a difference between PHYS 130 and 135 difficulty levels compared to the 151 and 171 general chemistry sequences, however, so you should choose which one to take based on comfort level with the material and course reviews.
Math:
Medical schools generally recommend that all premedical students take one year of math classes. Math classes can include Calculus or Statistics.
English:
1 year of English coursework tends to be required by medical schools. Sociology, Anthropology and Psychology courses are generally recommended for pre-med students to help with MCAT prep.
5 Tips for Success for Northwestern Premedical Students
Northwestern Pre Med Tip #1: If you can, place into higher level coursework for general chemistry
This may sound counter-intuitive, but it is actually beneficial to place into CHEM 171, instead of the CHEM 151 sequence by scoring well on placement exams.
CHEM 171 has fewer Northwestern premed students, so it’s not considered as traditional of a premed “weed-out” course, and it arguably has a better curve.
A note for the 135 physics sequence: although it is stated to be calculus-based, in practice, there isn’t a significant degree of calculus involved. This course also has a mix of pre-medical and engineering students. There’s less of a difference between PHYS 130 and 135 difficulty levels compared to the 151 and 171 general chemistry sequences, however, so you should choose which one to take based on comfort level with the material and course reviews.
Northwestern Pre Med Tip #2: Use Course and Teacher Evaluations (CTECs)
CTECs (Course and Teacher Evaluations) are filled out for every class by current students very consistently. The teacher you have for a given pre-medical course matters. How the individual teaches, what his or her class’ curve is, what difficulty level the exams tend to be – all of those factors are teacher-dependent, even if the course sequence is the same. Make sure to do your homework and use the CTECs!
Before you choose your classes for a quarter (remember: Northwestern is on a quarter, not semester system), you want to pull up the CTEC for each class you’re considering. For instance, suppose you’re taking CHEM 215-1, the first quarter of organic chemistry at Northwestern. There are at least 2 professors who teach this course. Look at each teacher’s reviews for this course. How are they rated on their ability to teach the material? How much time on average do students spend preparing for their class? What are students’ comments on the course? You can use these data points to determine who will teach the material the best, as well as gain insight on how to do well in a particular class. For instance, a student might write a review stating that a certain professor is not good at explaining the material, but the teaching assistant is incredible, and helps tremendously with test prep. You’ll know therefore from the CTEC that you should try and meet with the teaching assistant if you have questions before an exam. You also will know that you may need to rely more heavily on your own prep outside of class to learn the material so you can better understand the material presented in class.
Northwestern Pre Med Tip #3: Figure out the study strategy that works best for you
Part of why medical school is so rigorous is the volume of information that you have to digest. There are various mediums medical students can use to study – videos, textbooks, lecture notes. Being able to figure out what works best for you in undergrad and how you study is important, so that you can apply those practices more seamlessly when you matriculate to medical school.
For MCAT studying, familiarizing yourself with Anki (a spaced repetition flashcard platform) and seeing if that works for you will give you an edge when you start your first year of medical school. This platform is widely used by medical school students and it is great for memorizing specific details and facts. Anki is becoming more popular among pre-med undergraduate students, especially for classes the required fact recall.
Northwestern Pre Med Tip #4: Your Major is Important
Your major is important, but not in the way you might think. You don’t need to be a biology or neuroscience major to get into medical school – in fact, there are many applicants who have these backgrounds, so if you have a non-science interest, it may actually help you stand out.
Given that Northwestern is both a liberal arts and robust research institution, non-science departments are also a focus to the university. If you have an aptitude for humanities and paper writing, you can strategically use a non-science major to raise your overall GPA. It is possible to also pursue a double major or a minor as a Northwestern premed student.
Northwestern Pre Med Tip #5: Take time off to have fun and enjoy college
Northwestern has hundreds of student organizations. Don’t just pick clinical activities to pursue. You will need research, clinical volunteering, and shadowing experience, but you should also strive to show leadership and creativity in the non-medical opportunities you choose to do. While demonstrated commitment is valuable in your health-related activities, demonstrated commitment is also important for non-premed activities. For example, you can be a Director on a startup incubated at the Garage. Or, you can sing in Brown Sugar, or one of Northwestern’s other numerous acapella groups. Pursue what interests you, and do so to a level where you’re demonstrating you’ve improved the organization you’ve been a part of in a meaningful way!
Read more below for popular clinical opportunities and student organizations.
Getting Involved: Northwestern Premed Opportunities
With a top medical school (Feinberg School of Medicine) a free shuttle ride away, and numerous other medical schools in the area, Northwestern undergraduates have ample opportunities to get research and clinical experience.
Research helps you build a publication base for medical school and residency, while also giving you a sense of whether you’d like to incorporate research more long-term into your career. And volunteering and shadowing help you determine if medicine is the right fit for you. From an admissions perspective, they demonstrate to medical school admissions officers that you’ve had enough exposure to the field to know you want to be a part of it.
Northwestern has a wide array of medical opportunities for pre-med and pre-health students to engage with. The Health Professions Advising Office has a newsletter they send out via email with volunteer, research, and other clinical opportunities. The Northwestern Health Professions Advising Office’s search engine on their website also lists other pre-med specific clinical opportunities for students during the school year and summer.
Clinical Volunteering:
There are several extracurricular organizations that focus on clinical volunteering experiences for Northwestern pre-med students.
Here are a few examples:
- All Ears
- Brain Exercise Initiative
- Chinatown Health Initiative
- Hospice Patient Care Club
- New Life Volunteering Society (NVLS)
- Project Sunshine
- Red Cross Club
Northwestern premed students can also volunteer at nearby health organizations including:
- Stroger Hospital of Cook County
- Symphony of Evanston
- Erie Family Health Center
- Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
- Advocate Lutheran General Hospital
See more on Northwestern’s Health Professions Advising (HPA) website: Local Hospitals, Clinics, and Organizations.
Shadowing:
The Intercampus, a free Northwestern shuttle, runs between Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine Chicago campus, and the Evanston undergraduate campus. You can email physicians at Lurie Children’s, Prentice Woman’s Hospital, or Northwestern Memorial Hospital for opportunities to shadow. Include your resume, and a brief statement of why you would be interested in shadowing.
The Health Professions Office also offers a clinical shadowing program at a Glenview outpatient facility, where pre-medical students are paired with a physician.
Non-Clinical Volunteering:
There are ample opportunities to volunteer in a non-clinical setting, whether it be in a leadership role on a student-founded nonprofit, or a health or other education focused position. Many of the student organizations at Northwestern focus on volunteering, such as:
Academy of Music & Arts for Special Education
Alternative Student Breaks
Campus Kesem
Community Health Corps
Habitat for Humanity
Learn to Be
Northwestern University Dance Marathon
Undergraduate Prison Education Partnership
Teaching/Mentorship:
AMPED
Jumpstart
Lumi Tutors
Supplies for Dreams
NU Heights
Research:
Northwestern also has a lot of funding opportunities for both research and other extra-curricular opportunities. You can take advantage of the Summer Internship Grant Program (SIGP) to get paid by NU to work on a health nonprofit for instance, or Summer Undergraduate Research Grant (SURG) to pursue research at Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine. Take advantage of those.
You can also cold-email professors at Feinberg – attach your resume, and include a brief, statement of why the research work the professor specifically conducts interests you.
Employment/Gap Year:
Northwestern has an incredible post-graduate Fellowship office, with advisors who specifically help tailor applications for scholarship and fellowship programs. Northwestern is actually one of the top producers of Fulbright Fellowship recipients in the country.
Some students take a year off and take a research or scribe position – both can enhance your application to medical school.
Final Thoughts:
So, is Northwestern good for pre med? In many ways, yes. Northwestern is great in engineering, the sciences, and humanities, which makes it an especially a good fit for students with academic and extracurricular interests beyond medicine. Outside the classroom, almost all students live on-campus, making for a great overall student culture. There are also ample research opportunities on-campus, research opportunities at Feinberg medical school, and several other clinical opportunities around the area. On the flip side, however, many of the pre-medical are difficult, particularly the Organic Chemistry sequence. The premed culture, though not cutthroat, can be competitive. Overall, the academic rigor of the pre-medical curriculum coupled with the excellent resources can set you up for success in medical school, but working hard is essential to doing well at Northwestern.