How to Succeed as a Brown Premed
/Learn everything you need to know about being premed at Brown, including premed requirements, the best extracurriculars, and the Brown premed acceptance rate
Your journey as a Brown premed can prepare you for medical school
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Part 1: Introduction
Nestled in the capital city of Providence in the state of Rhode Island, Brown University offers a picturesque campus–that’s particularly beautiful in the fall–with a robust selection of concentrations (known as “majors” at other colleges). According to U.S. News & World Report, Brown is ranked #14 in the 2022 edition of Best Colleges. Getting into Brown is no walk in the park, however. As an incredibly competitive Ivy League school, Brown only accepted approximately 5% of applicants (2,546 of 50,649) for the class of 2026.
But don’t let these numbers discourage you if you have your heart set on becoming a Brown premed student. After all, not everyone applying actually meets the admissions requirements. Additionally, the numbers for the class of 2026 are a record low for the school.
Brown also understands the impact that the pandemic had on the world, including the need for high school students to adjust to remote learning and changes to their school’s grading policies. At this time, Brown is continuing its test-optional policy for first-year applicants applying during the 2022-2023 application cycle. (The policy will be evaluated again prior to the 2023-2024 application cycle.)
If you decide to pursue the premed path at Brown, you can be assured that you’ll be well prepared for med school, whether at Brown’s Warren Alpert Medical School or elsewhere. In this guide, we’ll outline the requirements for premed students and provide a close look at how you can fulfill each one. Then, we’ll present options for extracurriculars that you can pursue as a means of rounding out your resume and medical school applications. Finally, we’ll discuss the future for Brown premed students and the Program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME) program.
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Part 2: Brown premed requirements
Deciding your course of study as an undergrad can seem overwhelming, especially when you’re at a school that has a wide variety of rigorous options from which to choose.
One thing that makes Brown unique is its Open Curriculum. This means there are no “gen ed” requirements like at many other schools. While this comes as a relief for many students, Brown premed students are still expected to complete a certain amount of STEM courses—unless they’re in the PLME program, in which case they’re allowed to pursue a liberal arts degree during undergrad (more on that in Part 4). That said, you’ll want to check with the medical schools you hope to attend to determine what additional courses would be good for you to take.
Further reading: Medical School Requirements: The Definitive Guide
The Health Careers Advising (HCA) department is for students completing health-related degree programs. They offer several applicant seminars—two of which are mandatory—where you’ll learn about the entire application process. Additionally, the HCA recommends specific courses for premed students, and we’ve compiled that data into a table for ease of understanding.
| Biology: Two semesters with lab | BIOL 0200 plus one more course with lab (any course above BIOL 0200) |
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| Chemistry (General, Organic, Biochemistry): |
Sequence depends on placement:
If you place into CHEM 0330: CHEM 0330, CHEM 0350, CHEM 0360, and BIOL 0280 (or CHEM 0400 if it’s offered and is a good fit for your concentration) If you place into CHEM 0100: CHEM 0100, CHEM 0330, CHEM 0350, CHEM 0360, BIOL 0280 (or CHEM 0400 if it’s offered and is a good fit for your concentration) |
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| Calculus: At least one semester | One of the following: MATH 0090 or MATH 0100 |
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| Statistics: At least one semester | Offered by various departments. | |||||
| Physics: Two semesters with lab | One of the following sequences: PHYS 0030 + PHYS 0040 PHYS 0050 + PHYS 0060 PHYS 0070 + PHYS 0160 |
For those concentrating in Engineering:
ENGN 0030 and ENGN 0040 |
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| English: Two semesters | Any two courses in College Composition or English Literature (including foreign literature in translation to English) |
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| Psychology: One semester | Consider taking 1 Psychology course that addresses the behavioral determinants of health care. | |||||
| Sociology: One semester | Consider taking 1 Sociology course that addresses the social determinants of health care | |||||
Based on these tables, it’s easy to see how students might have different experiences despite following a predetermined course plan. Brown prides itself on offering unique learning experiences for its students, which is the entire premise behind the Open Curriculum. With that in mind, there are a few things to note about the subjects and courses listed in this table.
Biology: If you enter Brown without credit from AP Biology, you’ll start in BIOL 0200. Even if you enter with credits from AP Biology, we recommend completing two biology courses with a lab component.
Chemistry: We recommend starting your chemistry sequence early in undergrad. The Chemistry department only accepts AP credit for placement purposes. That is how it’s determined whether you’ll begin with CHEM 0330 or CHEM 0100. Also, it’s important to note that some medical schools require a 5-course sequence of chemistry classes with a lab component while some only require a 4-course sequence. The two General Chemistry courses you’ll take are CHEM 0330 (or CHEM 0100 followed by CHEM 0330) and CHEM 0350. Organic Chemistry (CHEM 0360) is a 2-semester class, and you must take both semesters in order to meet the admissions requirements for most medical schools. (Doing so will also adequately prepare you for the MCAT or DAT.) Biochemistry (BIOL 0280) is the fourth course in the typical 4-course sequence. Biochemistry does not have a lab component.
Calculus/Statistics: While any two college-level math courses are permitted, we strongly recommend Calculus as the first course and Statistics as the second course. If you enter Brown with enough AP credits in Calculus to forgo MATH 0090 and MATH 0100, we still advise you to take at least one semester of a college-level math class. (Note: The HCA recommends Statistics, and we agree.)
Physics: While it’s required that you take one of the aforementioned sequences, there is a small amount of leeway for some students. If you’re interested in pursuing a concentration in Engineering, you can take ENGN 0030 and ENGN 0040 to satisfy the physics requirement.
English: You must take two semesters of English either from the English department or from another department but that satisfies the requirement with composition or literature. The HCAD site specifically states that courses offered by the science department, for instance, won’t satisfy the requirement–even if they are heavy in writing.
Psychology/Sociology: The MCAT was revised in 2015 to include content knowledge from the humanities. For this reason, some medical schools now require students to have taken at least one semester of a psychology class and one semester of a sociology class. We recommend taking classes in psychology, sociology, anthropology, or public health to meet this requirement and to prepare students for the MCAT.
One thing to keep in mind when you are planning out your courses is that each class might not be offered every semester. For instance, PHYS 0030 (Physics A, often referred to as “Physics 30”) is typically only offered in the fall and PHYS 0040 (Physics B, often referred to as “Physics 40”) is typically only offered in the spring. Keep this in mind as you plan all of your courses together so you don’t overload yourself with too many classes that require an above-average amount of time each week or that might put you at risk of information overload with heavy amounts of memorization. In addition, we typically recommend taking no more than 2 science courses your first semester.
Sometimes figuring out how to schedule the recommended courses for the premed track can seem daunting, especially when you have four years of coursework to think about and specific courses you must take. To help you plan, Brown offers sample 4-year plans and 3-year plans, both of which include time for you also complete applications and schedule interviews. (Note: Neither plan includes English/Writing courses or Psychology/Sociology courses; don’t forget to include those when you are mapping out your courses.)
| Year 1 | • Fall—CHEM 0330, math course • Spring—CHEM 0350, BIOL 0200, math |
• Fall—math course, CHEM 0100 • Spring—math course, BIOL 0200 |
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| Year 2 |
• Fall—CHEM 0360 • Spring—BIOL with lab |
• Fall—CHEM 0330 • Spring—CHEM 0350 |
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| Year 3 | PHYS 0030-0040 and BIOL 0280 as fourth chemistry course |
• Fall—CHEM 0360 • Spring—BIOL with lab and BIOL 0280 as fourth chemistry course |
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| Year 4 | MCAT, DAT, etc. spring of senior year |
• Fall—PHYS 0030 • Spring—PHYS 0040, MCAT, DAT, etc. |
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Summer Following Graduation |
• Complete applications |
• Complete applications |
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| Fall/Spring Following Graduation | • Interviews at schools and decisions |
• Interviews at schools and decisions |
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| Year 1 | • Fall—CHEM 0330, math course • Spring—CHEM 0350, math, and BIOL 0200 |
• Fall—math course, CHEM 0100 • Spring—math course, BIOL 0200 |
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| Year 2 |
• Fall—CHEM 0360 • Spring—BIOL course w/lab and BIOL 0280 |
• Fall—CHEM 0330, BIOL course w/lab • Spring—CHEM 0350 |
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| Year 3 | • Fall—PHYS 0030 • Spring—PHYS 0040, MCAT, DAT, etc. |
• Fall—CHEM 0360, PHYS 0030 • Spring—PHYS 0040, BIOL 0280, MCAT, DAT, etc |
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| Summer | • Complete applications |
• Complete applications |
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Year 4 |
• Complete additional chemistry or other courses • Interviews at schools and decisions |
• Interviews at schools and decisions |
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MCAT considerations
Please keep in mind that following either of the Sample II plans means you’d be taking PHYS 0040 (4-year plan) or BIOL 0280 (3-year plan) while also studying for the MCAT. If you plan to take the MCAT during the summer following sophomore year, you might need to study some science content for the first time independently.
(Further reading: The Ideal MCAT Study Schedule)
Academic resources for Brown premed students
As a premed student, it’s very important that you have excellent grades, especially in science courses. To some degree, this is a matter of taking the right courses at the right time. Even with a properly balanced course load, it’s possible that you’ll feel overwhelmed, struggle with assignments, or just want some advice to ensure you’re on the right path. Brown has several resources for students that you should take advantage of.
Health Careers Peer Advisors. The Health Careers Peer Advisors are especially helpful for freshman and sophomores who feel they need more direction in choosing courses and planning for upcoming years.
Academic Advising. Throughout your academic journey, your Academic Advisor will be one of the key people helping you and providing guidance. They can also help you plan for your entire degree program, what courses you need to take, and make sure you take all pre-requisites any course might have.
The Harriet W. Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning. Whether you need writing help or tutoring in one of your STEM courses, the Harriet W. Sheridan Center offers support in various areas. They also offer English language support for those who are not native English speakers.
Academic Support Services. The Academic Support Services department offers academic coaching, drop-in 1:1 tutoring (which is especially helpful in the weeks leading up to midterms and finals) and even workshops designed to provide students with tools to help them cope with stress.
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Part 3: Brown premed extracurriculars
Not surprisingly, medical schools will expect you to demonstrate that you can handle your academic course load successfully. However, they’ll expect you to also spend time outside the classroom engaging in activities that will prepare you for a career of service to your community as a health professional. Most likely, they’ll value depth over breadth.
This means you should deeply explore a narrower set of areas relevant to your career path rather than only scratching the surface of many areas and spreading yourself too thin. To do so requires a bit of a balancing act and thoughtful planning of your coursework. Thankfully, you have many options for extracurriculars available to you.
Common premed extracurriculars
For many premed students, it’s appropriate to participate in some of the more common premed extracurriculars such as shadowing a physician, community service, and research. You might have also heard about scribing for a physician. The HCA also pinpoints specific activities related to health care careers that might be of interest. While these can look good on your medical school application, that shouldn’t be the only reason to get involved. Instead, your goal should be to participate in activities that demonstrate your commitment to health care and community service.
Extracurricular options for Brown students
Brown has over 500 student organizations available for you to choose from, so your chances of finding something that interests you are very high. As a Brown student, you can use BearSync to find an organization that fits your interests and explore Student Groups that provide opportunities in the following areas:
Academic and Professional
Arts
Campus Service
Dance and Acrobatic
Departmental & Departmental Undergraduate Group (DUGs)
Gender & Sexuality
News & Publication
Political
Religious & Spiritual Life
Social Action
Student Governance
Theater & Drama
On campus, the Swearer Center provides several fellowship and volunteer opportunities for Brown premed students. If serving in a position similar to a teacher’s assistant (TA) seems like work you’d like to perform, consider the Community-Based Learning and Research Fellowship. You should pursue this fellowship in a subject area you’re strong in, and you’ll find the work of helping other students, developing curriculum content, and organizing relationships with community partners rewarding. You’ll also receive a stipend of $1,475 each semester and it’s expected that you’ll commit roughly 7 hours of time each week.
If social justice is something you’re passionate about, you might find the Bonner Community Fellowship to be a perfect fit to demonstrate leadership and advance civic and social justice issues that are relevant to the health care industry.
Additionally, Brown students have volunteer opportunities including the following:
Affinity Group Volunteering - This is a great opportunity if you’re interested in nurturing the Brown sense of community.
BearShare Social Media Ambassadors - If you love Brown and want to help recruit students, become an Ambassador for the school.
Brown Annual Fund Volunteers - Interested in something philanthropic and encouraging others to give back? If so, volunteering for the annual fund might be the right spot for you.
Brown Club Volunteers - This is a great chance to connect current students with Brown alumni.
Career & Mentoring Volunteers - If mentoring other students appeals, this is a great way to give back to the student body while supporting the professional development of others.
Class Volunteers - This is the perfect way to help your class leaders. Whether you’re planning a Reunion Weekend or running for a class office yourself, this opportunity is fitting for those who thrive in leadership roles and who have an interest in student government.
Should you decide to continue at Brown for medical school, there are even more opportunities within the Brown Medical Community. You can even perform meaningful work with The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.
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Part 4: Getting into medical school as a Brown premed
Everything you do during your undergrad years as a Brown premed is done, to some extent, with the goal of getting into medical school. Brown boasts an admission rate of 81%, which is over 45 percentage points greater than the national average of medical school admissions (38%). In addition, Brown applicants who are admitted to medical school typically do so with a higher-than-average MCAT score. As many as 70% of Brown students who apply to medical school elect to take one or more gap years.
Getting into The Warren Alpert Medical School
Naturally, you might wonder how many Brown University students end up attending Brown’s own medical school or whether there’s any preference given to Brown University students who enroll in the Program in Liberal Medical Education.
The Warren Alpert Medical School is very competitive. For the class of 2025, the school received 10,259 applications and offered interviews to 366 of them. Of those who interviewed, 144 eventually matriculated into the school. That group represented 62 different universities in 34 states.
According to data for the Class of 2026, 58% of students entered The Warren Alpert Medical School via the traditional route (i.e., completing a premed program at a university, taking the MCAT, and applying) and 37% entered through Brown’s guaranteed admission program, the PLME.
Further reading: How to Get Into Brown Medical School
What is the Program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME)?
Brown University is the only school in the Ivy League to offer a BS/MD (or direct med) program. The 8-year Program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME) allows students to attend Brown for undergrad and medical school. In essence, students go straight from Brown University into The Warren Alpert Medical School without having to take the MCAT. The PLME is great for students who know for certain that they want to become doctors and want to attend Brown for 8 years.
Further reading: How to Get Into Brown PLME
Final thoughts
Brown University is known for turning out strong candidates for any medical school. Whether you matriculate from Brown into The Warren Alpert Medical School or another medical school, your premed program will ensure you’re prepared. By following the resources outlined in this guide, you can rest easy knowing your course plan at Brown will set you up for a successful career in the health care industry.
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.
Acknowledgements: Tasha Swearingen and Megan Reyes
