NYU Abi Dhabi's Premedical and Health Studies program fully prepares students to apply to medical and other professional schools in the health field. The health professions provide many challenging and rewarding opportunities. These include clinical careers in medicine, dentistry, and physical therapy as well as non-clinical careers such as health education and research.

In order to apply to health-related professional schools, students typically need to complete courses in introductory biology, chemistry, and physics. At NYUAD, these subjects comprise Foundations of Science, which is a rigorous three-semester, integrated course that covers the fundamentals of basic science. NYUAD transcripts clearly note biology, chemistry, and physics as distinct parts of Foundations of Science. In addition to introductory science courses, professional medical or health schools often require two semesters of math, one of which must be calculus, two semesters of organic chemistry, and two semesters of English, including writing. NYUAD offers all these. Students are encouraged to gain some practical experience by volunteering in a clinical setting and to demonstrate a commitment to service and humanistic endeavors.

It is important to understand that pre-professional training does not require students to major in science or math. Students may elect to major in any discipline and complete the Premedical and Health Studies program in parallel. You should choose a disciplinary major that you will enjoy and in which you will excel. If you enjoy the sciences, choosing a major in those areas is the right decision for you. If, however, you have other interests or talents, you will demonstrate your versatility and increase your chances of excelling by pursuing a major in the humanities or social sciences along with the prehealth curriculum.

NYUAD, like many American colleges and universities, does not offer a premedical, predental, or prehealth major. In fact, the best professional schools want, above all, students with a broad education who can think clearly, read critically, and write well.

Your faculty mentor and pre-professional advisors will help you to explore your options, advise you about programs and appropriate course selection, and help you to present the best possible application to professional schools. Students should be aware that it is extremely difficult for applicants who are not US citizens or permanent US residents to gain admission to medical school in the United States. Other health professional schools in the US have more hospitable admissions policies, such as schools of dentistry and M.D./Ph.D. programs. For information about professional health programs in countries other than the US, students should consult a pre-professional mentor.

The following are the basic set requirements most medical schools in the United States request; however, specific medical schools might have additional requirements or modifications to those listed here. Students should consult with the premedical advisor for more information.

Suggested Courses for Application to Medical School

  • Foundations of Science 1-6
    (Note: This covers the pre-med requirements of one year of general biology, one year of general chemistry, one year of general physics, and one year of lab work in each of those areas.)
  • Organic Chemistry 1 and 2
  • Calculus or Calculus with Applications
  • One semester of Writing and one additional semester of Literature
  • Organismal Biology is highly recommended as are Biochemistry 1 and 2, and Probability and Statistics.