The Pre-Med Track at the Faculty of Sciences
The University of Balamand adopts the American System in the study of Medicine. Accordingly, students must earn an undergraduate degree (Bachelor), complete premedical courses and sit for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) before admission to the Faculty of Medicine and Medical Sciences.
A Bachelor of Science (BSc) has historically been the convenient choice for premedical students, and except for two required courses in Social Sciences, all premedical courses are basic science courses, namely in Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Consequently, majoring in any of these three fields has always provided premedical students with the most robust background in basic sciences as well as a breadth of knowledge in the various individual fields.
The Bachelor’s Degree Curriculum in Biology, Chemistry, or Physics includes all premedical courses and additional courses recommended to prepare students for the MCAT. As all these courses are embedded in the majors, students are not required to run any additional cost, or time, to cover the course requirements.
Students majoring in other departments of the Faculty, or in other faculties where the premedical courses are generally not covered, can opt to complete the premedical courses and become eligible to apply for admission to the Faculty of Medicine and Medical Sciences. This can be achieved either by taking them as Free Electives, as far as their current major permits, or to simply cover them in addition to their regular courses. In the latter case, all the requirements can be completed within one regular academic year.
The premedical course requirement is usually determined by the Faculty of Medicine and Medical Sciences. At present, the courses that must be completed for any student to be considered in the process of admission to study Medicine at the University of Balamand are the following:
Field of Basic Sciences |
Minimum Required Credits |
8 credits Normally, BIOL 201, 202, 203, 204 |
12 credits, including at least one course of Organic Chemistry
Normally, CHEM 202, 222, 242 and 244
Normally, PHYS 211, 212, 213, 214
Humanities & Social Sciences
Two courses of Sociology and Psychology