Medicine is the science and practice of establishing the diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness. Contemporary medicine applies various disciplines to diagnose, treat, and prevent injury and disease, typically through pharmaceuticals or surgery, but also through therapies as diverse as psychotherapy, external splints and traction, ionizing radiation, and others.
An M.D. degree is a highly sought-after prize for many students. Admission to medical school is prestigious and the eventual monetary benefits are great. Approximately one out of three qualified students who apply to West Virginia medical schools are admitted. A pre-medicine, sometimes referred to as “pre-med” or “premed”, program prepares students in seeking admission to a medical school through the inclusion of prerequisites for admission and developing essential critical thinking skills.
The drawbacks of pursuing an M.D. degree include:
- it requires four or more years at the undergraduate level, four years in med school, and three to seven years in a certified residency program before you make much money
- the admission process is highly competitive
- an overall GPA of 3.3 and MCAT scores of 8 or better in each section are competitive for the Marshall University School of Medicine and the West Virginia University Medical School
Marshall University offers an M.D. degree program through the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine.
Explore Pre-Professional Programs at the College of Science