The examinations are given twice a year, usually in the spring and autumn, and ordinarily is taken during the junior year. Besides their academic accomplishments and admission exam scores, acceptance by a professional school is also dependent upon letters of recommendation by the University's pre-professional advisory committee and personal interviews conducted by the professional school. It is important that students consult with their pre-medical sciences advisor and with their major advisor each year to make sure that he or she can satisfy the necessary requirements for graduation within the time available. The advisor can also discuss procedures, counsel and support the student during the process of applying to a professional school. High school students contemplating a pre-medical sciences program should have three to four years of mathematics, several years of a modern foreign language, experience in chemistry and considerable background in literature and social science.
Some medical schools require calculus and many recommend an upper-division course in biochemistry.