University of South Florida Home
| Prospective Students | Our Students | Visitors | Faculty & Staff | Alumni & Parents | Business & Community | Campuses |

USF Home > College of Arts and Sciences

Health Professions

Physician

There are two types of physicians: the MD - Doctor of Medicine, and the DO - Doctor of Osteopathy. Both MDs and DOs use all accepted methods of treatment, including drugs and surgery. Physicians may be generalists or specialize in a particular area of medicine such as family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, surgery, neurology, radiology, and ophthalmology. What is the difference between MDs and DOs? Primarily, DOs practice manipulative procedures (such as myrfascial release treatment) that MDs usually do not. For more information about Osteopathic medicine, visit the AACOM Home Page, or the American Osteopathic Association. More information about both MDs and DOs is available from studentdoctor.net.

In addition to the course requirements that are common to most health professions, medical schools may also require or recommend some or all of the courses listed below.

The following courses are based on the requirements and recommendations of certain schools. Consult the Allopathic (M.D.) Medical Schools or Osteopathic (D.O.) Medical Schools you are interested in for each school's specific requirements.

  1. BCH 3023 (Intro. Biochemistry) 3___
  2. FSU requires BCH 3023 and BCH 3023L or CHS 4300
  3. UF requires BCH 3023 and BCH 3023L
  4. The USF College of Medicine requires TWO semesters of Mathematics from a Mathematics department - some Calculus strongly recommended. Statistics is very helpful.
  5. A few medical schools require one or two semesters of calculus. Check with school admission requirements for details.

Please note: Students admitted to a United States medical or dental school after completing ninety (90) semester hours at the University of South Florida may be awarded a B.S. degree in Biomedical Sciences if additional requirements are completed. This degree program takes careful planning. Please consult an advisor in the Chemistry Department for Complete Details.

For more information about Medicine, please check out the following web sites. For more information about the med school application process (and what you need to be admitted), visit our Application Website.


Schools Application and Testing Services General Advice Organizations and Societies Alternative Medicine Links

Still have questions? Then check out our FAQ page or email us.