Philosophy makes a great minor or double major with a premed science major. Many students find that courses in logic, theory of knowledge, metaphysics, and ethics give them a larger perspective on their premed coursework and help them think about the human issues that matter in medical practice.
Courses for Premed Students
Prepping for the MCAT?
The Critical Analysis and Reasoning section on the MCAT focuses on critical analysis and evaluation of written arguments. This section is a challenge. While these skills are not the focus of premed science classes, rational analysis and argumentation are precisely the concerns of philosophy.
National studies in the past have shown that philosophy majors have amongst the highest admission rates to medical school. Recent IU premed Philosophy majors have gone on to medical school at The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, the IU School of Medicine, and other destinations.
Many medical schools have an ethics component as part of the admissions interviews. For more than two thousand years, philosophy has been centrally focused upon the development of ethical theories and sound ethical reasoning.
Courses for premed students
- PHIL-P105 Critical Thinking
This course is the least technical of the introductory logic courses. It is well-suited for students who want an informal introduction to the techniques and skills needed for the evaluation and construction of good arguments. Satisfies the Gen Ed A&H requirement.
- PHIL-P150 Elementary Logic
This course provides an introduction to contemporary logical theory. Unlike P105, it teaches students how to translate ordinary language arguments into a logical language in order to rigorously evaluate their validity. Note that PHIL-P150 is a slower-paced introduction to logic than PHIL-P250 Symbolic Logic, and it is not a prerequisite for PHIL-P250. Students who are comfortable with math and/or computer programming might consider taking PHIL-P250. Satisfies the Gen Ed A&H requirement.
- PHIL-P141 Introduction to Ethics
This course surveys important theories of ethics (theories designed to answer the question, “How should we live?”) and selected problems and topics, such as the morality of war, abortion, hunger, and poverty. Emphasis upon the skills involved in constructing and evaluating ethical arguments and positions. Different sections cover different topics, so students should be sure to read the course description. Satisfies the Gen Ed A&H requirement.
- PHIL-P242 Applied Ethics
This course focuses on specific contemporary problem areas, such as world hunger, abortion, poverty, social justice, racism, life-and-death decisions, and problems in medical ethics. Sophomore-level introductory course. No prerequisites. Satisfies the Gen Ed A&H requirement.
- PHIL-P393 Biomedical Ethics
This course provides a sophomore-to-senior level philosophical consideration of ethical problems that arise in current biomedical practice, e.g., with regard to abortion, euthanasia, determination of death, consent to treatment, genetic engineering, and professional responsibilities in connection with research, experimentation, and health care delivery. No prerequisites.
I feel like the exposure in Philosophy to numerous viewpoints makes me very open to the various viewpoints of my patients. I feel like I am slower to judge than my peers and hope that my patients appreciate me for it.
Dr. William Berry, OB/Gyn, B.A. 2013 (Double Major with Philosophy)
Have questions?
Thinking about a Philosophy course or considering a minor or double major? We welcome your questions! Contact the Philosophy academic advisors at philadv@indiana.edu.
The College of Arts