Healthcare professional students must possess a broad range of competencies to successfully learn and develop in professional schools and become effective healthcare providers. The AAMC premed competency model includes professional, thinking and reasoning, and science competencies, and serves as a roadmap for all healthcare pre-professionals students as they prepare to succeed in professional graduate healthcare schools/programs.

The premed competencies, formerly core competencies for entering medical students were updated in 2023 to reflect changing professional school curricula, needs of the professions, and expectations for incoming medical students. Medical schools are using the revised Premed Competencies beginning in the 2025 application cycle to evaluate applicants’ readiness for medical school. 

The 17 pre-health competencies highlight essential knowledge, abilities, and skills that professional schools consider important for entering students and to evaluate for each applicant through a holistic review of the application. 

https://students-residents.aamc.org/real-stories-demonstrating-premed-competencies/premed-competencies-entering-medical-students 

 OBJECTIVES

1. Define and become familiar with the pre-health competencies
2. Gain an understanding of the role of the competencies in personal and professional development/growth
3. Understanding the role of competencies in the application process. 
4. Self-assess development of the individual competencies
5. Develop a plan for continued growth