What Premedical Students Need to Succeed: Updated Premed Competencies for Entering Medical Students

The 15 core competencies for entering medical students (now "premed competencies") were created in 2011 to describe the skills and characteristics needed for success when starting medical school. Changes in the health care landscape and undergraduate medical education over the past decade required review and revision of the original competencies to ensure they still accurately reflected expectations for entering medical students.

From August 2022 to May 2023, the Association of American Medical Colleges formed the Premed Competencies Working Group with members of the medical education community to evaluate the core competencies in 2 phases. In the first phase, focus groups discussed what and how medical students are learning, as well as the qualities and characteristics associated with students who are successful versus those who experience performance issues. In the second phase, focus groups provided feedback on revised competency definitions.

Much of the original core competencies remained relevant and important. However, revisions were needed to emphasize or elaborate on specific aspects of the preprofessional competencies (also known as the "core personal competencies") to better reflect expectations for current and future entering medical students. The revised set includes a total of 17 premed competencies that span professional, science, and thinking and reasoning areas.

The updated competency model and related guidance materials were disseminated to the medical education community to support its use. For aspiring applicants, the premed competencies provide a developmental roadmap as they prepare for medical school by communicating professional values and expectations. For institutions, the competencies provide an updated framework for evaluating applicant readiness through holistic review and support continuing institutional efforts to evolve curricula and cultures to foster further professional development in students.