Before the scrubs · Prerequisites
Starting nursing or paramedic school? Make sense of the science, find the right reading, and check what your program actually requires. You do not need to know everything before you begin.
Choose your starting point
These subjects recur in the program examples below. Your school decides which are needed for admission, which can be taken alongside the program, and which count toward a degree.
Learn the difference between structure and function. Start with homeostasis, negative feedback, positive feedback, and a body that cools itself by sweating.
Check your program: A&P I–II, a quarter sequence, separate anatomy and physiology, or an EMS-specific course may be required. Labs matter.
Explore the A&P preview ↗Build a picture of microorganisms, how they grow, and how the body responds. Connect the vocabulary to infection and prevention.
Check your program: Confirm the lab, science-course prerequisites, and whether microbiology is required before applying or later.
Find microbiology reading ↓Work from atoms and bonds toward solutions, energy, and nutrients. Make the chemistry underneath physiology less mysterious.
Check your program: General chemistry, organic chemistry, and a combined health-sciences chemistry course are not automatically interchangeable.
Find chemistry and nutrition reading ↓Explore behavior, learning, and development across a lifetime. Practice considering a person’s stage of life and circumstances.
Check your program: Introductory psychology and lifespan development are different courses. A child-development course may not satisfy a full-lifespan requirement.
Find psychology reading ↓Explain an idea clearly, keep track of units, and read numbers with care. These skills stay useful long after the prerequisite exam.
Check your program: Placement rules, composition credits, algebra, and statistics differ. One math course does not necessarily replace another.
Compare course requirements ↓Build on EMT knowledge and learn how word parts describe body systems, findings, and procedures.
Check your program: Confirm EMT status, state licensing, Basic Life Support (BLS), A&P, and any required experience or entrance assessment.
Explore paramedic examples ↓A useful starting point, not a national ranking. We have not established a national ranking of prerequisite frequency or textbook adoption. The examples here show how actual programs differ; the books are verified options to compare with your syllabus.
Across the U.S.
BSN means Bachelor of Science in Nursing; ADN means associate degree nursing; AAS means Associate of Applied Science. These examples are a planning aid, not an exhaustive admissions checklist.
| Program & location | Selected requirements | The detail to check |
|---|---|---|
| University of WashingtonWashington · BSN | A&P, general and organic chemistry, microbiology, nutrition, statistics, writing, and lifespan development appear in the prerequisite worksheet. | Application and program-start requirements differ. Confirm chemistry equivalencies and science labs using the official worksheet. |
| UTHealth HoustonTexas · Pacesetter BSN | A&P I–II with labs, microbiology with lab, general chemistry with lab, psychology, lifespan, statistics, nutrition, and English are among 60 prerequisite credits. | The application can be considered with 48 completed credits, including 16 specified science credits. All prerequisites must be finished before classes start; state-specific general education also applies. |
| Metropolitan Community CollegeNebraska · ADN after practical nursing | Selected prerequisites include chemistry, English composition, algebra, human growth and development, and A&P I–II. | This one-year ADN route follows an approved practical nursing program. It is not a direct-entry example for someone who has not completed practical nursing education. |
| Bunker Hill Community CollegeMassachusetts · Associate degree nursing | Admissions prerequisites include writing, A&P I with lab, chemistry with lab, and algebra coursework or qualifying placement. | A&P II, microbiology, and psychology are listed among recommended corequisites, not the same admissions prerequisites. Check the current science-recency and testing rules. |
| Weber State UniversityUtah · Paramedic | Current Utah EMT certification, eight A&P credits, medical terminology, English, math, and an entrance assessment are required. | Academic prerequisites must be completed before starting the paramedic program. The published page specifies a minimum C in these courses and a 2.7 GPA. |
| Portland Community CollegeOregon · Paramedic certificate / AAS | Current Oregon EMT status and AHA BLS are required. Preparatory courses vary: the degree route includes A&P I–III; the certificate route lists EMS-specific A&P. | The certificate route requires an existing associate degree or higher. Finish the relevant prerequisites and preparatory coursework before applying to the final paramedic sequence. |
| Durham Technical Community CollegeNorth Carolina · Continuing-education paramedic | The program lists EMT certification, AHA CPR, an information session, approved A&P preparation, and evidence of college-level math and reading readiness. | Official materials describe the A&P options and timing differently. Have the EMS program confirm your exact course combination and completion deadline before registering. |
| Cleveland ClinicOhio · Paramedic education | The 2026–27 requirements include EMT status, BLS, an entrance assessment, and approved A&P preparation. | A&P can be met through specified college coursework or the program’s approved modules. Check the academic-year admissions document for grade, recency, Ohio certification, and completion rules. |
Each program controls admission and transfer credit. A similar course title, online format, or completed textbook does not establish equivalency. Ask the school to review the syllabus, credits, lab format, completion date, and grade before paying for a course.
Read with a purpose
Start with the exact title, edition, ISBN, and online access your instructor assigns. The publisher links below identify real options; they do not mean every school uses that book. Free reading can help you prepare, but may not replace assigned materials.
| Subject | Textbook option · publisher | Free reading or companion |
|---|---|---|
| Anatomy & physiology | Marieb Human Anatomy & PhysiologyMarieb, Hoehn, Haynes & Abbott · Pearson | OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology 2eFree online textbook; compare coverage with your lecture and lab syllabus. |
| Microbiology | Microbiology: An IntroductionTortora and coauthors · Pearson | OpenStax MicrobiologyFree online textbook. |
| English composition | A Writer’s ReferenceHacker & Sommers · Macmillan Learning | OpenStax Writing Guide with HandbookFree writing and revision support. |
| Introductory psychology | PsychologyMyers, DeWall & Gruber · Macmillan Learning | OpenStax Psychology 2eFree online textbook. |
| Statistics | Elementary StatisticsTriola · Pearson | OpenStax Introductory Statistics 2eConfirm the calculator or software used in your class. |
| Chemistry | Chemistry: An Introduction to General, Organic, and Biological ChemistryTimberlake · Pearson · Combined chemistry course | OpenStax Chemistry 2eGeneral chemistry. Its scope differs from a combined general/organic/biological course. |
| Lifespan development | The Developing Person Through the Life SpanBerger & Thomas · Macmillan Learning | OpenStax Lifespan DevelopmentFree online textbook covering development across life. |
| Nutrition | Understanding NutritionWhitney, Rolfes & Maier · Cengage | NIH Office of Dietary Supplements fact sheetsFree companion reading on nutrients and supplements; not a full nutrition textbook. |
| EMT foundations | Emergency Care and Transportation of the Sick and InjuredAAOS · Jones & Bartlett Learning / Public Safety Group | National Registry EMT Candidate HandbookFree certification-process guidance; not a substitute for EMT education or a textbook. |
| Medical terminology | The Language of MedicineChabner · Elsevier | MedlinePlus: Understanding Medical WordsFree introductory word-building tutorial. |
These links open resources on their publishers’ or providers’ websites. FORGED does not reproduce their textbook pages, illustrations, or question banks, and is not affiliated with the listed schools or publishers.
A manageable next step beats a stack of books you are afraid to open.
Already in nursing school?
Explore the NCLEX preview to see the teaching style, original practice questions, and what individualized support is intended to include.
