The success of the University’s Pre-Health Professions Program has been outstanding. Since 1980, the University has placed an average of more than 40 students per year into schools of dentistry, medicine, optometry, podiatry and veterinary medicine. Over the last 20+ years, the acceptance rate of University of Scranton applicants to medical, dental and other health professions schools has been nearly 80%. Our acceptance rates are consistently higher than the national acceptance rates. The strength of the pre-health professions program is evidenced by programs to which University of Scranton’s alumni have been admitted, including: Columbia University – College of Dental Medicine; Cornell University – College of Veterinary Medicine; Drexel University – College of Medicine; Emory University – School of Medicine; Rosalind Franklin University – Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine; Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine; Georgetown University – School of Medicine; Harvard University – Medical School; Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; Thomas Jefferson University – Kimmel Medical College; Kansas State University – College of Veterinary Medicine; Kent State University – College of Podiatric Medicine; Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences – School of Optometry; Michigan State University – College of Veterinary Medicine; NYU College of Dentistry; The Ohio State University – College of Veterinary Medicine; Ohio University – Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine; Penn State College of Medicine; Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine; Quinnipiac University – Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine; Rowan University – School of Osteopathic Medicine; Rutgers University – New Jersey Medical School, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School; Salus University – Pennsylvania College of Optometry; SUNY College of Optometry; SUNY Downstate – College of Medicine; SUNY Upstate Medical University; Temple University – Kornberg School of Dentistry, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, School of Podiatric Medicine; Tufts University – School of Dental Medicine, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine; University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine; UConn School of Dental Medicine; University of Illinois – College of Medicine; University of Maryland – School of Medicine; UMass – Chan Medical School; University of Pennsylvania – School of Dental Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine; University of Pittsburgh – School of Dental Medicine; University of Rochester - School of Medicine & Dentistry; Virginia Commonwealth University – School of Dentistry.
The University of Scranton offers its pre-health students unique opportunities in anticipation of changes in healthcare delivery for the 21st century. They include a special exposure to primary-care medicine (the practice of family physicians, general internists, and general pediatricians), predicted to be the area of greatest growth in medicine, and an externship program with local dental offices. The University of Scranton is one of only seven undergraduate institutions participating in the Physician Shortage Area Program (PSAP) at Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University. This program is designed to recruit and educate medical students who intend to enter primary care fields and practice in physician-shortage areas in Pennsylvania and Delaware. Finally, University of Scranton students are encouraged to participate in programs at the Center for Primary Care at the Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey.
The Pre-Health Program is supported by a supportive network of alumni from a variety of health professions and by an active Medical Alumni Council. The Medical Alumni Council sponsors on-campus programs to which undergraduate students are invited.
Pre-Health Undergraduate Curricula
Many undergraduate students who intend to apply to health-professions schools choose one of Scranton’s seven life-sciences majors. However, students may choose any major, provided that they meet the prerequisite requirements for entrance to medical, dental, or other health-professions schools. For students at The University of Scranton, the minimum requirements are listed below. All first-year biology and first- and second-year chemistry courses must be taken with their corresponding labs.
BIOL 141 - (E) (FYOC, FYDT Lab only) General Biology — BIOL 142 - (E) (FYOC, FYDT Lab only) General Biology
CHEM 112 - (E) General and Analytical Chemistry — CHEM 113 - (E) General and Analytical Chemistry
CHEM 112L-113L - General and Analytical Chemistry Laboratory
CHEM 232 - (E) Organic Chemistry — CHEM 233 - (E) Organic Chemistry
CHEM 232L - Organic Chemistry Laboratory — CHEM 233L - Organic Chemistry Laboratory
PHYS 120/PHYS 120L - (E) General Physics I — PHYS 121/PHYS 121L - (E) General Physics II
One semester of Biochemistry, either CHEM 350 - General Biochemistry I or CHEM 450 - Biochemistry I (lab not required)
Virtually all health professions schools require six credit hours of English or literature courses, and many require at least one semester of mathematics, including calculus and/or statistics, as well as some courses in the social sciences (psychology and/or sociology). Many health professions schools recommend that students demonstrate a wide range of interests in their choice both of courses and of extra-curricular activities. Volunteering and service work, and clinical experiences in health-care settings are strongly recommended by the admissions committees of health professions schools, as is course work in ethics, particularly PHIL 212 - (P) Medical Ethics , PHIL 316 - (P) American Perspectives on Health-Care Ethics , and/or T/RS 227 - (P) Biomedical Ethics . Some medical and dental schools also have specific prerequisites for English, mathematics, or other courses, as listed in Medical School Admission Requirements, or Admission Requirements of U.S. and Canadian Dental Schools.
The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) recommends that undergraduate students planning to apply to medical school acquire a strong background in the natural sciences, so students should consider courses in biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics beyond the minimum requirements. Students should develop strong oral and written communication skills, and they are encouraged to complete rigorous courses in the humanities and social sciences. Honors courses and programs, independent study, and/or undergraduate research are also encouraged.
The University offers all applicants to health-professions schools the option of a formal evaluation by the Health Professions Evaluation Committee (HPEC), consisting of several faculty and administrators representing a wide range of academic disciplines. All applicants who seek to apply to doctoral-level health professions schools in the United States are evaluated on academic record, volunteer and community service activities, extracurricular activities, and demonstrated motivation toward their chosen careers. Through the HPEC interview, students have an opportunity to develop their interviewing skills and receive feedback on their application materials and interviewing performance. The HPEC evaluation package sent to primary application services provides a comprehensive narrative that describes in depth an applicant’s qualifications for advanced study and a career in the health professions.
The University also makes available to students a wide variety of printed resources in the Health Professions Lending Library, located in the Office of Health Professions.
Additional Information
Information about the Pre-Health Professions Program is available from Dr. Gabriela Jakubowska, Interim Director of the Program. In addition, the student-supported Health Professions Organization Web site provides extensive helpful information for interested students.