Eligibility

Successful applicants to this highly selective program generally have earned a bachelor's degree at least one year prior to applying, possess an excellent academic record, and have demonstrated ability in standardized testing. They typically have a clear understanding of the challenges awaiting them in their chosen health care field, gained through substantial (usually a year) volunteer work or employment in a related field.

Additionally, our program prepares students to enter advanced training programs in other health professions.

Many of our students hold graduate or professional degrees. They have been educators, musicians, social workers, psychologists, lawyers, writers, architects, business people, and graduate students from fields as diverse as classics and physics. Others join the program after a period of volunteer service, either abroad or in the United States.

Successful applicants have a B or higher average in their undergraduate work and have demonstrated abilities in standardized test-taking, i.e. SATs, GREs. Our students have been admitted to the some of the nation's most prestigious medical schools.

Curriculum

The curriculum includes the basic courses required for admission:

• General Chemistry
• Introductory Biology
• Organic Chemistry
• Mathematics
• Physics

Search our Course Guide for more information on available courses.

Course Planning Options

While variations must be made to accommodate each student's plans and academic background, sample courses of study may be helpful to prospective students: To complete the requirements in one year, students should begin their study in the summer with chemistry. The academic year to follow will include biology, organic chemistry and physics, thus preparing students for the April MCAT. A part-time program will take two years to complete. Students generally take biology and chemistry the first year, and physics and organic chemistry the second year, planning for the April MCAT. Post-Bac Pre-Health students often take additional courses beyond the Premedical requirements (such as biochemistry, genetics, histology, or history and sociology of science) to deepen their knowledge and preparation for medical training. Please see the Special Science course listing for options. See sample schedules.

The Application Year

After completing the program, each student receives a covering letter of evaluation. Assistance with applications, essay and interview preparation are all part of the advising which continues through the application year.

During the application year or glide year, our students generally work and often continue with coursework. Often, relevant opportunities are available in the many research labs and clinics at Penn. Further academic opportunities are available through our extensive range of advanced level science courses.

Linkage Programs

The Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Health Program participates in a "linkage" arrangement with:

• Drexel University College of Medicine
• George Washington University School of Medicine
• Jefferson Medical College
• Mt. Sinai
• Temple University School of Medicine
• University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey - Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
• University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
• University of Pittsburgh

This arrangement eliminates the usual glide year between coursework completion and the commencement of medical school. Linkage decisions are made by the individual medical school and are very selective; only a small number of placements are awarded each year.

Full-time students apply in early June of the year they begin post-bac pre-health work; part-time students apply in June between the first and second post-bac years. Candidates accepted in the early decision process are required to complete all Premedical coursework at Penn and take the MCAT before starting medical school.