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Pre-Medical and Pre-Health Professions Programs

As an aspiring health professional, the choices you make during your undergraduate studies will prepare you for today’s tests and tomorrow’s challenges.

The University of Scranton’s Pre-Medical and Pre-Health Professions Programs have a long tradition of preparing graduates to excel on the next level, whether you seek to go to medical school, dental school, veterinary school or other doctoral health professions. All pre-health students are served by the Health Professions Organization (HPO), which sponsors weekly events throughout the year.

Of the 1,207 applicants to doctoral health professions schools over the past 21 years, an average of 80% were accepted to schools of medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, pharmacy, podiatry and optometry. The acceptance rate for the Class of 2018 is 94%, for the Class of 2019 is 91%, and for the Class of 2020 is 88%.

Scranton graduates are not without options either: well over half of successful applicants in the past 10 years have received more than one acceptance.

As a Scranton pre-professional student, you will have the opportunity, not only to succeed academically, but also to develop an understanding of the complex needs of an evolving health care system. Attending HPO meetings regularly will provide you with the information you need to make your application to professional school.

Educating the Whole Person

So how do the University’s Pre-Medical and Pre-Health Professions Programs prepare students for the rigors of professional school? By educating the whole person.

While we prepare students in a variety of majors for doctoral-level programs in medicine, veterinary studies, dentistry, optometry and podiatry, pre-professional students like you are encouraged to develop all of your talents.

We want you to explore other areas of study, declare minors and/or second majors of interest and fully immerse yourself in the Scranton community. In addition to working with your faculty and your advisors, you will have access to student mentors who hold weekly office hours to answer your questions and connect you to campus resources relevant to you.
 
Many of our alumni in the pre-professional programs have earned awards in the sciences, and many others have received accolades in other disciplines. Several of our alumni have been named Goldwater Scholars, many have conducted research as Fulbright Scholars, and others have received full funding for M.D./Ph.D. programs.

Your education cannot begin soon enough. We encourage students to begin working with advisors in the summer preceding their freshman year to plan their undergraduate curriculum. Such consultations ensure the greatest opportunities to compile a successful application to the professional school of your choice.

A Personalized Education

Hands-on experience is what sets Scranton apart.

The majority of our students planning to pursue a doctoral-level degree in one of the health professions can become involved in:

What Courses Should You Take?

For most doctoral degrees in the health professions, there are a series of prerequisites, including:
  • General Biology (I-II, with labs)
  • General and Analytical Chemistry (I-II, with labs)
  • General Physics (I-II, with labs)
  • Organic Chemistry (I-II, with labs)
  • Biochemistry
  • Two courses in English literature
  • Psychology and/or Sociology
  • Statistics
Our advisors will work with you to develop an undergraduate plan to meet all the requirements for your specific degree program.

Plus, our general education program allows virtually all College of Arts and Sciences students, regardless of major, to complete the requirements for medical and other health professions schools.

Our pre-professional students also have access to the services offered by
  • the Health Professions Evaluation Committee
  • the Health Professions Library (IMBM 304)
  • the Health Professions Organization
  • and the Director of Pre-Medical and Pre-Health Professions Programs and Associate Director of Pre-Health Advising

Opening of the Loyola Science Center

In fall 2012, the Loyola Science Center, designed to foster an interdisciplinary interaction among students and professors, was completed, providing ultramodern classrooms and laboratories along with a rooftop greenhouse for research.

Benefits of Medical Alumni Council

You are not alone on your path to success. The University's Medical Alumni Council (MAC) assists young professional students by offering health-related programs, networking assistance and guidance on admission to health professional schools.

These alumni know the landscape of the health care profession and can help you understand the journey to reaching medical school and the many options available within your career as a health professional.

The MAC is dedicated to maintaining Scranton’s place as a recognized leader in pre-health professional education. Undergraduate and graduate students, as well as alumni in professional school and residency, are invited to attend MAC events, including the Medical Alumni Symposium, free of charge.

Filling the Need for Physicians

The shortage of physicians in rural areas of the United States represents one of the most pressing health policy problems of the past century.

This predicament has serious implications for access to care, the quality of care, and the health of those individuals living in rural areas of Pennsylvania, which has the third largest rural population of any state.

To help fill this void, the University has teamed up with the nationally recognized Jefferson Medical College Physician Shortage Area Program at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia to recruit and educate students interested in the practice of medicine in rural areas.

We are one of only seven undergraduate institutions participating in the Physician Shortage Area Program.

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