Pre-Medical Program
Contact: Dr. E. Larry Nordyke 713-525-3169 or nordyke@stthom.edu
Dr. John A. Palasota 713-525-6918 or japalaso@stthom.edu
The pre-medical Program is designed to prepare students for entry into medical school, and students enjoy outstanding medical and dental school acceptance. The program is a rigorous science and math-based program that can be combined with any major. It is important to note that the pre-medical program is not a major but rather a program consisting of 41 credit hours (11 classes and 8 labs) of science and math courses and 6 credit hours of English. These courses serve as the prerequisites for application to medical and dental school. The pre-medical advisers in the program advise students in tandem with their major advisor, inform them of prerequisite courses, admissions test dates, and application deadlines, and present appropriate workshops, as well as providing letters of evaluation for application to medical school.
Students typically seek admission to the pre-medical Program during the spring semester of their freshman year. The criteria for admission include: (1) enrolled in at least 15 hours, (2) a combined SAT score of at least 1100, (3) completion of the first semester of both General Chemistry and General Biology, (4) current enrollment in the second semester of both General Chemistry and General Biology, (5) a cumulative GPA of at least 3.00 with no grade below “C,” and (6) recommendation by the University’s Health Professions Advisory Committee.
Medical school admission data for the last five academic years (Table I) indicate that approximately 75% of first-year experience (FYE) students (applicants who entered the University as freshman) and 88% of post baccalaureate students (applicants completing their science and calculus prerequisite courses at UST) were granted at least one interview. FYE and PB students typically complete their pre-medical science course requirements in residence. By contrast, only 50% of transfer students were granted at least one interview. These students usually enter the University having taken the beginning biology, chemistry, and english courses at another institution.
Table I. Medical School Applicants (Fall 2000-Spring 2005)
|
Admitted
|
Applicants
|
Interviewed
|
% App Int
|
Accepted
|
% App Acc
|
| FYE |
71 |
53 |
74.6 |
48 |
67.6 |
| Post Bac |
8 |
7 |
87.5 |
6 |
75.0 |
| Transfer |
18 |
9 |
50.0 |
8 |
44.4 |
We believe the interview statistic is indicative not only of the success of the pre-medical program but the high quality of teaching at the University, as the decision to grant an interview is based largely on a medical school applicant’s overall GPA, science GPA, and MCAT score.
Table II. Summary Information and Preprofessional Course
Requirements for Medical Schools in Texasa
| Medical Schools |
BCOM |
TAMU |
TCOM |
TTSOM |
UTMB |
UTH |
UTSA |
UTSW |
| Size of Class Admitted 2007 |
168 |
100 |
140 |
140 |
220 |
220 |
220 |
230 |
| Application Deadline |
Nov 1b |
Oct 15c |
Oct 15c |
Oct 15c |
Oct 15c |
Oct 15c |
Oct 15c |
Oct 15c |
| Secondary Application |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
no |
no |
no |
yes |
Minimum Semester
Hours Requiredd |
90 |
90 |
90 |
90 |
90 |
90 |
90 |
90 |
| Biologye |
8 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
Inorganic Chemistry
with Laboratoryf |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
Organic Chemistry
with Laboratoryf |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
Physics with
Laboratoryf |
- |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
College Calculusg
Or Statisticsh |
- |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3h |
3 |
3 |
| Englishf |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
a NOTE: Please be aware that these requirements can change. Check with your health professions advisor or the director of admissions of the professional school for any changes or additional requirements.
b Through AMCAS.
c Through TMDSAS.
d Baccalaureate degree highly desirable.
e 12 semester hrs of lecture and 2 semester hrs of formal laboratory. Includes all Biology courses applied toward Baccalaureate degree in traditional science fields. One semester of Biochemistry will be accepted toward fulfilling this requirement. Starting with the entering class of 2007, the UT Medical School at San Antonio will require that 3 of the 14 hrs must be Biochemistry (taught in either a biology or chemistry department). The UT Medical School at Houston will only accept Biochemistry taught in the biology or the biochemistry department (not in the chemistry department). Must have grade of C or better.
f Must have grade of C or better.
g Statistics course must be math based and preferably taught in math department.
h The U.T. Medical School at Houston does not accept Statistics to fulfill the Calculus requirement.
|
