The pre-medical studies designation (“designation”) is a university-wide academic track designed for undergraduate students interested in clinical doctorates such as MD, DO, PharmD, OD, DPM, DC, DPT or DVM. The designation is not designed or intended for students enrolled in Quinnipiac's entry-level clinical degree programs.
The pre-medical studies designation is not a stand-alone program and is completed along with an undergraduate degree and major. The designation allows students to track completion of courses commonly required by medical schools and other clinical doctorate programs. While the designation includes the most common requirements, prerequisites vary by program type and school. Students are responsible for checking doctoral programs of interest in advance of applying to determine whether additional coursework is required.
Pre-Medical Studies Enrollment: Students may enroll in the designation after matriculation by attending one “Pre-Med 101” workshop held by the director of pre-health advising. Pre-Med 101 offerings can be found on Handshake at the start of fall and spring terms and will be advertised via Pre-Health Opportunities emails.
Prospective Students: When applying to QU, undergraduate students interested in medical school or any clinical doctorate listed above should select "pre-medical studies" as a track of interest. This automatically adds them to the Pre-Health Opportunities email list to receive information about pre-medical studies enrollment prior to matriculation and throughout fall term.
Requirements
To receive the pre-medical studies designation upon graduation, these are the requirements:
- Required cumulative GPA of 3.3 or above in required Pre-Medical Studies coursework
- Online coursework not accepted (per MD and DO admissions policies)
- Grades will not be “replaced” for repeated courses to determine GPA eligibility (all attempts calculated)
- Minimum of 18 credit hours of designation coursework must be completed at Quinnipiac
- Courses completed elsewhere must be transferred to QU and listed on the QU transcript
Experiential Development
In addition to strong academic performance, pre-medical students need to actively pursue experiences throughout college that help them gain in-depth knowledge about the healthcare field and their intended profession. A wide range of skills and competencies should be developed through:
- healthcare exposure (shadowing, volunteering, clinical work, etc.)
- research outside of the curriculum
- service learning
- community involvement and leadership
Active participation in pre-med workshops, advising, and events is expected. Students should focus on developing the AAMC's Pre-Med Competencies for Entering Medical Students and utilize pre-medical resources available through the Association of American Medical Colleges.
Advising
Advising services for pre-medical students include preparatory workshops, guest speaker events, peer mentorship, and one-on-one advising with the director of pre-health advising. First-year students are supported by the Pre-Med Ambassador peer mentorship program, which is overseen by the director of pre-health advising. Pre-med students should seek guidance on pre-professional development and strategy from the director of pre-health advising. Advising topics include assessment of readiness, competency development, timeline planning, application strategy, essay reviews, school selection, mock interviews, and navigating the application process. Quinnipiac's Health Professions Advisory Committee (HPAC) offers an optional committee letter evaluation process for eligible medical school applicants.
Transfer Students
Undergraduate students who transfer to Quinnipiac University and wish to pursue the pre-medical studies designation must complete a minimum of 18 credits of required designation coursework at QU. If needed, grades for required coursework taken at other universities may be utilized to determine academic eligibility upon graduation.
Advanced Placement Credits
Most pre-med students opt not to utilize AP credits for entry-level biology and chemistry for strategic purposes (medical school admissions policies and/or MCAT prep). Many medical schools either discourage or will not accept AP credits for prerequisites. Some professional schools may accept AP credits for required sciences if the applicant completes advanced coursework in the same discipline. Students are encouraged to check specific admissions requirements and policies for professional degree programs of interest.
Online Coursework
In accordance with professional school admissions policies, online courses are not accepted for designation requirements. Online degree seekers are not eligible for the pre-medical studies designation.
Course Requirements
All courses listed in this section may count toward both the major (if applicable) and the pre-medical studies designation.
Required Courses (39 credits)
Students must complete all of the listed required courses, as they are the minimum prerequisites for application to most medical schools and form the basis of standardized admission tests such as Medical College Admission Test (MCAT).
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| General Biology I and General Biology I Lab | ||
| General Biology for Majors and General Biology for Majors Laboratory | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| General Biology II and General Biology Lab II | ||
| Molecular and Cell Biology and Genetics and Molecular and Cell Biology and Genetics Lab | ||
| Required courses: | ||
| CHE 110 & 110L | General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Lab | 4 |
| CHE 111 & 111L | General Chemistry II and General Chemistry II Lab | 4 |
| CHE 210 & 210L | Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry I Lab | 4 |
| CHE 211 & 211L | Organic Chemistry II and Organic Chemistry II Lab | 4 |
| PHY 110 & 110L | General Physics I and General Physics I Lab | 4 |
| PHY 111 & 111L | General Physics II and General Physics II Lab | 4 |
| CHE 315 & 315L | Biochemistry I and Biochemistry I Lab | 4 |
| MA 141 | Calculus of a Single Variable | 3 |
| Total Credits | 39 | |
In addition to the required pre-med designation courses, students applying to medical school must complete two English courses, Psychology 101 (PS 101), Sociology 101 (SO 101), and one additional math course (statistics recommended) to meet medical school admissions requirements and/or prepare for the MCAT exam. Humanities such as ethics and philosophy, and advanced sciences such as genetics, cell biology, and anatomy & physiology, are highly recommended.
Students are required to check specific the course requirements for professional programs to which they intend to apply. Medical and professional schools may require or recommend additional elective coursework.
Students planning toward medical school should determine additional course requirements by using the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) resources on MD program course requirements and American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine's ChooseDO resource to determine DO program course requirements. Additional resources for determining course requirements are provided after designation enrollment.