Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Medicine Program

Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Medical Program

Purpose

The purpose of the Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Medical Program is to meet your needs to pursue a medical education, despite lacking some or all of the basic science courses required for admission to medical school. The objective of the program is to provide rigorous education in all areas of the pre-medical sciences that are required for admission to any medical, osteopathic, or veterinary school in the country.

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Curriculum Requirements

With preparation in mathematics and English entering the program in the fall semester, you can expect to complete the program in two years. The third year is known as the “glide year.” This is the year between completing the program and entering medical school. The glide year provides the opportunity to take additional courses, or deepen your exposure to medicine through full-time employment in a clinical setting or in a medical research laboratory. In order to be eligible for admission to medical school and, subsequently, to be licensed to practice medicine, students must complete the following seven courses in the arts and sciences:

  • One year of college English including a significant amount of expository writing
  • One year of mathematics including statistics
  • One year of general physics, including laboratory
  • One year of general chemistry, including laboratory
  • One year of organic chemistry, including laboratory
  • One year of biology, including laboratory, with significant emphasis in molecular and cellular biology
  • One year of upper-level coursework in biological sciences including biochemistry

Pre-Medical Studies Planning Guide

First Year

Semester 1—First Fall Semester
Semester 2—First Spring Semester
BIOL 107    General Biology (3 Credits)
BIOL 109    General Biology Laboratory (1 Credit)
CHEM 124    Principles of Chemistry I (4 Credits)
MATH 151    Calculus I (5 Credits)
Semester 1 total credits: 13
BIOL 115    Human Biology (3 Credits)
BIOL 117    Human Biology Laboratory (1 Credit)
CHEM 125    Principles of Chemistry II (4 Credits)
MATH 152    Calculus II (5 Credits)
Semester 2 total credits: 13

Second Year

    Semester 3—Second Fall Semester
Semester 4—Second Spring Semester
BIOL 214    Genetics (3 Credits)
CHEM 237    Organic Chemistry I (4 Credits)
PHYS 123    General Physics I (4 Credits)
BIOL 445    Cell Biology (3 Credits)
Semester 3 total credits: 14
MATH 425    Statistics (3 Credits)
CHEM 239    Organic Chemistry II (3 Credits)
CHEM 240    Organic Chemistry Laboratory (2 Credits)
PHYS 221    General Physics II (4 Credits)
BIOL 403    Biochemistry (4 Credits)
Semester 4 total credits: 16
  • Prepare and take MCAT in Semester 4
  • Submit medical school applications after semester 4.
  • Additional coursework for MCAT preparation may be required based on undergraduate degree program and may be incorporated in semesters 1-4.

Pre-Medical Advising and Support

On the Mies Campus of Illinois Tech, a number of advisers compose the Pre-Medical Advisory Committee. In the Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Program, you will be assigned an adviser who will be available to counsel you to help plan your program of study and as you prepare your applications to medical school. A number of academic support services will be made available to you in the program. In the university's Academic Resource Center, you can meet with tutors at no expense for additional help in your pre-medical courses. In the Pre-Medical Office, support staff will collect and send letters of recommendation to medical schools. Each year the Pre-Medical Office and the AMSA-IIT host a number of events specifically for pre-medical students, including special seminars of medical interest and forums in which you can learn from the experiences of those who have already taken the MCAT or have been admitted to medical school. While enrolled in the Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Program, you are invited and encouraged to attend weekly colloquia in the biological, chemical, and physical sciences and in other departments offering seminars of medical interest. Finally, Illinois Tech's location in the city of Chicago is a special advantage to students in the program. The city is home to six medical schools and numerous hospitals and medical research centers. It is also home to the American Medical Association. This concentration of medical practice will provide you with a wide variety of opportunities to gain experience in both clinical settings and medical research through volunteer service and paid employment.

Academic Standards

Medical schools expect successful applicants to possess excellent grounding in the pre-medical sciences. The quality of preparation is measured by grades earned in pre-medical courses. For this reason, Illinois Tech post-baccalaureate pre-medical students will be held to high academic standards. At a minimum, you must maintain a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 to remain in the program. Likewise, medical schools have high expectations about character. While enrolled in the program, you are expected to conduct yourself with honesty and integrity, inspiring confidence in your abilities to assume the responsibilities of medical practice. You will be subject to the academic and disciplinary standards detailed in the Illinois Institute of Technology Student Handbook.

Admissions Eligibility

You must hold a degree of bachelor of arts or bachelor of science from an accredited college or university in the United States or an equivalent degree from an institution outside the United States. At a minimum, you must possess a cumulative undergraduate grade-point average of 3.0. In most cases, you will not be eligible for admission if you have applied to medical school previously or have completed your pre-medical preparation elsewhere within the last five years. This is not a remedial program. You must submit a complete application package to the undergraduate admissions office for full consideration.