Preparatory Program for Medical Studies (Post-Baccalaureate Premed)

The purpose of the Preparatory Program for Medical Studies is to meet the needs of college graduates who have decided to pursue a medical education but who lack 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 premedical sciences that are required for admission to any medical, osteopathic, or veterinary school in the country.

Coursework

Students sufficiently prepared in mathematics and English who enter the program in the fall semester 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. For most students, the glide year provides the opportunity to take additional courses or to deepen their 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 college 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

Advising and Support

On the Mies Campus of Illinois Institute of Technology, there are a number of advisers who together constitute the Premedical Advisory Committee (science.iit.edu/pre-medicine). Preparatory program students will be assigned an adviser who will be available to counsel them as they plan their program of study and as they prepare their applications to medical school. A number of academic support services will be made available to students in the preparatory program. In the university’s Academic Resource Center, students can meet with tutors at no expense for additional help in their premedical courses. In the Premedical Office, support staff will collect and send letters of recommendation to medical schools. Each year the Premedical Office and the AMSA-IIT host a number of events specifically for premedical students including special seminars of medical interest and forums in which current students can learn from experiences of those who have already taken the MCAT or been admitted to medical school. Preparatory program students are invited and encouraged to attend weekly colloquia in the biological and chemical sciences and in other departments offering seminars of medical interest. Finally, the university's location in the city of Chicago is a special advantage to students in the preparatory 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 preparatory program students with a wide variety of opportunities to gain experience in both clinical settings and in medical research through volunteer service and paid employment.

Academic Standards

Medical schools expect successful applicants to possess excellent grounding in the premedical sciences. The quality of a student’s preparation is measured by the grades earned in premedical courses. For this reason, preparatory program students will be held to high academic standards. At a minimum, students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.00 to remain in the program. Likewise, medical schools have high expectations about an applicant’s character. Students in the preparatory program are expected to conduct themselves with honesty and integrity, inspiring confidence in their abilities to assume the responsibilities of medical practice. Students in the preparatory program are subject to the academic and disciplinary standards detailed in the Illinois Institute of Technology Student Handbook.

Admissions Eligibility

The student must hold the degree of bachelor of arts or 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, successful applicants must possess a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.00. In most cases, students will not be eligible for admission if they have applied to medical school previously or have completed their premedical preparation elsewhere within the last five years. This is not a remedial program. Students must submit a complete application package to the Office of Undergraduate Admission for full consideration.

Required Courses

• 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 into Semesters 1-4.