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Prehealth Advising

Early Assurance
Programs

Penn State has several early assurance opportunities for students interested in health professions. Check below for more information on these opportunities.

Established in 1996, this is an agreement between the Eberly College of Science and the Penn State College of Medicine.

University Park students can apply to the College of Medicine after their second year if they have met the following criteria:

  • completed 8 of the 10 math/science requirements***
  • earned a Penn State cumulative grade-point average of 3.6 or above

 

***MATH 140, 141; BIOL 110, 230W; CHEM 110/111; CHEM 112/113; PHYS 211, 212, 213/214 (or PHYS 250, 251); CHEM 210, 212/213

Students applying through the Penn State Schreyer Honors College’s early assurance opportunity for the College of Medicine cannot submit a second application through the Eberly College of Science.

There are no exceptions to these requirements.

 

If students are interested in this program, they must submit an application to the Prehealth Advising office with Melissa Krajcovic in their fourth semester at the University Park campus. Applications must include three letters of reference, and at least two of those three should be from Penn State faculty or staff, preferably from the Eberly College of Science, who can speak to a candidate’s potential to pursue medical studies. Interviews may be conducted by Melissa Krajcovic, and qualified applicants will then be forwarded to the College of Medicine for an interview. If students are accepted into the program, they would be notified during the summer. Accepted students would generally remain at the University Park campus for four years (but in an extraordinary case, a student could leave after the third year of the Premedicine major). The MCAT is not required for application to the program, but it must be taken in the junior year.

Requirements if accepted:

  • maintain a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher
  • complete remaining requirements for their undergraduate degree
  • take the MCAT between junior and senior year and perform at or above the mean score in each subsection (based on the previous-year College of Medicine matriculating class, determined on a year-to-year basis)

 

Formal acceptance to the Penn State College of Medicine is contingent upon successful completion of academic requirements for the undergraduate degree, continued demonstration of personal integrity, and a submission of the final transcript.

Established in 2016, this is a memorandum of understanding between the Eberly College of Science and Rutgers School of Dental Medicine.

Students at the University Park campus can apply to the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine through the Eberly College of Science’s director of science premedicine majors after their second year, if they have met the following criteria:

  • completed first-year English
  • completed 8 of the 10 math/science requirements***
  • earned a Penn State cumulative grade-point average of 3.5 or above

 

***MATH 140, 141; BIOL 110, 230W; CHEM 110/111; CHEM 112/113; PHYS 211, 212, 213/214 (or PHYS 250, 251); CHEM 210, 212/213. In the event of advanced placement (AP), international baccalaureate (IB), or advanced standing credit in the aforementioned courses, applicants will still be required to take substituted upper-level science courses with same amount of credit weight. For preapproval of a course intended to substitute, consultation with the director of premedicine and science majors is required before the course is taken.

 

There are no exceptions to these requirements.

If students are interested in this program, they will submit an application to the Prehealth Advising office with the director, Melissa Krajcovic, in their fourth semester (spring semester) at the University Park campus. Interviews may be conducted by Melissa Krajcovic, and qualified applicants will then be forwarded to the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine for an interview. If students are accepted into the program, they will be notified during the summer. Accepted students complete their four-year bachelor’s degree at the University Park campus. The DAT is not required for application to the program, but it must be taken in the junior year. Required DAT performance level will be designated by the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine.

Established in 2017, this is a memorandum of understanding between the Eberly College of Science and Salus University Pennsylvania College of Optometry.

University Park students can apply to Salus University Pennsylvania College of Optometry via the Eberly College of Science’s director of science premedicine majors after their second year. Because there is some flexibility in prerequisite course selections, interested students are encouraged to discuss their intentions as early as possible with the director to optimize course selection plans that will fit with the student’s intended academic major. General criteria include the following:

  • must have completed first-year English
  • must have completed at least eight of the following preparatory course requirements*
  • must have a Penn State cumulative grade-point average of 3.5 or above

 

*MATH 140; 141 (highly recommended); BIOL 110 and 230W or 240W; CHEM 110/111; CHEM 112/113; PHYS 211, 212, 213/214 (or PHYS 250, 251); CHEM 210, 212/213 or 202/203 or CHEM 210 (or 202) plus biochemistry**; MICRB 106/107 or 201/202; PSYCH 100 or higher level; STAT 200 or 250. In the event of advanced placement (AP), international baccalaureate (IB), or advanced standing credit in the aforementioned courses, applicants will still be required to take substituted upper-level science courses with same amount of credit weight. For preapproval of a course intended to substitute, consultation with the director of premedicine and science majors is required before the course is taken.

**For other accepted course combinations in organic chemistry, biochemistry, and cellular and molecular biology, consult with the director.

There are no exceptions to these requirements.

If students are interested in this program they will submit an application to the Prehealth Advising office with the director, Melissa Krajcovic, in their fourth semester (spring semester) at the University Park campus. Interviews may be conducted by Melissa Krajcovic, and qualified applicants will then be forwarded to Salus University Pennsylvania College of Optometry for an interview. If students are accepted into the program, they will be notified during the summer. Accepted students complete their four-year bachelor’s degree at the University Park campus. The OAT is not required for application to the program, but it must be taken in the junior year. Required OAT performance level will be designated by Salus University Pennsylvania College of Optometry.