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About the Premedicine Major

Premedicine Overview,
Goals, and Requirements

Overview of the Premedicine Major

The Premedicine major, a minimum of 120 credits, constitutes an excellent preparation for admission to medical school by offering a good balance between science and non-science courses and a healthcare internship. This major also gives students the freedom to tailor the program to meet individual needs & interests by permitting a generous number of supporting courses including an area of concentration to allow students to highlight a specific area of interest. Specific admission requirements or recommendations of a particular medical school, not already in the required courses of the major, may be included among the supporting courses. Many students also use their supporting courses to pursue a minor. Though students may begin at any Penn State campus, this major must be completed at University Park.

 

Program Goals

The 4-year interdisciplinary Premedicine degree provides excellent preparation in the natural sciences and supporting non-science courses, enabling students to be competitive for entry to post-graduate professional schools and careers.

Program Learning Objectives:

  1. Science Competency: Graduates will be able to apply scientific concepts from the natural and social sciences most relevant to medicine: biology, chemistry, physics, biochemistry, psychology, and sociology.
  2. Scientific Inquiry: Graduates will be able to perform the process of science.
  3. Critical Thinking & Quantitative Reasoning: Graduates will be able to use quantitative reasoning skills to analyze and interpret scientific data.
  4. Communication: Graduates will be able to effectively convey information through oral and written communication.
  5. Ethical Responsibility: Graduates will be able to apply ethical reasoning to problems that present within medical and bio technological scenarios and have facility with key ethical frameworks utilized in healthcare and public health.

 

Additional Program Information

View the Premedicine BS Program Requirements and the Suggested Academic Plans in the Undergraduate Bulletin, with the starting campus and math placement considerations

  • Starting at University Park Campus
  • Starting at University Park Campus, with ALEKS placement in MATH 22
  • Starting at Commonwealth Campuses

*Note to students in the Premedicine B.S. major (prior to Summer 2024 semester): Consult with your academic adviser about opting-in to the curricular requirements of the updated Premedicine B.S. major.

Current Requirements for Premedicine BS Program:

Past Requirements by year of entry to Penn State:

Worksheet: Create Your Own Academic Plan.doc\

 

*Note to students in the Premedicine B.S. major (prior to Summer 2024 semester): Consult with your academic adviser about opting-in to the curricular requirements of the updated Premedicine B.S. major.

Students in the Premedicine BS major may pursue a concurrent degree (double major) or sequential degree with programs that are OUTSIDE the Eberly College of Science. Within the Eberly College of Science, students may pursue a concurrent degree (double major) or sequential degree on a case by case basis. Please inquire if interested.

  • Concurrent and sequential degree requests are reviewed and must be approved by each program.
  • Students must meet all entrance and degree requirements for each major.
  • Students should consult with their academic adviser prior to submitting the request for a concurrent or sequential major.

Premedicine BS majors who are in the Schreyer Honors College may pursue honors study in any disciplinary area they desire. For example, many scholars complete a scientific honors thesis that is supervised by a faculty member within an Eberly College of Science department:

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Mathematics
  • Physics
  • Statistics

Alternatively, some scholars complete an honors thesis supervised by a faculty member in another college at the University Park campus:

  • Agricultural Sciences
  • Arts and Architecture
  • Smeal College of Business
  • Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications
  • Earth and Mineral Sciences
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • Health and Human Development
  • Information Sciences and Technology
  • Liberal Arts

It may also be possible to complete an honors thesis with faculty at the College of Medicine (Hershey, PA), with permission of the faculty member.

 

It is the responsibility of the Schreyer scholar to identify and secure a position within a research group where you will conduct your honors thesis work.

 

Thesis Evaluation and Approval Process:

Your honors thesis must be evaluated and approved by two Penn State faculty members:

  1. Thesis Supervisor - This is the faculty principal investigator (PI) who oversees your honors project and provides guidance throughout the process, culminating with your written honors thesis.
  2. Thesis Honors Adviser - This is a faculty honors adviser from the disciplinary area in which you are pursuing honors, called your Area of Honors.

Important note: If your thesis supervisor also serves as your thesis honors adviser, you must identify a Thesis Faculty Reader to review and approve your thesis. This person should be selected in coordination with your thesis supervisor.

 

Understanding the role of the Thesis Honors Adviser:

The thesis honors adviser is responsible for enforcing any area-specific policies or requirements beyond the thesis itself. These may include:

  • Required coursework for honors graduation, which is often verified during approval of the thesis proposal
  • Restrictions on who may pursue honors in a given area - for example, some disciplines only grant honors to students who are majoring or minoring in that field, while others may allow any student whose thesis is supervised by a faculty member in the area

Students can view a list of honors advisers at the University Park campus on the Schreyer Honors College website.

 

Because Area of Honors policies vary by discipline, students should consult the primary honors adviser for their intended Area of Honors to confirm eligibility before proceeding. 

 

Premedicine Program Policies:

The Premedicine Program does not permit Premedicine (a major), to be designated as an Area of Honors. Schreyer scholars should work with their thesis supervisor to identify a suitable disciplinary area for honors designation. The student must then obtain approval from the primary honors adviser in that discipline to officially declare it as their Area of Honors. Students who have difficulty securing an approved Area of Honors should contact the Schreyer Honors College to discuss options.

 

It is the responsibility of the Schreyer scholar, in coordination with their thesis supervisor, to identify and receive approval for a relevant Area of Honors that aligns with the field of the honors thesis.

 

Academic Advising:

Premedicine majors who are in the Schreyer Honors College will work with an academic Honors Adviser who is well-versed in your major's degree requirements and the honors course credit requirements. Your academic honors adviser will:

  • Guide your selection of honors courses that align with your major requirements
  • Coach you on strategies to identify and approach a faculty PI to request their supervision of your honors thesis
  • Review and approve your annual Schreyer Plan through the SRS website

Keep in mind that your academic honors adviser does not participate in guiding your research, writing your thesis, or reviewing/approving your thesis.

 

Download the Premedicine Schreyer Guide to view a PDF version of this information.

For students looking for Prehealth Advising for ANY major, please visit the Prehealth Advising page to learn more about the services and resources offered by our Prehealth Advising Office. Prehealth Advising serves current students and alumni from any major and any campus of Penn State.

 

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