2023-2024
Pre-Medicine (advising track)
VCU Student Success
Program description
Students interested in the pre-medicine advising track must obtain a bachelor’s degree and complete the necessary prerequisites for medical school. All prerequisites should be completed or on track to be complete prior to medical school matriculation. Best results occur when all prerequisite courses have been taken and grades are available at the time of application. Students interested in medical school should consult with a Pre-Professional Health (PPH) and STEM Career Advisor to learn about requirements that are specific to the schools of medicine to which they hope to apply.
Declaration of a pre-medicine advising track through the PPH & STEM Career Advising Team does not constitute admission to the VCU School of Medicine. Students must apply separately to the medical school(s) of their choice at the appropriate time.
Students with an interest in preparing for medical school must declare an academic major and should declare and maintain their pre-medical advising track. Students do not earn a pre-medical degree. Students unsure of their academic majors initially should clarify their academic interests through regular conversations with their primary/major academic adviser. Pre-medical students are encouraged to major in fields of greatest interest to them. To declare a pre-medicine advising track, please see the Canvas Pre-Professional Health (PPH) Hub.
Career opportunities
Physicians may earn a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) to practice allopathic medicine or a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) to practice osteopathic medicine. Both types of physicians must select a speciality in which they will practice patient care such as pediatrics, cardiology, dermatology, or surgery. Additional career opportunities for physicians include research, teaching, healthcare administration, public health, or advocacy, to name a few.
Change of major requirements
To change to a different PPH Track, students must complete the PPH Module on the Canvas PPH Hub that corresponds to the new track in which they are interested.
Graduate and professional level job titles
- Health-Based Researcher
- Medical Doctor
- Physician Assistant
- Professor
Professional associations and resources
Degree requirements in Bulletin
Plan of study in Bulletin
n/a
Requirements
Highest level of math required
- MATH 151
- STAT 210
Science required
- 5+ additional science courses
Foreign language requirements
- No
Additional tuition/fees
- No
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
- A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7+ is required to apply to become a pre-professional health student and to stay on the pre-professional health advising track.
Transfer Maps
Contact information
Department name:
Pre-Professional Health Advising
Building/room location:
Hibbs Hall, First Floor
Phone:
804-827-8648
Email:
preprofadv@vcu.edu
Campus (where 75% of courses are taken):
Monroe Park
Major map
Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Enroll in a student success course to connect with campus advisors and build community around your interests and goals.
- Map out a 4-year course plan in the DegreeWorks Student Educational Planner.
- Meet with a writing consultant to hone your writing skills.
- Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor to review your CSI self-report, start goal planning, and choose electives.
- Sharpen your study skills in supplemental instruction sessions at the Campus Learning Center.
- Familiarize yourself with the Canvas Pre-Professional Health (PPH) Hub.
- Required to declare the pre-med track are BIOL/Z 151, CHEM/Z 101, CHEM/Z 102, and MATH 151 or 200.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
- Apply to live in a program-in-residence or a living learning community.
- Consider applying to the Honors College.
- Get involved, meet people, and develop your interests by joining one of VCU's 50 student clubs and organizations.
- If living on campus, connect with your Resident Assistant, attend hall events, and participate in Community Council.
- Participate in RAM CAMP to get a jump start on learning about VCU’s campus community.
- Register to vote in Virginia and explore Richmond’s many museums and parks.
- Sign-up for the PPH Newsletter to start learning about opportunities to connect to your community by emailing our office at preprofadv@vcu.edu.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
- Check out the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs and follow @vcuomsa.
- Connect with the Global Education Office to explore leadership and intercultural communication skill-building programs like the Peace Corps Prep Certificate.
- Join RAMmalogues to talk with peers about social identities in the context of acceptance, belonging, and inclusion in life at VCU.
- Review Global Learning's Major Advising Sheets to explore studying abroad opportunities and other global learning opportunities.
- Visit a study abroad fair and complete Rams Abroad 101.
- Make an appointment with the National Scholarship Office to explore study abroad and other nationally competitive scholarship opportunities.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Activate your Handshake profile and opt-in to industry email lists.
- Apply to be a Division of Student Affairs peer leader.
- Consider applying for a federal work-study job on- or off-campus in Handshake.
- Seek research opportunities by applying for research funding through the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program.
- Set up a profile in the Student Opportunity Center to explore REAL opportunities.
- Check Handshake and the Student Opportunity Center for career fairs and other experiential opportunities.
- Create a draft resume and meet with a career advisor in VCU Career Services to discuss it.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Access your free credit report and begin making responsible credit choices to prepare for your future.
- Build a resume and LinkedIn profile with help from VCU Career Services, make at least 10 connections, and check out the VCU alumni career programs page.
- Explore “What Can I Do With This Major” to learn about employers in your field of study.
- Join Students Today Alumni Tomorrow to connect with VCU traditions and alumni networking opportunities.
- Make a 4-year affordability plan with your financial counselor.
- Read as much as possible for fun (not just for class) and pick up newspapers, novels, and magazines to help improve your CARS score on the MCAT.
- Required to complete the pre-med track, complete the declaration module on our Canvas PPH Hub.
Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Explore innovation and business/non-profit creation classes with the da Vinci Center.
- Get familiar with the research process with the VCU Libraries Research Basics Guide.
- Schedule an appointment with your advisor to explore minors, certificates, and plan your required REAL experience.
- Talk to professors about your research interests, electives, and strategies for success in your classes.
- Schedule an appointment with your PPH and STEM Career Advisor on Handshake.
- Required to declare the pre-med track, take BIOL/Z 151, CHEM/Z 101, CHEM/Z 102, and MATH 151 or 200.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
- Discuss personal and professional interests with faculty.
- If living on campus, join the Residence Hall Association.
- Learn about the Sophomore Year Experience in Cary & Belvedere.
- Take a service-learning class to get involved with local organizations while earning credit.
- Volunteer to address a social issue and check out Hands on Greater Richmond for opportunities.
- Discuss potential service opportunities with your PPH and STEM career advisor to ensure appropriateness for medical school requirements
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
- Apply for the Critical Languages Scholarship.
- Explore social issues, develop cultural competency skills, and engage with faculty through iExcel pop-up courses.
- Investigate globally-focused courses in your major by pursuing language coursework or setting language proficiency goals with advisors and faculty.
- Make friends with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
- Volunteer with a vulnerable, underrepresented, and/or underserved community, focus on the depth of the experience, and reflect on the challenges these populations might face with their health care.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Attend career and internship fairs and other professional development events.
- Complete a gap analysis with your career advisor to identify key skills required for your professional field.
- Explore global career options with a career advisor to set goals for getting your dream job.
- Organize examples of your academic and professional experiences, accomplishments, and reflections in an ePortfolio.
- Pursue a digital badge to highlight the knowledge, skills, and experiences employers and graduate schools value.
- Seek out practical experience through independent skill-building, internships, shadowing, or part-time work.
- Collecting and reflecting on your experiences using the Pre-Professional Health Journal on Canvas PPH Hub every semester is highly recommended!
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Ask a faculty or staff member to be your academic and professional mentor and to provide future letters of recommendation.
- Build a resume and LinkedIn profile with help from VCU Career Services, make at least 10 connections, and check out the VCU alumni career programs page.
- Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of professional interest.
- Connect with alumni on VCULink for career advice, industry contacts, and meaningful professional relationships.
- Meet with a coach in the Financial Success Center to set financial goals, understand student loans, and create spending plans.
- Consider who you would like to have serve as future letter of recommendation writers, research the number of letters you need, and identify who can write them; typically, for medical school, applicants should have at least 1 letter from a science professor, 1 from a clinician, and 1 from a professional.
- Review resources at AAMC and begin to develop your own plan for applying and taking the MCAT.
Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Enhance your business, software, technology, and creative skills using LinkedIn Learning.
- See your academic and career advisors to discuss graduation progress and career planning.
- Take a virtual library tour to learn about library spaces, services, and research help.
- Discuss with your PPH and STEM career advisor whether you should apply this year or apply next year and take a gap year; if not taking a gap year, year 4 of the major map must be completed prior to application.
- Participate in the Pre-Health Advisory Committee (PHAC) in the spring semester.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
- Attend civic meetings, such as school board, neighborhood association, city council, or state legislative sessions.
- Design a community-engaged research project.
- Make an appointment with the National Scholarship Office to explore post-graduate scholarship and fellowship opportunities, such as the Fulbright Student Scholarship.
- Motivate your peers by presenting at Leaders Unleashed: Student Leadership Conference or at TEDxVCU.
- Consider being a mentor to 1st or 2nd year pre-medicine students and teach others what you’ve learned about the journey of preparing for professional school.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
- Build language proficiency and cultural competence by carrying out your plans for study abroad, internships, and service-learning.
- Explore new cultures at one of Richmond’s wide array of festivals.
- Get required REAL experience and effect community change by using iExcel’s Active Citizen’s Toolkit to vote and volunteer.
- Prepare for future work on multidisciplinary and multicultural teams by showcasing your interpersonal skills on your resume.
- Continue volunteering with a vulnerable, underrepresented, and/or underserved community; develop long-term relationships; and get more involved in the organization.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Apply for the Graduate School Mentorship Program to learn more about graduate school and the graduate student experience.
- Get expert advice from VCU Alumni ranging from graduate school to your career simply by asking a question through Ask A Ram.
- Take advantage of mock interview opportunities through InterviewStream or meeting with a career advisor.
- Collecting and reflecting on your experiences using the Pre-Professional Health Journal on Canvas PPH Hub every semester is highly recommended!
- Look for opportunities at VCU, your place of employment, and/or in your greater community that allow you to apply for a leadership role or assume greater responsibility while focusing on opportunities in areas that you are passionate about.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Make a plan with your academic, career, and faculty advisors for applying to graduate school or land a micro-internship.
- Prepare for job offer negotiation by researching salaries, benefits, and other opportunities for flexibility.
- Study for and complete any standardized exams required for graduate school the summer before senior year.
- Review materials and begin studying for the MCAT and plan to incorporate multiple MCAT study skills and techniques.
- Talk with your PPH and STEM career advisor about any concerns and understand the background check process for your profession.
Excel
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Choose REAL electives to diversify your skillset and round out your degree.
- Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor the semester before you graduate to ensure that all graduation requirements will be met.
- Review your true cumulative GPA, science GPA, non-science GPA, grade trend, and semester course difficulty to see a full picture of your academic profile.
- Scheduling an appointment with a PPH and STEM career advisor is highly recommended to assess your progress through the application process and to discuss gap year options.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
- Apply for post-graduation programs like Peace Corps, Literacy Lab, Richmond Teacher Residency, or AmeriCorps.
- Attend professional association conferences that offer student rates or scholarships.
- Serve in a leadership role on campus in a local community organization.
- Have your personal statement reviewed by the Office of Pre-Professional Health Advising, VCU Career Services, and other professionals.
- If taking a gap year, review options relevant to application areas that need strengthening.
- Serve in a leadership role on campus or as a board member of a local community organization.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
- Carry out globally-oriented research projects with multilingual faculty and international partners.
- Master your answers to interview questions about your experience working with diverse populations.
- Plan for how you will grow your cultural agility after graduation.
- Read scholarly articles about diversity in your field.
- Reflect on your own cultural competency, and be prepared to answer interview questions that outline how you have worked with diverse populations based on the Community Connection Competencies in the Pre-Professional Healthcare Journal.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Consider becoming an educator through programs like RTR, which prepare graduates from a variety of majors to become teachers in high-need schools.
- Meet with your academic or professional mentor and identify examples of your experiential learning to share with employers.
- Publish your original research in Auctus: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creativity.
- Collecting and reflecting on your experiences using the Pre-Professional Health Journal on Canvas PPH Hub every semester is highly recommended!
- Reflect on the experiential learning you have engaged in thus far and discuss with current or potential mentors among your peers, faculty, advisors, alumni, and professionals.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Connect with the Office of VCU Alumni Relations at Grad Fair, Grad Bash, and the VCULink Industry Network or alumni chapter.
- Have a personal statement or cover letter reviewed by Career Services.
- Prepare for graduation by making a plan to complete licensing exams, applications, and self-marketing activities.
- Single out prospective employers and create a job or graduate school search strategy at least 8 months before graduation.
- If accepted to a professional healthcare program, make sure to understand the process of acceptance to a school including tuition deposits, the background check, and traffic rules.
- Review test day information, sign up, and take the MCAT then meet with your PPH and STEM career advisor to review your score and how it impacts your application competitiveness.
2023-2024
Pre-Medicine (advising track)
VCU Student Success
Concentration(s):
No concentration
| MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING | GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY | DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY | EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS | PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE | ||
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| Explore | Year 1 |
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| Experience | Year 2 |
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| Excel | Year 4 |
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