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About the Premedicine Major

Premedicine Overview,
Goals, and Requirements

Information about the Premedicine major at University Park, and academic and health professions advising information for Penn State students exploring health professions.

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.

 

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.

 

Program Requirements

Premedicine major - Academic Plan

 

Students entering Summer 2024 to Present

Premedicine Major - 2024 Requirement Check Sheet

Healthcare Internship Requirement

 

Students entering Summer 2023 to Present

Premedicine Major - 2023 Requirement Check Sheet

 

Students entering Summer 2018 to Present

Premedicine Major - Requirement Check Sheet

Worksheet: Create Your Own Academic Plan.doc

 

Information & Forms

Information

Forms