Interest in premedical/prehealth education is at an all-time high. This is especially true at Grove City College in the Albert A. Hopeman, Jr. School of Science and Engineering where the mission is to provide outstanding health-professional career preparation from a distinctly Christian perspective. This sets us apart from the majority of colleges and universities today, and has the practical effect of attracting outstanding faculty and students, and perpetuating a learning climate centered on truth and excellence.

The solid foundation that our students receive in the natural sciences is further strengthened by a strong core curriculum in the humanities and social sciences.

The health care professions into which our students have entered include medicine (both allopathic and osteopathic), dentistry, optometry, physicians assistant, physical and occupational therapy, medical technology, cardiovascular technology, pharmacy, nursing, veterinary  medicine, and biomedical research.

The success of our program is reflected by the fact that in each of the last three years about 90 percent of our graduates, who applied, gained admission to a variety of health-related programs. About one-third of these pursued medicine, while the rest were accepted into other health care schools. Many of our graduates have achieved significant distinction in the various programs.

CURRICULA

Most of our premedical/prehealth students pursue majors in the Departments of Biology, Chemistry, or Physics. Some, however, are non-science majors who take only the foundational courses required for acceptance to most premedical/prehealth profession programs. The core premedical science courses at GCC include General Biology I, Cellular and Molecular Biology, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and College Physics. In addition, we recommend a number of upper division courses such as Developmental Biology, Human Anatomy and Physiology, Microbiology, and Biochemistry.

Mathematics (including calculus), psychology, and English requirements are incorporated into the general education courses required for an academic major. All of the science courses include laboratory experiences taught by professors, not graduate teaching assistants or student workers. The labs include introductions to clinical and research techniques employed in modern biomedical laboratories.

Independent research experiences are available to upperclass students. These include “cutting edge” applications of DNA technology to such biological applications as cancer and cardiovascular research. All of these techniques rely on computer integration and Internet accessibility. Collaborations with nearby leading medical research centers have greatly aided in the development of these endeavors.

Some of the projects currently in progress involve tumor progression in mice, tissue and cell cultures, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques, electrophoresis, DNA sequencing, and spectrometry.

The Hopeman School’s upper-level classes typically have a low faculty-student ratio. These courses are often structured in the traditional lecture format with a research emphasis, or in a discussion/small-group format. Some courses such as Cellular and Molecular Biology and Biochemistry II are taught from a problem-solving approach emphasizing current research techniques. Others such as Human Anatomy and Physiology, Cardiopulmonary Physiology, and Pathophysiology emphasize integrated clinical problem-based learning, and are enhanced by computer simulations and computer-integrated research equipment.

ORGANIZATION

The pre-medical/pre-health program in the Hopeman School is directed by a committee composed of four science faculty members, one of whom serves as the pre-medical/pre-health coordinator. This committee provides guidelines for curricula, assists students in course selection, invites speakers, aids in obtaining clinical and research internships, and assists students with applications to medical or other health-related school programs. Candidates for professional schools are not prescreened for acceptability by the committee.

Students are aided by their faculty advisors and the Student Life and Learning Office in the application process. The candidates for professional schools are free to apply to the schools of their choice. Students are encouraged to request confidential letters of recommendation from faculty members chosen by them. Individual concern for each student has helped achieve the acceptance rates that Grove City College students have experienced in recent years. The core science courses are of the highest quality, and are important indicators of aptitude and future success in the health professions. These courses also provide important foundations for various national health professional exams such as the MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test), DAT (Dental Admissions Test), GRE (Graduate Record Exam), OAT Optometry Admissions Test) and others.

Some health-professional schools have entered into affiliation agreements with Grove City College to attract our students to their programs. These agreements do not guarantee that a student will gain admission to a particular school, but they do define minimum criteria that ensure that motivated applicants from our College will receive special consideration for admission.

The College offers a professional option plan whereby qualified students who enter a professional school after successful completion of six semesters at Grove City College may receive a diploma from the College.

INTERNSHIP AND MISSIONS OPPORTUNITIES
With the assistance of faculty advisers, students can locate individualized off-campus internships (either clinical or research-oriented) that incorporate the knowledge they have gained from their course work. These are normally taken in the summer, and students are awarded academic credit. Clinical internships involve on-site supervision by a health professional. Research internships have taken place in a laboratory at a university, private industry or biomedical research facility.

Foreign medical missions experiences are offered for academic credit during the summer. This elective affords pre-med students an opportunity in a direct, “hands-on” clinical setting to explore, and perhaps, kindle an interest in missionary medicine. This experience encourages students to investigate a medical career and spiritual ministry in an under-served region of the world. More information about internships and career opportunities is available at http://science.gcc.edu/biol.