Preparing UChicago graduates for medical school
Strengthen your transcript, complete additional requirements, expand your scientific knowledge base, and potentially partake in additional research and/or clinical experiences before you apply for medical school. Benefit from deeply informed advising to create an effective and individualized program of study and an optimized final medical school application. Access to campus resources, such as Career Advancement's Pre-Health Office, to identify additional opportunities during any gap year. Our Director and leadership team looks forward to supporting your future in the medical arts.
Certificate Requirements
Premedical Sciences Certificate
Granted for completion of all standard premedical coursework with a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher for the following courses:
- 3 quarters of biology with lab
- 3 quarters of general chemistry with lab
- 3 quarters of organic chemistry with lab
- 3 quarters of physics with lab
- 3 quarters of humanities or English (any course including creative writing)
- 1 quarter of biochemistry
- 1 quarter of statistics
Advanced Premedical Sciences Certificate
Granted for completion of all the coursework needed for the premedical sciences certificate, plus six additional courses from either the PSD/BSD, with a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher.
Admissions
Recent graduates with a BA or BS from the University of Chicago or current students in their third or fourth years in the College are eligible to apply. At the time of matriculation, all students must possess a BA or BS from the University of Chicago.
Students should have an overall GPA of 3.00 or higher across all of their undergraduate coursework, and in response to several essay prompts on the application itself, provide a compelling case for their future study of medicine. Particular attention will be paid to performances in any science-based classes taken at the University of Chicago.
Following an initial review of core criteria, potential finalists will be interviewed by program leadership before an admission offer is made.
Please note that this certificate program is not eligible for visa sponsorship from the University of Chicago.
Required application materials:
- Transcript demonstrating 3.0 GPA or higher
- Resume
- Personal statement
- Interview (upon invitation)
Applications
If interested in applying for the program, please contact Scott Snyder directly for application materials.
Student Pathways
No matter your starting point, our faculty and advisors are here to help you choose the best pathway to prepare for a successful medical school application.
If you decided late in your undergraduate career that you wanted to apply for medical school, or took minimal courses in the premedical track, you will follow Pathway 1, completing the standard premedical curriculum at the University of Chicago in six to seven quarters of additional enrollment.
A typical variant of this pathway would be:
Y1 Q1
- General Chemistry I, Chem 11100 or equivalent
- Physics I, Phys 12100 or equivalent
- Math or Statistics course
Y1 Q2
- General Chemistry II, Chem 11200 or equivalent
- Physics II, Phys 12200 or equivalent
- Biology I, BIOS 20170
Y1 Q3
- General Chemistry III, Chem 11300 or equivalent
- Physics III, Phys 12300 or equivalent
- Biology II, BIOS 20171
Summer
- Research or internship experience
Y2 Q1
- Organic Chemistry I, Chem 22000
- Biology III, BIOS 20172
- Additional course, research, or internship
Y2 Q2
- Organic Chemistry II, Chem 22100
- Biology IV, BIOS 20173
- Additional course, research, or internship
Y2 Q3
- Organic Chemistry III, Chem 22200
- Biology V, BIOS 20175
- Additional course, research, or internship
If you have finished some but not all of the standard premedical coursework and/or you want to strengthen your transcript, you could follow Pathway 2. Here, in three to four quarters of additional enrollment, you could focus on courses in the area of organic chemistry, advanced biology, and/or take a body of advanced coursework beyond the standard requirements.
This pathway might look like:
Summer
- Research or internship experience
Y1 Q1
- Organic Chemistry I, Chem 22000
- Biology III, BIOS 20172
- Additional course, research, or internship
Y1 Q2
- Organic Chemistry II, Chem 22100
- Biology IV, BIOS 20173
- Additional course, research, or internship
Y1 Q3
- Organic Chemistry III, Chem 22200
- Biology V, BIOS 20175
- Additional course, research, or internship
Tuition and Fees
Students will pay tuition and fees on a per-course basis. Please see the UChicago's Office of the Bursar website for updated rates.
Please note: Students in certificate programs are not eligible for tuition scholarships or federal financial aid, including loans.
Contact
Please contact Scott Snyder for any additional questions.
