University of Richmond's pre-health studies program gives students an edge
May 15, 2007
Matt Summers of Madison Heights, Va., might have attended another college if it hadn't been for University of Richmond's Pre-Health Education program. The biochemistry and molecular biology major was swayed by not only the small size of the university, but also the fact that the Pre-Health Education program had a dedicated advisor.
"I had a pretty good idea that I wanted to go into medicine [when applying to Richmond]," Summers says, noting that he had volunteered in a hospital emergency room during high school. "I also loved science. I wanted to make sure that I kept getting medical exposure [while studying science]."
Summers is one of 26 students who graduated from the program May 13. Twenty-two have already been accepted to medical schools. Summers received a much sought-after full scholarship to Mayo Clinic College of Medicine-whose acceptance rate is only 2.3 percent.
"There were almost 3,000 applications," Summers notes, "and only about 40 students got into the class."
Summers feels the pre-health program gave him an edge over other applicants.
"It really helps with the process," he says. "Going before the university's Health Professional Advisory Committee and through the interview process with them helps prepare you for the medical school interview. In fact, it's more intensive than the actual medical school interview."
Beatrice Grasu of Reisterstown, Md., was one of 12 pre-med students to be accepted into more than one medical school. A biochemistry and molecular biology major, she chose Marshall University's over Tulane's. She has high praise for the pre-med track at Richmond.
"It has been quite a positive experience, preparing me for medical school next year while giving me the chance to befriend some incredible fellow pre-med students," she says. "We all worked hard and found the non-competitive atmosphere advantageous, propelling us forward to the next step."
Dr. John Vaughan serves as director of Pre-Health Education, which encompasses all health professions, even though 70 percent of enrolled students are on the pre-med track.
"The program ideally begins in the freshman year," Vaughan explains. "The majority of students coming into the program believe that a health career suits them. It serves as a resource for students who are interested in those types of career options."
The program's curriculum varies, depending on the interests of the students. A pre-med student may take different courses from those of a student interested in dentistry, for example.
"I make sure that students take appropriate courses to best prepare them for their intended careers," Vaughan says. "In addition to traditional pre-med science classes, we offer supplemental courses in the medical humanities to enhance students' understanding of the health-care field."
"Those courses focus on important aspects of medical practice beyond the science of medicine," he explains. Chief among them are ethical decision-making in health-care, interpersonal communication, health care policy and legal issues in medicine. A recent grant from the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation supported the development of three such courses last year, setting the stage for a new medical humanities minor that will be available to students next fall. Vaughan will coordinate the new minor, which includes two physician-led courses.
The pre-health program includes a two-semester Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) preparation course.
"The class is team taught," Vaughan explains. "We have four faculty members who teach in the area of their expertise-biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry and physics."
Richmond is one of only a few schools that offer an in-house MCAT review course. Most leave that to commercial companies.
"I am not aware of any other undergraduate school that offers a faculty-led two-semester review that is similar to ours," Vaughan says.
From 2003-06, the average acceptance rate of Richmond students to medical schools is 84 percent for first-time applicants and 90 percent overall, compared to a national acceptance rate of 51 percent.
The program also offers students clinical opportunities through a network of health-care providers. Students are matched with a health-care practitioner in the specialty they want to pursue. Summers shadowed an orthopedic surgeon twice a week.
"Once a week, I got to scrub up and watch the surgeries," he says.