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Nighttime view of Temple University Children's Medical Center Temple University Hospital in background, Kresge Hall (left) and Medical Research Building (right) in foreground Old Medical School building in foreground, Jones Hall, General Services building and Student Faculty Center to the right

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School of medicine creates new pipeline for future docs

The new Postbaccalaureate Pre-Medical Program will provide a pathway for students interested in a medical career but who either have a non-science degree or have it but need extra support. Photo by Kevin Monko, Kelsh Wilson.

The new Postbaccalaureate Pre-Medical Program will provide a pathway for students interested in a medical career but who either have a non-science degree or have it but need extra support.

Photo by Kevin Monko, Kelsh Wilson.

 

The Council on Graduate Medical Education reports that by 2020, the United States will face a nationwide shortage of more than 85,000 doctors, and with the onset of the “silver tsunami” – the 79 million retiring baby boomers who will need more medical treatment as they age – that deficit threatens to grow.


To provide pathways for new doctors, the School of Medicine has rolled out a new Postbaccalaureate Pre-Medical Program for students who are interested in a medical career, but who either have an undergraduate degree in a non-science major, or have the degree and simply need additional classroom work and/or Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) preparation.


Students in each of these scenarios are deemed “career changers” or “career enhancers,” respectively. For the “career changer,” there is the Basic Core in Medical Science. Students enroll in the School of Medicine in a 12-month, 32-semester-hour non-degree-granting program that provides pre-medical undergraduate science coursework in the College of Science and Technology.

 

The Advanced Core in Medical Science meets the needs of “career enhancers,” and offers rigorous graduate science coursework for those already close to gaining admittance into medical school. This track is a two-semester, 20-semester-hour non-degree granting program.

 

“This new Postbaccalaureate Program is integrated into the fabric of our School of Medicine, enhancing the educational and mentoring value to students. As we eagerly anticipate the grand opening of our new 480,000-square-foot Medical School building in the spring of 2009, we look forward to increasing our capacity to educate physicians for the future. Both programs provide a uniquely qualified pool of applicants to our School of Medicine and have the potential to enhance the reputation of the institution by providing new, highly desirable educational opportunities at Temple,” said Dr. Audrey Uknis, Associate Dean for Admissions at the Medical School.

 

In both cases, students are offered mentoring opportunities with School of Medicine faculty and an MCAT preparation course. At the completion of each program, students with at least a 3.5 GPA and an MCAT score of at least 30 will be granted special admission status to the School of Medicine.

 

Students who may not go directly to medical school after their completion of the program have the option to enroll in the masters program in biomedical sciences at the School of Medicine.

 

For more information on the Postbaccalaureate Pre-Medical Program, visit the web site at www.temple.edu/medicine/education/post_bac_programs.htm.

 

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By Renee Cree

renee.cree@temple.edu

January 16, 2008