Pre-Medical Program at Wesleyan

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Laura Strausberg
Contact: lstrausberg@wesleyancollege.edu

Ready to become a physician? At Wesleyan, we'll help you build a strong foundation for medical school while you pursue any major that interests you. Our pre-medical concentration ensures you complete all required coursework and gain the experiences that make you a competitive applicant.

🏥 The Medical Journey

What Do Physicians Do? Physicians assess, diagnose, and treat patients of all ages using evidence-based medicine. They work in hospitals, private practices, research facilities, and government agencies.

Training Timeline: 4 years medical school → 3-8 years residency → Optional fellowship sub-specialization

Academic Requirements

🎯 Minimum Standards for Competitive Applications

• Overall GPA: 3.6 or higher
• Science GPA: 3.6 or higher
• Prerequisites: No grades below C in required courses
• MCAT: Competitive standardized test score

Required Coursework

• General Biology with labs (8 hours)
• Upper-level Biology with labs (8 hours)
• Biochemistry (3 hours)
• General Chemistry with lab (8 hours)
• Organic Chemistry with lab (4-8 hours)
• Physics with lab (8 hours)
• English (6 hours)
• Humanities and Social Sciences (14 hours)

Strongly Recommended

• Genetics
• Cell & Molecular Biology
• Physiology
• Anatomy
• Microbiology
• Statistics
• Psychology

Your Four-Year Journey

Year 1: Build Your Foundation
Meet with advisor, begin prerequisites, explore volunteer opportunities, join 1-2 service organizations

Year 2: Gain Experience
Continue prerequisites, explore research opportunities, research medical schools, apply for summer programs

Year 3: Prepare for Applications
Take MCAT prep course and exam, complete clinical shadowing and research, narrow school choices

Year 4: Apply and Interview
Submit AMCAS application, complete supplemental applications, prepare for interviews

What Medical Schools Look For

Most Important Factors (in order):

Academic Performance - Science GPA and overall GPA
MCAT Scores - Competitive standardized test performance
Clinical Experience - Shadowing physicians and healthcare volunteering
Research Experience - Undergraduate research projects
Letters of Recommendation - From faculty, physicians, and research mentors
Personal Statement - Compelling essay about your motivation
Leadership - Active involvement in extracurricular activities

Gain Real-World Experience

Essential for competitive applications: You must gain clinical and research experience. Local opportunities include hospitals, Macon Volunteer Clinic, pharmacy technician work, medical scribe positions, and hospice volunteer work. The Center for Career Development can help you develop a personalized experience plan.

🌟 Notable Summer Programs

• Southwest Georgia AHEC Pathway to Med School - For rural Georgia students interested in primary care
• Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP) - Free program for freshmen/sophomores (applications due February)
• NSF REU Programs - Funded research experiences
• PathwaysToScience.org - Opportunities for underrepresented students in STEM

Application Timeline

Applications typically open in May with early submission strongly recommended for the best chances of acceptance. Most schools use the AMCAS (American Medical College Application Service) system.

Ready to Get Started?

Remember: There's no single "correct" path to medical school. We'll help you create a plan that fits your interests, timeline, and career goals while ensuring you're prepared for success.

Download the complete Pre-Professional Guide for more information

 

Sample Coursework Plan*

YEAR ONE Fall Semester	YEAR ONE Spring Semester
BIO 110	BIO 112
CHM 101	CHM 102
Gen Ed Electives/PSY 101	Gen Ed Electives
WISE 101	MAT 220
YEAR TWO Fall Semester	YEAR TWO Spring Semester
CHM 221	CHM 222
BIO 203	Gen Ed Electives
Gen Ed Electives/ENG 111	Major Coursework/Foreign Language
Major Coursework/Foreign Language	-
YEAR THREE Fall Semester	YEAR THREE Spring Semester
PHY 115	PHY 116
BIO 311 or BIO 320 or BIO 340	BIO 318
PDE /Major Coursework/Gen Ed Electives	Major Coursework/Gen Ed Electives/ PDE
YEAR FOUR Fall Semester	YEAR FOUR Spring Semester
Major Coursework	Major Coursework
Gen Ed Electives	Gen Ed Electives

*This plan presumes a minimum SAT score of 600 MAT/CR, entering as a first year traditional student

Four Year Timeline

First Year  

• Discuss with first year seminar advisor the courses to be taken during the first year. 
• Attend a meeting with the pre-med advisor D to obtain needed materials and ask questions
• Make draft of coursework and internship plans for next four years
• Explore on and off campus service organizations and volunteer opportunities; join one or two, but make sure you can maintain an excellent GPA while also engaging in these extracurricular activities.

Second Year

• FALL:  Inquire about an internship (Center for Career
• Development) or research project with Division of Science and Mathematics faculty members
• Begin thinking about the particular medical schools to which you would like to apply. You can get information on different programs and the requirements for admission from their web sites. It is also useful to e-mail the admissions office and ask for profiles of the most recent entering class.  In this way, you can keep up with their requirements for admissions (all schools are slightly different) and see for yourself what the average GPA and MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test) scores are for applicants accepted for that individual school. By far the majority of students who are admitted are from the home state of the medical school.
• SPRING: Assemble a list of potential summer undergraduate research programs (see “Other Resources, below)
• Start thinking about the MCAT; start saving money to attend a professional MCAT prep course. The Kaplan prep course and Princeton Review course are excellent. Go to their web site for location, time, and price of the nearest course.

Third Year

• FALL: Begin to thoroughly study for the MCAT on your own or enroll in an MCAT prep course. 
• Narrow your choices down to around 6 Medical schools that you realistically have a good chance of getting into.  
• Continue excellence with your undergraduate course work
• Explore options for summer undergraduate research programs (SURP) and familiarize yourself with all due dates for applications.
• Plan on completing a PDE with a physician or in a clinical setting 
• Engage in an independent study in a research lab fall or spring semester.
• SPRING: Pursue a leadership role in an on or off campus service organization 
• Complete applications and request letters of recommendations from faculty and mentors for a number (3-6, as these programs are competitive) of undergraduate summer research programs.
• Complete the MCAT preparatory course in March-April 
• Take the MCAT in late spring or early summer.  The MCAT is now given about 22 times per year.  Prepare for the MCAT the first time as if it is your only chance. If your score is not competitive, improve the areas that were deficient in your first exam and take the MCAT again later in the summer.  
• SUMMER: Work on AMCAS (American Medical College Application Service) application. Almost all schools in the United States use this service for their applications. Check each medical school to which you are intending to apply to make sure they use AMCAS.  
• Significant preference is given at state medical schools to residents, so it is a best bet to apply in your home state (if you have a public medical school there). 

Fourth Year

• FALL: Complete your personal statement and all other information for the AMCAS well before the deadline.  
• Ask your references if they are willing to write you a letter of recommendation.  One recommendation should ideally be from the pre-med advisor, one from a practicing physician, and one from a scientist with which you have performed research. Make sure to provide all requested materials and MCAT scores to your references.  
• Complete supplemental applications when they arrive and return them before the deadline. 
• Practice interview skills. Wesleyan's Center for Career Development can help with this (see Resources, below).
• Continue with internships and/or research.  
• SPRING: Wow the admissions committee with your interview and wait for your letter of acceptance.  
• Respond to your letter of acceptance in a timely manner to ensure your spot 
• Finish strong

 

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Evaluation Criteria

Please note that as mentioned above, medical schools differ in their criteria and in the weight given to each of the following. Make sure that you are familiar with the criteria used by the school to which you are applying. The following is a general consensus of what most schools are using to evaluate applicants, listed in the order of importance:

• Science GPA, overall GPA
• Test scores (MCAT)
• Professional experience (You must have experience shadowing a physician and/or volunteering in a clinical setting.)
• References (one letter should be from the pre-medical advisor, one letter should be from a practicing physician, and one additional personal letter (if you have performed research, this letter should be from your research mentor).
• Essay
• Extracurricular activities (including leadership positions)

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Additional Resources for Pre-Med Students

The resources below are helpful for students preparing for a career in medicine. Wesleyan's Center for Career Development can help students with deciding if this path fits them, as well as with strategic career planning, creating resumes/CVs, writing personal statements, and more.

• Texas Medical & Dental Schools Application Service Students applying to MD and/or DO programs in Texas need to use this system. 
• American Medical Association
• American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine DO programs use an application system housed here. 
• American Osteopathic Association
• ExploreHealthCareers.Org This site is designed to help students begin their journey towards a career in the health professions. It provides exploration tools and career information on fields including dentistry, medicine, allied health, veterinary medicine, and more.

Gaining Experience as a Pre-Med Student

• Southwest Georgia Area Health Education Center This nonprofit organization runs a program called Pathway to Med School, designed to give shadowing and research experience to Georgia students from rural areas who are specifically interested in serving rural populations as primary care physicians. The application deadline for this summer programs is in early spring.
• Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP) A free summer enrichment program focused on improving access to information and resources for college students interested in the health professions. SHPEP is exclusively for freshman and sophomore college students. Applications are usually due in early February.
• PathwaysToScience.org This organization’s mission is to increase diversity in STEM fields by connecting underrepresented students with opportunities. It provides a list of clinical and research opportunities, links to enrichment programs, and more. 
• Comprehensive list of internship/research opportunities (courtesy of Rochester Institute of Technology) This resource lists co-op/internships, biomedical research opportunities, and clinical experiences that may be relevant to pre-med students (including programs for underrepresented students).
• University of Connecticut Medical/Dental Preparatory Program (MCAT or DAT prep)
• List of summer programs for underrepresented students 
• National Science Foundation Among other things, the NSF provides resources for finding REUs in many different areas, including biological sciences.

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Local/Statewide Opportunities

• Visit the Center for Career Development to learn about potential local shadowing and internship opportunities.
• Work as a pharmacy technician: Look for pharmacy technician positions at Kroger, CVS, and other drug stores. Check their employment pages and Purple Briefcase.
• Volunteer at Navicent Health The screening process takes some time, so start early. 
• Volunteer at a local health clinic such as the Macon Volunteer Clinic.
• Work or volunteer at a hospice facility or nursing home. Many hospice centers around Macon (including Encompass Hospice, Heart of Georgia Hospice, and Pine Pointe Hospice) have expressed a need for volunteers and interns. Check Purple Briefcase, GivePulse, and the organization’s website for updated information. You may need to obtain a CNA license.
• Work as a medical scribe. ScribeAmerica is often recruiting medical scribes. Find their contact information on Purple Briefcase or here.
• Use GivePulse to find an updated list of local organizations needing volunteers.