A Shared Pulse

Through the Pre-Med Academy, you’ll join a small, ambitious community of students and mentors who always have your back. With shared passion, you’ll build lasting relationships, skills, and habits that carry you through the medical school preparation and admission process. Personalized support and advising is built into the program, while collective momentum grows from a supportive culture that strengthens your confidence and resilience as a future physician.

two male students working with a female professor using lab equipment

What to Expect

    Your Eligibility

    The Dornsife Pre-Med Academy brings together first-year students with a passion for the medicine and the goal of becoming a physician. To be eligible to apply, you must be a first-year student entering in the fall semester with a Dornsife major and a pre-med pre-professional emphasis. Dornsife students of any major (even those outside of the natural sciences) may apply as long as they have a pre-med pre-professional emphasis.

    Students in the Dornsife Pre-Med Academy have typically done well in high school, especially in their science and math coursework. A strong background in chemistry and math is highly recommended. A physics course of any level is required for admission.

    Advanced Courses

    Students in the Dornsife Pre-Med Academy will enroll in advanced versions of general biology (BISC 121 and 221) and general chemistry (CHEM 115a and 115b) in their freshman year.  One biology and one chemistry course is taken in each semester (fall and spring).  Students will also enroll in a one-unit course each semester that will provide additional exposure to pre-medical resources and research opportunities at USC.

    In subsequent years, students will enroll in specialized lab sections of organic chemistry and physics for the life sciences to prepare students for the academic rigor of medical school. Students will also continue to enroll in a one-unit course each semester that will introduce them to special topics in medicine and healthcare, including narrative medicine and artificial intelligence.

    Is It Right For You?

    If you are not completely sure if you would like to follow a pre-med path at USC — or if you do not want to take both advanced general biology and advanced general chemistry together in your freshman year — the Dornsife Pre-Med Academy may not be a good fit for you. Please rest assured that there are many other opportunities at USC to engage in challenging science coursework and explore your interest in medicine via academic research, internships, community service, and student organizations.

    Purpose-Driven Preparation

    The Dornsife Pre-Med Academy features advanced lab sections, specialized research opportunities, and deeper engagement with faculty and leaders in the field, which will provide an expanded perspective that matters not just to medical schools but to the future of medicine.

    Dornsife Pre-Med Academy students do not receive extra credit or a boost to their college GPAs for enrolling in the courses related to the program. There is also no special designation on a student’s diploma to indicate completion of Dornsife Pre-Med Academy coursework, and students in the program are not guaranteed admission to USC’s medical school. However, by participating in the program, students will become more well-rounded and more knowledgeable about medicine, healthcare, and patient care.

     

    geometric red and orange pattern with healthcare related symbols
    geometric red and orange pattern with healthcare related symbols
    geometric red and orange pattern with healthcare related symbols
    geometric red and orange pattern with healthcare related symbols