Pre-Med Program | Houghton University

Join in the calling of Christian doctors worldwide, and bring hope and healing as you minister to those in need.

Medicine is an exciting and ever-changing field, providing you with a stimulating and rewarding career. The practice of medicine is a privilege, in fact, to join Christ in his ongoing ministry of compassion to this hurting world. With the preparation you'll receive as a pre-med student at Houghton, you'll have what you need to apply and be accepted to medical school.

Program Snapshot

Undergraduate Pre-Professional Pathway

Recommended Majors: Biomedical Sciences, Biology, Chemistry

Pre-Med Advisor: Jamie Potter

Explore Course Requirements Preparing For Medical School

What will I learn?

Through Houghton’s Pre-Med program you will:

Build a strong foundation in biology, chemistry, physics and math
Shadow local practitioners for real-world experience in the field
Serve as a volunteer EMT with the local fire department
Volunteer at an inner-city clinic in Buffalo with Jericho Road Ministries
Explore opportunities like traveling to a developing country to study foundations of health development
Enroll in our pre-health practicum, where you will live with – and learn from – a Houghton alumnus who is a practicing health care worker
Conduct, publish and present real research with one or more of Houghton University’s faculty members

Why study Pre-Med at Houghton?

Personal Attention from Invested Faculty

Pre-med students have many opportunities to get to know their professors on a personal level. Professors teach the labs as well as lectures instead of relying on teaching assistants. Classes are capped to maximize interaction between faculty and students. At Houghton, you'll be mentored, supported and cared for. Invested faculty care about your academic success as well as your spiritual, emotional, and professional growth.

Undergraduate Research

As a pre-med student, you'll do real research with one or more of the faculty at Houghton. Work towards publishing your findings in peer-reviewed journals or present talks and posters at regional and national conferences. Opportunities for research include:

Collaborative research in biology course
Independent study
Senior honors projects
Shannon Summer Research Institute
Collaborative research with faculty (e.g., Cornell University and the Sierra Nevada mountains of California)

Advisors & Mentors

In addition to a primary academic advisor within your major, you will meet regularly with the pre-med advisor, Dr. Jamie Potter.

Advisors and faculty seek to foster an environment, in which you can clarify your vocational calling as a Christian physician. As you are challenged academically through your general education, sciences, and major courses, we trust that God will use your experiences to either affirm your desire to serve in medicine or make another calling clear to you.

Courses Requirements

Prerequisite Courses

While no specific major is required, most pre-medical students have majored in biomedical science, biology or chemistry. If you major outside of the sciences, consider completing a minor in biology.

General Education Curriculum

Required for all students at Houghton

Core Science and Math Courses

Required by med schools for admission and to prepare for the MCAT

General Biology (2 semesters)
General Chemistry (2 semesters)
Organic Chemistry (2 semesters)
General Physics (2 semesters)
Calculus (1 semester)

Other electives available (sampling):

Biochemistry (required by some medical schools)
Molecular and Cell Biology
Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy and Physiology
Genetics
Immunology
Medical Ethics
Microbiology

Preparing for Medical School

Representative Academic Timeline

There is flexibility within this timeline for those who choose to participate in First-Year Honors Programs or for those who decide after their first year to pursue a career in medicine.

First Year

General Biology
General Chemistry
General Education Requirements
Summer: Begin to look for possible volunteer/shadowing experiences

Second Year

Organic Chemistry
Calculus (if not taken in first year)
General Education requirements
Courses for major
Summer: Volunteer/shadowing experiences

Third Year

General Physics (Research course available to science majors)
Courses for major
Request institutional letter of recommendation (Fall)
Meet with letter-writing committee
Review for and take MCAT
Begin personal statement
Submit list of medical schools to which you are planning to apply
Summer: Complete personal statement, AMCAS application, take MCAT (if not taken in spring), volunteer/shadowing experiences

Fourth Year

Medical Ethics (if not taken earlier)
Complete courses for major
Institutional letter of recommendation is sent
Secondary applications (as applicable)
Interview for medical schools as invited

Additional Medical School Resources

Career Opportunities

Medical Specialties

Students pursing Pre-Med at Houghton University are prepared to apply for medical school and can look forward to further study in the following specialties:

Allergy and Immunology

Anesthesiology

Dermatology

Emergency Medicine

Family Medicine

Internal Medicine

Medical Genetics and Genomics

Neurology

Nuclear Medicine

Obstetrics and Gynecology

Ophthalmology

Pathology

Pediatrics

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Preventative Medicine

Psychiatry and Neurology

Radiology

Surgery

Urology

Early Medical School Program

Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) will grant early acceptance for up to 15 Houghton students per year into LECOM’s associated schools of medicine, dentistry or pharmacy provided they meet certain academic criteria.

The affiliation agreement will enable students who are US citizens to simultaneously apply to Houghton University and LECOM.

Learn more about the early medical school program