Pre-Medicine (BS)

Why Study Biology Pre-Med?

If you’re called to serve others in the rewarding position of a physician, a bachelor’s degree in biology can give you the scientific foundation you need to prepare for medical school.

Why Saint Francis for Biology Pre-Med?

Excellence in health sciences education is in our DNA. Our rigorous and comprehensive pre-med curriculum will develop you into a strong medical school candidate. With academics rooted in Franciscan values (that happen to align perfectly with the Hippocratic Oath), the University of Saint Francis also prepares you to be an ethical, compassionate healthcare provider.

An Accelerated Option: Pre-Med to MD Program

Through a partnership with Marian University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine, Saint Francis offers our biology pre-med students two options for expedited admission:

• Early Acceptance Track – guarantees an admission interview in September of your senior year, with a final decision by Sept. 30.
• Guaranteed Interview Track – offers an admission interview in October of your senior year, with an admissions decision within one week

Learn more about the requirements for expedited admission to Marian University.

About Our Partner University and Osteopathic Medicine

Guided by a philosophy that treats the patient, not the disease, osteopathic medicine focuses on the whole person: mind, body, and spirit. A sister Franciscan institution, the College of Osteopathic Medicine at Marian University Indianapolis offers a faith-based approach to physician training.

Personal Pre-Med Advising

As a biology pre-med major at Saint Francis, you’ll be assigned an academic advisor who will work one-on-one with you to:

• Determine the best medical schools and programs for you
• Develop your medical school admissions materials
• Ensure you meet med school application deadlines
• Prepare you for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)

Real-World Experiences and Innovative Facilities

The best pre-med schools and programs provide significant opportunities to learn by doing in state-of-the-art classrooms, cutting-edge labs, and professional, real-world settings. At Saint Francis, this means exploring anatomy and physiology in our human cadaver lab. This is an experience not commonly offered to undergraduate students and will give you an academic advantage in medical school.

As a biology pre-med major, you will also get hands-on learning through off-campus experiences such as:

• Job shadowing with local physicians
• Medical mission trips, internationally and within the U.S.
• Clinical experiences
• Summer internships
• Field study travel opportunities
• Independent, faculty-mentored research

Small Class Sizes and Expert Instruction

Small class sizes mean personalized attention from your professors, closer collaboration with classmates, and more engaging classroom discussions.

Saint Francis’ biology pre-med faculty has a diverse range of research interests and professional experience, including:

• Anatomy and physiology
• Pathophysiology
• Immunology
• Infectious disease
• Virology
• Cancer biology
• Global health
• Molecular biology

Campus and Community

We encourage pre-med students to join the Pre-Professional Healthcare Honor Society, which organizes many campus activities and is involved with community organizations such as Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Ronald McDonald House, Kids Against Hunger, and Community Harvest Foodbank.

Additionally, it’s not uncommon for biology and health sciences students to form study groups (and friendships!) that gather frequently around campus, including in Achatz’s collaboration spaces.

Medical School Acceptance: Graduate and Professional Programs

Our biology pre-med students have been accepted at into medical programs at institutions such as:

• Indiana University School of Medicine
• Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Midwestern University, College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Des Moines University, College of Osteopathic Medicine