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Cheyney University builds an exceptional undergraduate/professional foundation for admission into medical and other health-related schools

Beyond academics, Cheyney’s program offers expert advising, curricular planning, assistance with research internship placement, and pre-professional experiences. To further prepare students for the competitive nature of medical program admissions, we provide students with essential experiences such as visits to medical programs, and opportunities to interact with medical school admissions officers, medical school students, and professionals in the health profession fields. The pre-medicine program matches students with advisors and dedicated staff who provide support through preparation for the MCAT exam, and the medical school admissions process.

Our Bachelor of Science Biology degree program provides students with the requisite coursework and laboratory experiences often required for medical school admission. In addition, we offer a pre-medicine concentration under the Biology degree program. However, any undergraduate/professional major is acceptable, provided a student fulfills the following requirements:

  • Two years of chemistry (general and organic) with lab
  • One year of physics with lab (calculus-based physics)
  • At least one year of general biology with lab

Some medical and health professional schools also require some or all of the following courses:

  • Calculus or other college-level mathematics
  • English
  • Advanced biological science and/or biochemistry

We recommend that you read the websites of schools you’re considering for specific requirements, or review the Medical School Admission Requirements at aamc.org

For students interested in attending medical school, it’s essential to complete the required preparatory coursework in college and to maintain a high GPA. (Note that AP credits will not satisfy prerequisites at most medical schools.) If you choose not to major in biology at Cheyney, select a major that interests you and allows flexibility in taking required pre-med courses, and participate in the experiences expected of pre-med students such as research.
Recommended Courses for Medical School

Cheyney University Course Name Course Number

  • English I HEN 112
  • General Biology I SLF 110
  • General Biology II SLF 125
  • General Chemistry I SCH 111
  • General Chemistry II SCH 112
  • Organic Chemistry I SCH 311
  • Biochemistry I SCH 340
  • Biochemistry II SCH 312
  • Anatomy and Physiology I SLF 320
  • Anatomy and Physiology II SLF 321
  • Physics II SPH 312
  • Principles of Genetics SLF 312
  • Human Growth and
  • Development RPS 316
  • Microbiology SLF 314
  • Introduction to Psychology RPS 211
  • Elementary Statistics MAT 205

The Pre-Medicine Concentration in the Biology Degree Program

The department of Natural and Applied Science strives to educate and train a diverse student population in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines to become life-long learners, problem solvers and globally and environmentally responsible citizens. The Biology program offers a concentration in pre-medicine that provides the foundational coursework necessary for entry into medical and health field programs. The concentration integrates anatomy, physiology, chemistry, biology, microbiology, and genetics, and provides students with the groundwork to engage in research and advanced, graduate-level coursework.

In providing this concentration, Cheyney University addresses the needs of current students who wish to focus on careers related to focused areas in the biological sciences, and to increase the number of well-prepared minority candidates for employment in various areas of biology. Because of its emphasis on various scientific skills, this program also enhances the likelihood of the acceptance of the student into a graduate program.

The requirements for a major in Biology include at least 24.0 credit hours and the achievement of at least a 2.0 GPA. Courses with numbers in the 300s and 400s are designated as Advanced Courses. Required and Elective courses to fulfill the openings on the Biology curriculum worksheet should be completed as follows:

Major Track Elective Pre-Medicine Concentration Track

  • Major Track Elective 1 SLF 320
  • Major Track Elective 2 SLF 321
  • Major Track Elective 3 SLF 311
  • Major Track Elective 4 Cellular Elective (SLF 316, SLF 317)
  • Major Track Elective 5 Molecular Elective (SLF 422, SLF 430)
  • Major Track Elective 6 SCH 341
  • Major Track Elective 7 SCH 342
  • Total Credits for
  • Track 24-25
  • Required Math
  • (General Education) MAT 160 The following courses are strongly recommended to fulfill post-graduate admission requirements or for standardized test preparation

Recommended Social:
Science 1 RPS 201 Introduction to Psychology

Recommended Social:
Science 2 RSO 201 Introduction to Sociology

Program Goals and Expected Program Learning Outcomes:

  1. Students will become conversant and proficient with basic biological concepts.
  2. Students participating in the program will have a foundation allowing them to participate in specialized professional and educational activities in the life sciences which will lead to advanced careers in the medical professions.
  3. Student’s skills of observation, data collection, data analysis, and interpretation will be improved
  4. The students will become proficient in the presentation of scientific information in written, oral, and graphic formats
  5. Students will become proficient at integrating information derived from chemistry, biochemistry, and physics into their understanding of biological systems

The MCAT Exam

All medical schools also require that you take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). The MCAT is administered several times a year. You must take the MCAT no later than the summer following your junior year in order for your application to be considered in the fall of your senior year. This means you need to be prepared for the MCAT exam in three years, not four.

Research, Laboratory and Applied Experiences

To be a viable candidate for medical school, you must demonstrate that you have the sufficient, firsthand medical practice experience to make an informed decision, not just the academic ability to succeed . “Shadowing”, in which pre-medical students observe and assists practicing doctors, is an absolutely essential part of preparing for medical school. Volunteer or paid work in a hospital, clinic, or other medical setting is an excellent way to gain experience. Other forms of community service are also very important in demonstrating your commitment to help others, even if the work is not specifically medical.

Research in laboratories and applied research skills are highly valued by medical schools, and Cheyney offers many opportunities for such experiences. Please see one of the faculty in the Natural and Applied Sciences or Pre-Med Advisors for assistance.

The Bond Hill Scholarship

The Bond Hill Scholarship is a program for Pennsylvania residents who graduate from Cheyney University. The Horace Mann Bond-Leslie Pinckney Hill Scholarship Program is designed to attract highly qualified students to a wide array of professional programs, including medicine, law, podiatry, dentistry, as well as Masters’ Degrees in Business Administration, Public Administration, Health Administration, and the Doctorate of Education (Ed. D). Participating schools are Penn State University, the University of Pittsburgh and Temple University. Eligible students may receive a full tuition scholarship, books and fee-waivers. Criteria include:

  • Pennsylvania residency (US citizenship/Permanent residency)
  • Admission into a Bond Hill Program within 5 years of graduation from Cheyney University
  • Full-time enrollment in the graduate program and maintenance of 3.0 or higher GPA
  • The award can be renewed for a maximum of four academic years based on satisfactory academic achievement and progress toward one’s professional degree or approved graduate degree program. Visit the Keystone Honors Academy for more information or go to www.cheyney.edu.

Professional Development, Medical School Visits, and Educational Programs

Cheyney regularly sponsors programs and activities that provide undergraduate/professional students with valuable exposure to the medical profession. These events, posted on the University website, are open to all Cheyney University students, and include opportunities such as visits to the Penn State and Temple schools of medicine. Representatives from these programs are also featured as keynote speakers at a range of activities, giving our students the opportunity to learn about the admissions process. The Honors Academy also hosts a number of graduate/professional school placement workshops and programs throughout the academic year, and participation is open to all Cheyney students. Practice entrance exams for the MCAT are also hosted on campus, and sessions are held on how to improve performance on these exams.

Cheyney University annually hosts a Graduate/professional School Fair, which draws over 150 student participants and representatives of graduate/professional programs from across the region.

For additional information on our Pre-Med program, contact:

  1. Dr. Abdelaziz Bior, Pre-Med Advisor, abior@cheyney.edu
  2. Dr. Sakkar Eva, AMP Coordinator and Internship, seva@cheyney.edu

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