St. Louis University School of Medicine Pre-Medical Scholars Program
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Advising
Freshmen are advised by their assigned academic advisor and by the Pre-Med Scholars Program Directors, Annie Lee, Ph.D. or Laura Salem. Ph.D.. Scholars should refer to the FIS Advising Handbook and this document for basic information.
Annie Lee, Ph.D.
annie.lee@rockhurst.edu
816-501-4071, St Ignatius Science Center, room 330
Laura Salem, Ph.D.
laura.salem@rockhurst.edu
816-501-3230, St.Ignatius Science Center, room 230
Majors
The following majors are approved for Medical Scholars:
- College of Arts and Sciences: Any major
- College of Health and Human Services: Exercise Science
Students who are not majoring in Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biomedical Physics, or Physics of Medicine must complete a minor in Biology.
Students who would like to consider other majors outside of the options listed above must discuss such options with the Pre-health Directors who will approve any exceptions to additional majors not listed in this document.
Scholar Activities Timeline
Freshman Year
Required Coursework:
Students must complete a minimum of 30 graded credit hours during freshman year with a minimum of 14 graded credit hours each (Fall and Spring) semester. The 30 graded credits do not include coursework taken pass/fail, any courses during winter session and/or summer school, credit by examination, or dual and AP credit.
Other recommended freshman activities:
Freshman medical scholars are encouraged to enroll in ENGL and to fulfill their MATH requirement during their freshman year (Calc I level). All Medical Scholars must take at least one MATH course at Rockhurst by the end of sophomore year (regardless of their AP, dual or transfer credit). Scholars take general chemistry I and II (honors general chemistry may substitute for general chemistry I & II, in which case scholars must take at least one more upper-division chemistry class at some time, e.g. – analytical chemistry or biochemistry), general biology I and II, and calculus I (as a prerequisite for physics). Scholars must earn at least 14 credit hours per semester and 30 credit hours per academic year. A minimum of 3.65 overall and science GPA must be maintained every year.
Scholars should be actively pursuing shadowing experiences, service, and accruing clinical hours. Rising sophomore Medical Scholars should be composing their personal statement essays over the summer, as part of the Pre-Health Committee on Evaluations application process that begins sophomore year.
Sophomore Year
Required Coursework:
Students must complete a minimum of 30 credit graded hours in the sophomore year with a minimum of 14 graded credit hours each semester. The 30 credits do not include coursework taken pass/fail, any courses during winter session and/or summer school, credit by examination or dual and AP credit.
Additional Required Activities during sophomore year:
Scholars will enroll in organic chemistry I and II; physics I and II. Scholars must earn at least 14 credit hours per semester and 30 credit hours per academic year. A minimum of 3.65 overall and science GPA must be maintained every year.
Scholars are invited to participate in a practice interview with the Pre-Health committee in the fall semester (have your personal statement prepared for this interview).
Scholars pick up interview applications in October. Interviews with the Pre-Health committee occur in early spring. Applications are due to SLU Med by April 1.
Medical Scholar interviews take place in May after all Spring semester grades are available. The SLU School of Medicine Admissions Committee evaluates each Scholar and decides whether to offer a conditional acceptance. There is no guarantee that a student will be accepted, even if all of the aforementioned GPA requirements are met. All decisions are made by the SLU School of Medicine. Scholars will be notified of the SLU Med decision in the summer between the sophomore and junior year. Scholars receiving a conditional acceptance must follow all guidelines as outlined by SLU Med in their conditional acceptance.
Junior Year
Required Coursework:
Students must complete a minimum of 28 graded credit hours in their junior year with a minimum of 14 graded credit hours each semester. The 28 credits do not include coursework taken pass/fail, courses during winter session and/or summer school, credit by examination or dual and AP credit. Scholars must take at least one upper-division science course each semester.
Scholars must follow the curriculum submitted to SLU Med during the sophomore year. Any deviation from this curriculum must be approved by the Pre-Med Scholars Program Director, following these steps:
• E-mail the program director the curriculum you listed in your SLU Med application
• include the proposed course substitutions, including credit hours
Scholars are encouraged to prepare for the MCAT to be taken during the summer (April through September) after the junior year. For the entering freshman class of 2021, Scholars do not have to make a minimum score on the MCAT if the ACT was used for screening into the scholars’ program. However, if the ACT was not used, then a minimum MCAT of 500 must be achieved for matriculation into Medical School. Beginning in 2022, all medical scholars must achieve an MCAT of 500 to matriculate into Saint Louis University School of Medicine.
Senior Year
Required Coursework:
Students must complete a minimum of 28 graded credit hours in the senior year with a minimum of 14 graded credit hours each semester. The 28 credits do not include coursework taken pass/fail, courses during winter session and/or summer school, credit by examination, or dual and AP credit. Scholars must take at least one upper-division science course each semester.
Scholars will file their formal applications to SLU School of Medicine by completing the AMCAS (American Medical College Application Service) application over the summer before senior year or early during the fall semester of their senior year. When completing the AMCAS application: contact the Admissions Office in the School of Medicine at slumd@slu.edu and give them your AAMC ID number. This will enable you to mark “Early Assurance” under Program Type on the AMCAS application. The Committee on Evaluations letter will not be sent again. The Admissions Office has it on file from the sophomore year. You will be contacted by the SLU Med Admissions to fill out a secondary application and pay all fees associated with that application.
SLU Med will review coursework and GPA in December and May of the senior year. Scholars deemed “on the borderline” should not expect to receive a final decision until after the spring semester grades are posted. A report from the student conduct office will be requested as well for an audit of medical scholars and unreported/undisclosed institutional actions.
General Course Guidelines
Medical Scholar students must take a minimum of 14 graded (i.e., standard letter grade A-F) credit hours each semester during their undergraduate studies, including study abroad.
The freshman and sophomore students must complete a minimum of 30 graded credit hours each year (with the minimum of 14 graded credits per semester as stated above). The 30 graded credits do NOT include coursework taken pass/fail, in summer school, winter school, credit by examination, and Dual or AP credit. The junior and senior Scholars do not need to take 30 graded credit hours each year but they are required to take a minimum 14 graded credits per semester.
Medical Scholars are not permitted to withdraw from courses after the Drop/Add period, nor are they permitted to take an Incomplete (I) in a course.
Medical Scholars are not permitted to audit courses.
Medical Scholars are required to complete their core curriculum requirement in math (Calculus I) by the end of the sophomore year. The Calculus I requirement may also be satisfied with AP/ACC credit or transfer credit earned prior to starting at Rockhurst; otherwise, then it must be taken at Rockhurst and completed by the end of the sophomore year. However, all Medical Scholars must take at least one MATH class at Rockhurst by the end of their sophomore year. This course cannot be a pre-requisite requirement to class that they have already taken.
Medical Scholars are required to complete their core curriculum requirement in English by the end of the sophomore year. The English requirement may also be satisfied with AP/ACC credit or transfer credit earned prior to starting at Rockhurst; otherwise, then it must be completed by the end of the sophomore year. All science courses and at least one math class must be taken at Rockhurst during the regular academic year.
Math and Science courses or courses to satisfy SLU SOM requirements for admission cannot be taken on-line or at an institution outside of SLU.
Twenty (20) total on-line hours (synchronous or asynchronous) will be allowed throughout all 4 years. This total does not include any coursework required to be taken due to a curriculum being moved online due to Covid-19, during Spring semester 2020.
If the department has deemed an in-person course as an acceptable substitute for a required course that has been moved online, then the scholar must take the substitute in-person course. If there is no substitute deemed appropriate by the department, the online course would not count against the twenty-hour (20) total mentioned above. All lab components must be taken in person.
Medical Scholar students will take Organic Chemistry, General Chemistry, Biology, and Physics during the regular academic year. Students who intend to study abroad will take these courses prior to their travel.
AP or "Dual Credit" can apply to the curriculum of the first two years. The Registrar’s Office determines which credits may be applied to Rockhurst. In addition, AP/ACC credits for Biology, General Chemistry and Physics are NOT acceptable for the Medical Scholar Program. Medical Scholars are not permitted to repeat coursework for which they already have a credit on their transcript Additionally, Medical Scholars are not permitted to take lower-level classes in subject areas in which they have already advanced.
Medical Scholars are not permitted to graduate in December. However, they may graduate one year early. This eventuality must be discussed with the Pre-Med Scholars Program Director at the time of application to SLU Med.
Required Level of Achievement
Freshman Medical Scholars must have completed at least 30 graded credit hours with 3.65 or higher GPA in math and science course work and minimum 3.65 overall GPA for the freshman year to continue in the Medical Scholar Program. Each student will receive a letter notifying them about their status in the program over the summer following the freshman year, by the end of July.
At the end of the second year, students must have completed a minimum of 30 graded credit hours with a year-end GPA of 3.65 or higher in math and science course work and 3.65 overall GPA for the sophomore year to remain in the Program.
Students must achieve the 3.65 cumulative/3.65 math & science GPA averages for Junior and Senior year of the study through completion of the undergraduate degree.
The GPA calculations are annual, and not cumulative; winter and summer GPA calculations are considered separately. Students who do not meet the program GPA will be dismissed from the Medical Scholar program. The Program Directors calculate the GPA values each academic year separately without rounding them up.
Only courses with a prefix of BIOL, CHEM, MATH and PHYS will be considered in the calculation of math/science GPA. Courses that are Independent Studies or Research from these departments are NOT included in the math/science GPA calculation.
Medical Scholars are not permitted to receive a D or F grade in any course.
Scholars are also not permitted to withdraw from courses after the drop/add period at the beginning of the semester, nor are they permitted to take an incomplete (I) in a course.
Transfer credits earned elsewhere will not be considered part of the GPA for the Medical Scholars Program.
Professionalism
Medical Scholars are required to disclose ANY institutional or disciplinary action on their medical school application and at any point after their Sophomore year. All actions must be disclosed whether or not such actions appear on a transcript, affected enrollment, or required withdrawal from a course. This may include such actions such as:
• Dismissal
• Disqualification
• Suspension
• Unacceptable academic performance
• Conduct Violation (including minor infractions)
That resulted in sanctions such as:
• Reflection paper
• Workshop
• Disciplinary warning or probation
• Loss of privileges
• Censure or fine
• Or ANY required action by any college or university
Failure to disclose these institutional or disciplinary actions will result in disqualification from the Medical Scholars Program which would forfeit any seat into the entering class at Saint Louis University School of Medicine.
All students are expected to maintain professionalism and integrity both in and out of the classroom all four years. This includes, but it is not limited to:
• Being polite and respectful to faculty and staff.
• Keeping appointments and showing up on time. In situations when an appointment must be missed, students should notify the person that he or she cannot attend the scheduled meeting as soon as possible.
• Showing up for class on time and prepared for the activity.
• Paying full attention in class, and not working on homework or other assignments during class.
• Taking responsibility for one’s performance in a class.
• Maintaining a daily life that balances study time, social and service activities, and a healthy lifestyle.
Students who encounter a problem should seek immediate help from instructors, advisors, counselors, mentors, and the Medical Scholar Program director(s).
SLU SOM Requirements and Standards
Saint Louis University School of Medicine is committed to full compliance with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Because an M.D. degree signifies that the holder is a physician prepared for entry into the practice of medicine within a graduate training program, the recipient must have the knowledge and skills to function in a broad variety of clinical situations and to render a wide spectrum of patient care as required by the curriculum. Specific expectations are explained on the website of SLU SOM:
https://www.slu.edu/medicine/medical-education/md/admissions/requirements-standards.php
Applying to Other Medical Schools
A student who decides to apply to other medical schools will no longer be considered a Medical Scholar. The SLU School of Medicine will not hold spots for such students. However, these students may re-apply to SLU School of Medicine and will be placed in the pool of regular applicants. There is no guarantee that such students will be accepted again as a regular applicant.
Medical Scholars who apply to other medical schools must notify Pre-health Director(s) and the SLU School of Medicine.
Temporary Changes Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic
The following changes apply to all Medical Scholars (freshmen-seniors) during Fall 2020 semester. In case of future modifications to these requirements, students will be notified via email, and this document will be updated as needed.
Medical Scholars are allowed to take math and science lecture courses online during the Fall semester 2020.
Medical Scholars are not permitted to take math/science laboratory courses online. Students who are not taking any in-person courses during the Fall semester 2020 can take the laboratory courses later during their undergraduate studies (including their summer semesters). They must complete the coursework by the time they graduate while still graduating on time (i.e., May after their Senior year).
