Pre-Medicine

Your Career in Health Care Starts at Bishop’s

Do you like making a difference in your community? A career in the healthcare sector may be for you! Get started at Bishop’s with the pre-medicine double major. It is an excellent option if you plan to pursue a professional degree in Medicine, Dentistry, Dental Hygiene, or Medical Laboratory Sciences.

Medical schools are notoriously hard to get into, and our Pre-Medicine double major program provides the foundation, skills, and pre-requisites necessary when applying to medical schools and professional programs in Canada and the U.S. 

The program at Bishop’s is a double major, meaning you must take a ‘primary’ major as well as the Pre-Med Program, providing a more enriching undergrad experience and adding relevant experience to your resume. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to sacrifice everything to get into medical school, and our double major option is proof.

Why a Pre-Med Program?

If you are from Quebec, graduates from CEGEP must achieve both a high R-Score and CASPer score to even be considered for med school. CEGEP grads are competing with many applicants who already have an undergraduate degree.

In many cases, it can be beneficial to do a pre-med undergraduate program. Graduating from Bishop’s with a double major will not only prepare you for applying to medical schools across North America but also round out your undergraduate education with studies in another discipline.

Advantages of the Bishop’s Pre-Med Program

At Bishop’s, we offer a double major, which means while you pursue all the pre-requisites for medical school applications, you also complete a primary major of your choice, rounding out your education in a field of your choosing. Politics, philosophy, psychology, drama? All are here for you, without sacrificing your preparation for medical school. On the contrary, admissions departments look positively on this type of experience.

The Bishop’s community is fewer than 3,000 full time students. That means small class sizes and a faculty that knows your name and cares about your success. It also means an exceptional student life experience.

Our program was designed to prepare students for the MCAT and CASPer tests, and we offer multiple experiential learning opportunities on our campus and at the Université de Sherbrooke.

Admission requirements to Pre-Med

The following criteria apply to entry into the B.Sc. Pre-medicine double major:

• Any interested students must be registered in, and remain in, a primary major at Bishop’s.
• Students must have completed 60 course credits to enter the Pre-medicine double major.
• Students must have an overall average of 75% or greater to enter the program.
• Students must maintain an overall average of 75% or greater at the end of each academic year to remain in the program.

Students with a completed DEC will be granted advanced credit for first-year science courses if they successfully completed collegial courses in Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, and Biology.

Comprehensive Pre-Med Courses

Students enrolled in the Pre-Medicine double-major at Bishop’s will receive a diversified training, with courses in the program offered in up to ten different disciplines depending on the choice of optional courses; Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Sociology, Psychology, Classics, Neuroscience and Philosophy.

Our Pre-medicine program focuses on giving students the knowledge and skills required to pass the entrance exams and build the skills and experience required to excel in medical or other professional schools. See the Pre-Medicine section of the Academic Calendar for a detailed program description and course sequencing.   

Application Process for Pre-Med at Bishop’s

Applying to the Pre-Med Program can be quick and easy.

We encourage you to start a conversation with the academic advisor who can discuss your goals and interests and recommend the best course of action for your double major.

Contact the Academic Advisor for Pre-Med.

Or, if you prefer to jump straight to an application, please navigate to the Online Application page, where you will select the form for undergraduate students and complete the necessary information.

Student Support at Bishop’s

In addition to your professors, there are multiple teams in place to accompany and guide your experience on your path to medical school.

• Department Chairs and Deans are a valuable resource for all things academic. They are there for you and care about your success.
• Academic advisors play an important role in designing your optimal schedule to accomplish all your goals during your time here and graduate on schedule!
• Student Services offers many levels of support, from free one-on-one counselling to career coaching through our Career and Transition Services.
• For those living in residence (guaranteed spots for first years), the Residence Life team takes the experience of living on campus to a whole new level through activities and networking.
• Did we mention your profs? One of the greatest things about attending Bishop’s is the opportunity you have to build relationships with your professors.  

Everywhere you look on campus people want to help you succeed. This rare feature will help prepare you to graduate on time, with confidence, and ready to meet the challenges of tests such as the MCAT and CASPer as well as admissions interviews.

Can You Go Straight to Medical School After High School?

You cannot enter med school in Canada or the USA directly from a Canadian high school.

For students from Quebec, you must have completed a DEC (Diplôme d’Études Collégiales) or have some university experience. You need to have completed the academic requirements, something that can typically be done in your third year of undergraduate studies.

Competition is high to get into medical school. Even CEGEP students with high R-Scores face a challenge due to the quality, caliber, and experience of other applicants to these schools.

Completing a pre-med program like the one offered at Bishop’s, particularly when paired with another major, stands out on your application and may improve your chances of admission to the program you want.

Factors to Consider in a Pre-Medicine Program

1: Medical School Prerequisites

Make sure that when selecting the courses of your Pre-Med double major, you complete all the requisite courses for the medical school(s) you want to join.

2: Choice of Primary Major

Does the choice of your primary major have an impact on your chance of being admitted to medical schools or on your MCAT score? The GPA is a very important factor for medical schools, and most do not adjust students’ GPAs based on their major. In other words, pick the program that you enjoy the most that you and that you can perform well in.

The highest acceptance rates into medical schools are students graduating from physical sciences, mathematics and humanities. Surprisingly, the data shows that, on average, students majoring in mathematics have the highest MCAT scores. That said, during the application process you will be asked to write essays and/or be interviewed, and medical degree programs focus on communication and collaboration. The better you are at communicating your ideas, the more successful you’ll be in the admission process so don’t avoid courses that require research, writing and group work.

3: MCAT Score

This factor should come as no surprise to any serious pre-med student. The course selection you make will have a significative impact on your MCAT score. Be sure to discuss with the program coordinator to select the courses that will best complement your primary major and give you the best chances of success on your MCAT exam. One of the most important things to remember is to begin preparing early. Students should begin prepping for their MCATs at least one semester before they would like to take the exam.

4: Backup Plans and Flexibility

Lastly, when selecting your primary major, you need to have a backup plan in case you don’t get into medical school immediately. Consider majors that are of interest to you with career opportunities or chances for further studies, and that provide versatile skills, giving you options beyond medical school.

5: Extracurricular Activities

Being admitted into medical school is not only about your GPA, MCAT, and CASPer scores, but also about your extracurricular activities. Medical schools are looking for well-rounded applicants with different experiences. The activities you are doing outside of the classroom will demonstrate that you possess essential, non-cognitive skills and prove that you can excel beyond the classroom. Students should vary their activities and be engaged in the community.

Extracurricular activities are often split into three categories: volunteering, clinical and research experiences.

• Volunteering and performing community service gives you an opportunity to give back to the area you live in. It also demonstrates that you are interested in the well-being of other people, an important aspect of physicians.
• Patient care and physician shadowing are classified as clinical opportunities. These experiences show the admission officers that you are dedicated to the medical path.
• Participation in research projects can be a challenge to add to your resume. At Bishop’s we offer many different research opportunities in natural and health sciences through summer internships and other experiential learning offerings.

Wrap Up

A career in health care can be extremely rewarding, and there are many paths to be admitted into a medical school. The path offered at Bishop’s is unique, in that you will, of course, achieve the necessary pre-requisites to be considered, but also have an added set of skills from your primary major.

You will graduate from here a more rounded student, and a more rounded human. The community here is unlike any other, and the confidence that can be instilled through relationships established with professors and staff cannot be understated.

Connect with Us

Dr. Alexandre Drouin
Pre-Medicine Program Coordinator

adrouin@ubishops.ca

819-822-9600 ext. 2345

What Students are Saying about the Pre-Med Program at Bishop’s

Now that I am in medical school, I am deeply grateful for all the lessons the pre-medicine program at BU has granted me. The comprehensive foundation I received has not only prepared me academically but also instilled in me a deeper understanding of the complexities of healthcare and the importance of a compassionate and patient-centered practice. I carry forward these invaluable insights as I progress in my medical education and strive to make a meaningful difference in the lives of my future patients.
Alexe

I chose Bishop’s specifically because it has a dedicated Pre-Med program, with courses aimed for those who want to prepare for the MCAT and get ready for med school interviews. It is a challenging program, but I am confident that I will be ready to take on the MCAT by the end of my degree!
Amélie

I’m enrolled in the Pre-Med program to lay the groundwork for medical school post-Bishop’s. It’s been essential in giving me a preview of the challenges ahead and preparing me for success.
Tyler