Pre-Health Program
The Pre-Health Program in the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences is an open program for all students in every major program of study at Boston College. There is no minimum GPA requirement. The Pre-Health Program provides support and comprehensive advising to undergraduates and alumni of Boston College interested in medical, dental, or veterinary careers, as well as other areas of health profession study. Students benefit from majoring in any of the varied academic disciplines offered at BC.
The Pre-Health Program team assists with all aspects of planning when considering a career in the health professions, including selection of a major, course sequencing/selection, resources for gaining health-related experience, evaluating extra-curricular activities, preparing for standardized exams (MCAT, DAT, GRE) and all aspects of the pre- and post-application process for health professions graduate schools.
Stokes Hall S132
617-552-4663
Monday–Friday
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
premed@bc.edu
Prospective Students
An array of advising support is available to Boston College Pre-Health students including: individual portfolio review by the Director and Assistant Directors, group meetings each semester for freshmen, sophomores, and applicants (juniors/seniors), and mentoring by Pre-Health Committee Members. If you have been accepted to Boston College and are interested in gaining an overview of the Pre-Health Program, please view the following presentation.
Meet the Pre-Health Program Staff
Danielle Taghian, Ph.D.
Chair, Pre-Health Faculty Committee
Associate Professor of the Practice
danielle.taghian@bc.edu
Spring 2020 FAQ
The NAAHP has put together a site for Health Professions Associations to share updates.
The AAMC has also made available the MSAR Reports due to the current situation, reports are now available to help quickly disseminate information as it is updated by AAMC-member medical schools. Reports will be updated and republished regularly as medical schools update their profiles to reflect evolving policies, dates, or procedures. Please review MSAR profiles and individual medical schools’ websites for the most current information.
We recognize that this issue affects pre-health students in the current cycle (June of 2020), as well as generates implications for future applicants and alumni in subsequent application cycles. We have been closely monitoring postings on the National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions (NAAHP) network, as well as through the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) site. Graduate Health Professions Schools are aware of the policy that colleges and universities are offering an option to participate in a Pass/Fail grading system for spring 2020 semester. As of March 23, 2020 there is no consensus among health professions schools regarding whether P/F grades will be universally accepted in place of letter grades. However, select medical schools have published statements indicating as a result of this unprecedented event, they will accept Pass/Fail grading for spring 2020 coursework provided it is the policy of a college/university to only award Pass/Fail grades.
As we hope that health professions schools will accommodate the unprecedented circumstances, as well as the on-going emergence of competency-based entrance requirements, it still may be prudent for each applicant to assess his/her overall strength of portfolio and status within the application timeline to determine the best course of action in making this decision regarding Pass/Fail grading. In some cases it may be beneficial for a student to maintain the grade option for science coursework, especially in prerequisite science courses, to ensure a universally competitive application and provide the necessary foundational knowledge to perform strongly on standardized entrance exams
As a reminder, all graduate and undergraduate students at Boston College will be able to designate courses taken this semester as Pass/Fail through Thursday, April 30, 2020. For further details view the Academic Policies concerning P/F. It may prove beneficial for pre-health students, as well as current applicants, to consult with an advisor on the Pre-Health team to address specific issues and inquiries related to P/F. While the decision rests with each individual student to select a course of action which is suitable for their personal circumstances, please know that we are here to provide guidance and perspective, and we will continue to post updates as they become available.
Instructors will communicate with students to explain alternative arrangements.
Please note that your application verification is not dependent on MCAT results or submission.
File completion includes:
- AMCAS
- Secondary application
- MCAT score
- Letters of recommendation
For those of you applying for a Committee Letter from Boston College this cycle, a later-than-anticipated MCAT will not detrimentally impact you in regard to receiving your Committee Letter review. If MCAT scores are available, we will incorporate them in your letter; if not, they will be equally impactful when directly submitted through AMCAS.
The BC Pre-Health Committee is moving forward as scheduled. We are dedicated to working with you during this challenging time. If you have not spoken with your assigned Committee Advisor, please contact them to schedule a meeting/phone appointment. The deadline for submission of individual letters of recommendation has been extended from March 10 to March 31, in order to provide additional time.
Please login and review your status page to determine if letters are missing. If you notice a missing recommendation letter, please send your recommender a friendly prompt and inquire if they are able to submit by the extended deadline of March 31. It's important that you continue to meet all the Committee-recommended deadlines to ensure the timely completion of your Committee Letter.
If you have questions or concerns, email premed@bc.edu. If you want to make a phone appointment with an advisor, you can contact 617-552-4663 or premed@bc.edu to schedule an appointment.
If you have questions or concerns, email premed@bc.edu. If you want to make a phone appointment with an advisor, you can contact 617-552-4663 or premed@bc.edu to schedule an appointment.