Undergraduate Pre-Medical and Health Professions Certificate Program
Preparation for medical, dental, and other health professional school can start as early as your freshman year by enrolling in our undergraduate Pre-Medical and Health Professions Program (UG-PMHPP). We are here to help you every step of the way from your first introduction to pre-requisite coursework through the application and interview process.
About the Program
The UG-PMHPP is not an academic major or degree program, but rather a multi-track post-secondary certificate program, pursued at the same time as your academic major degree program. We will provide you with opportunities that make you stand out such as:
- Exceptional, personalized, ongoing advisement in cooperation with your major advisor
- Hand-tailored curriculum planning and tracking consistent with professional goals
- Application assistance to prepare for medical, dental, and other health professional schools
- In addition to pre-requisite curriculum, seven specialized pre-health courses with "0" additional credit load
- Learn basic patient assessment and health and safety skills, including entry-level clinical skills
- Introductions to collaborative practice, inter-professional education, and medical terminology
- Instruction in basic anatomy and pathophysiology
- Instruction, guidance and assistance through the complex medical and health professional school application process
Program Information
A certificate program that can be taken alongside a major to prepare a student to apply to medical and health professional schools.
Degree
Certificate
INTRODUCING A NEW WORLD-CLASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
Marking a milestone in the boldest initiative of our history, Duquesne opened its new College of Medicine on Jan. 17, 2024. The medical college will welcome its inaugural class of students pursuing their doctor of osteopathic medicine degrees in July, and offers an early assurance program for qualified undergraduate first-year students interested in becoming physicians.
What Will I Gain Through the PMHPP?
We Prepare You to Stand Out
What do medical and other health professional schools look for in candidates? While application requirements are unique to each school and program, most schools seek students who are top academic performers with high overall science/math and science GPAs and high professional school admissions test scores (eg, MCAT, OAT, DAT, GRE); have extensive and relevant research as well as experiential and volunteer activities; demonstrate evidence of professional competency and behavior and positive letters of recommendation.
Post-Secondary Certificate in Pre-Medical and Health Professions
To be eligible for a Duquesne University letter of endorsement, PMHPP Honors Cords, and designation of enrollment in the PMHPP on his/her transcript, a student must earn the PMHP Post-Secondary Certificate. This designation on a student's transcript will provide medical, dental, and other health professional schools' admission units with a way to recognize a student who has received specialized education and training consistent with those who may earn a degree/academic major in pre-medical studies at other universities. It also validates the unique intentional learning in medicine and health professional content that is not offered to any other group of students at the University.
To earn the PMHP Post-Secondary Certificate, an UG-PMHPP student must:
- Complete a minimum of 15 credit hours of PMHPP-approved pre-medical/health professional coursework in math, science, or psychology/sociology, earned with a minimum grade of "C" or better, after being formally enrolled in the Program.
- Take an UG-PMHPP course each of the fall/spring semesters up until the time of application to medical or health professional school, with a minimum of one full year (two UG-PMHPP courses) being required to earn the PMHP Post-Secondary Certificate.
- Earn passing grades in all UG-PMHPP courses,
- Meet all PMHPP academic and professional behavior retention standards,
- Demonstrate a cumulative GPA of >3.0, cumulative math/science GPA of >3.0, and cumulative science GPA of >3.0 at the time of validation for graduation to earn the PMHP Certificate, and
- Be in good standing at the University and within his/her respective school
PMHPP student professional expectations, behavior, and academic retention standards are described in the 2024-2025 PMHPP Handbook which is accessible to all PMHPP students on the Community Canvas site.
NOTE: Undergraduate students applying to or already enrolled in Duquesne's Pharmacy, Nursing, or Physician Assistant academic major programs are not eligible for the PMHPP to pursue these careers, because they already receive the specialized advisement and preparation services for those careers through their respective programs. Should they wish to pursue medical/health professional careers other than their major program careers, they then may apply to the PMHPP to get the additional assistance to pursue those alternate paths.
The practice of medicine, regardless of discipline, requires exceptional knowledge,
skills, abilities and personal attributes. A component of almost every professional
school application is that the student is able to document not only academic success
and exam scores, but also: While each discipline and program varies on which of these activities bears the greatest
importance, all admissions committees will be considering your submission of these
types of experiences as part of the application process. This is why every application
and/or interview required during the application process requires students to not
only relate those experiences or opportunities, but also describe specifically what
was learned or the value of those experiences in preparing the student to be qualified
to enter professional school. Gaining admission to a medical, dental or other health professional school is dependent
on a variety of factors, unique to each disciplined and institution, that generally
include meeting or exceeding the following standard criteria: You may apply and be admitted directly into the PMHPP when you apply to the University
through one of the online applications. Prospective first-year students must meet
the following requirements: Note: It cannot be guaranteed that students choosing to apply to Duquesne via the No Exam Option will be evaluated in the same manner as students taking the exam(s) when applying
to professional school in the future. If you meet our qualifications, then you must check the Pre-Medical and Health Professions Program box as part of the online undergraduate application when applying to the University to
be reviewed for admission into the program. If you do not currently meet the first-year admission standards, don't worry, you
may apply later, after at least one semester of enrollment, through the Secondary
Admission process. Secondary Admission applications are accepted at the end of each semester. If you are a student at Duquesne, you should
talk to your Student Success Coach about your interest and intent to apply. Undergraduate student retention standards are the same for all students in the PMHPP
regardless of pathway for admission. A full description of this policy may be found
in the PMHPP Student Handbook. Undergraduate students who were not previously admitted to the Undergraduate Pre-Medical
and Health Professions Program (UG-PMHPP) as entering freshmen may apply and be admitted
to the program through the secondary admission process. Transfer students and currently enrolled Duquesne upperclassman applicants are required
to successfully complete an interview with the PMHPP during the semester of application
before admission into the UG-PMHPP is granted; freshman applicants are not required
to have an UG-PMHPP interview. NOTE: Students must report all applicable grades and GPAs from all institutions where
courses have been completed or are in progress. Please complete the following application materials by each term's deadline, and submit
via email attachments to pmhpp@duq.edu. Please be sure to read the instructions carefully. Deadlines for Secondary Admission applications: Final grades will be confirmed via an official University transcript from all schools
where college coursework was completed. Students accepted into the UG-PMHPP Post-Secondary
Certificate Program through this secondary admission process are eligible for all
of the same services and opportunities as are those admitted through the regular freshman
admission process. Admission Qualifications for Transfer and Current DU Undergraduate
Students: Non-PMHPP students who wish to receive introductory guidance with a PMHPP advisor
on the best ways to proceed with their intended plans for medical, dental or other
health professional careers on their own may schedule a brief appointment. PMHPP advisors,
however, cannot provide extended advisement services to non-PMHPP students. Any secondary admission student who needs less than 15 credits of math, science, or
psychology/sociology coursework at the time of acceptance to the UG-PMHPP is eligible
to enroll and receive some UG-PMHPP services; however, they are not eligible for the
UG-PMHPP Post-Secondary Certificate or a PMHPP Letter of Endorsement. The UG-PMHPP only accepts transfer students who have been formally accepted to an
academic major program at the University. Once accepted, transfer students may then
apply through the secondary admission process. Any deficient coursework may be required
to be repeated while enrolled at Duquesne, because academic performance at all colleges/universities
attended will be considered by the medical, dental, or other health professional schools
to which students apply. Early Assurance and Preferred Admission Review Programs These programs are applied to after the student is enrolled at Duquesne University
and a student enrolled in the PMHPP, and are not freshman admit programs. More information
is available through the PMHPP. Admission requirements are subject to change at the discretion of medical programs
listed above and are outside the control of the Pre-Medical and Health Professions
Programs. These are competitive programs, and an interview and/or acceptance cannot be guaranteed.
Final acceptance to these programs is the sole discretion of the medical or health
professional program.
Applying to Medical, Dental or other Health Professional School
Undergraduate Admission Requirements
Admission Qualifications for Current DU Undergraduate Students and Transfers:
How do I apply?
Transfer Students to the University
Early Application Options
Current PMHPP students have the following opportunities for Early Assurance Programs
or Preferred Admissions Review Program: