Pre-Medical/Pre-Dental Program

The Pre-Medical/Pre-Dental program is open to all HBU students interested in a career in medicine or dentistry.  The program is not a major; rather, it is a series of classes and activities designed to prepare students for entry into these schools. Activities in the program include membership and participation in the applicable pre-professional student organization (Alpha Epsilon Delta, the pre-professional honor society; and the Pre-Dental Society), trips to medical and dental schools, and workshops offered by the Pre-Professional Programs Office. Students should check the bulletin board on the second floor of the Cullen Science building for information about scheduled activities. Students are also encouraged to seek shadowing opportunities with area healthcare professionals and to perform community service as individuals or in conjunction with AED and PDS.

Entry into a health professions school is a competitive process. Application to medical and dental schools may occur early in the summer after a student’s junior year if prerequisite courses are complete and a student has a competitive GPA and MCAT/DAT score. If these conditions are not met, it may be in the student’s best interest to delay application until he or she obtains a competitive GPA and admissions test score. Texas medical and dental schools require evaluation letters. They may be submitted in one of two forms. 1) A Composite Letter of Evaluation from the Pre-Professional Programs Office or 2) Three individual letters of evaluation. The HBU Pre-Professional Programs Office provides a Composite Letter of Evaluation for qualified students.

The Composite Letter of Evaluation Package is preferred by the professional schools.  This package contains comments by the science faculty, advisors, and evaluations performed by the Applicant Evaluation Committee. In order to obtain this letter, HBU students must:

1. Complete 30 semester hours at HBU, of which 16 hours are science courses.
2. Complete 13 of the 16 prerequisite courses (45 hours is the total required) listed in the table below. If 13 classes have not been completed, the student will be referred to the Pre-Professional Advisory Committee for evaluation and comments to be included in the Evaluation Package.
3. Register with the Pre-Professional Programs Office (room S219) to indicate their intention to apply to medical/dental school. This registration should occur between January 15 and March 1 of the application year.
4. Attend a 30-minute scheduled interview with the Applicant Evaluation Committee during the spring semester prior to application. In addition to these requirements, students are required to attend the series of three workshops designed to acquaint students with the online Texas Medical and Dental Schools Application Service, the format of a successful personal statement, and the expectations of the medical school faculty at the interview.

Pre-Medical and Pre-Dental prerequisite courses may change at any time without notice to Houston Baptist University. A current list of requirements for admission is maintained in the Pre-Professional Programs Office of the College of Science and Engineering.

Our Successes

Here are some of the places you can find HBU Huskies:

• University of Texas, Medical Branch-Galveston
• Baylor College of Medicine
• Texas A&M University Health Sciences
• Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine
• University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas
• St. George University
• West Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine
• A.T. Stills University College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Ross University
• University of Texas Medical School, Houston
• Texas Tech Health Science Center
• Texas Tech, Health Science Center, El Paso
• University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio
• William Carey College of Osteopathic Medicine

“Houston Baptist University prepared me both for getting into and getting through medical school. The small, close environment allowed me to become friends with the faculty, and let them get to know my true personality. This gave the recommendation letter that was later written to medical schools about me a personal touch. The amount of personal attention that was given to me for advising was a product of the small class sizes and collegial environment found at HBU. All of the classes were taught by professors with PhDs, and not by teacher’s assistants; this raised the quality of the teaching and knowledge base to which all of the students were exposed. The senior seminars also allowed research exposure for those students who chose not to do outside research. This exposure has proven invaluable in the understanding of complex concepts.”
Dr. Gary Horn, HBU Class of 2006; Baylor College of Medicine Class of 2010; Body Imaging Fellowship, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, 2015-2016; Assistant Professor of Radiology and Director of Abdominal Imaging, UTMB, 2016-2018; Assistant Professor of Radiology Baylor College of Medicine, 2018 – Present

How can I be a strong candidate for medical or dental school?

• Two-Step Process for Acceptance

  After the application is submitted, competitive students will be invited to move to the second step, the interview. GPA and MCAT scores are most often used to choose students to advance to the interview. The average GPA for students admitted to Texas medical schools in 2017 was 3.75, and the average MCAT score was 509.1 for the new MCAT and 27.8 for the old MCAT. Competitive students are encouraged to fulfill all course prerequisites during their first two-and-a-half years, take the MCAT by the spring of their junior year, and apply to medical school during the summer after their junior year. If students do not have a competitive GPA and MCAT score, we recommend postponing application until the student gains competitive scores.

  • Clinical Experience Medical and dental schools are looking for evidence that you are already involved in medical service. Begin by volunteering for one shift a week at a local hospital, clinic, dental office or similar setting. Add shadowing a physician or dentist, or going on an HBU medical mission trip.
  • Participate in Campus Activities Medical schools will be interested in what you did during your undergraduate years inside and outside of the classroom. In addition to AED, participate in Student Government, student groups, service organizations or any other area where you have an interest.
  • Leadership Experience Medical schools will want to know about your leadership experience, so become a chairman of an AED committee, a Scout leader, a leader in your place of worship or your community.
  • Research Students at HBU can apply for an opportunity to do research with a professor during their junior and senior years. If you are interested, talk to your science professors or apply to a summer research program.