The Baylor Office of Prehealth Studies, located in the Baylor Sciences Building (Room B.111) provides resources for pre-professional tracks. Students should verify that they have the appropriate prehealth designator on their records in order to access program information on the Canvas website. To add or change a prehealth designator, students may see their academic or prehealth advisor.

Maintaining close contact with the professionals in the Office of Prehealth Studies is an important component of successful professional school application preparation. Workshops are available for academic advising, committee interview application, personal statement essay writing, and interviewing skills. Dates and times for workshops are posted on relevant Canvas lists, depending on the student’s designated interest. Advising documents and presentations are available on Canvas for 24/7 access. Ask Prehealth sessions are available on a walk-in basis each weekday for general advising questions. Prehealth students must maintain a GPA of 3.0 or above to remain in the program. Failure to do so for two consecutive semesters will result in dismissal from the program.

• Pre-Medical/Pre-Dental Programs
• Pre-Occupational Therapy
• Pre-Optometry
• Pre-Pharmacy
• Pre-Physical Therapy
• Pre-Physician Assistant
• Pre-Podiatry
• Pre-Veterinary Medicine

Further information and advisement are available in:

The Office of Prehealth Studies
One Bear Place #97341
Waco, TX 76798-7341
254-710-3659
www.baylor.edu/prehealth.

Prehealth Designation Policy

Incoming Freshmen & Transfer Students

All students, regardless of standardized test or Academic Index scores are eligible to select any Prehealth designation upon admission to Baylor University. Prehealth designations include:  pre-dentistry, pre-medicine, pre-occupational therapy, pre-optometry, pre-pharmacy, pre-physician assistant, pre-physical therapy, and pre-veterinary medicine.

Current Baylor University Students

Any current student, who had not previously held the designator, and has a 3.0 or above cumulative GPA is eligible to receive the Prehealth designation.  An academic advisor or the Office of Prehealth Studies can make that change.

Maintaining Prehealth Designation

• After 30 hours completed in residence at Baylor University:
  • Students with 3.0 or above cumulative GPA continue to maintain designation in good standing.
  • For students with below 2.0 cumulative GPA at the end of either Fall or Spring term, the designation will automatically be removed.
  • For students with 2.0-2.99 cumulative GPA, the Office of Prehealth Studies will issue a cautionary email with list of resources and explanation of progression standards (i.e., must have 3.0 or above cumulative GPA after 60 hours completed in residence to maintain designation).
• After 60 hours completed in residence Baylor University:
  • Students with 3.0 or above cumulative GPA continue to maintain designation in good standing.
  • For students with below 3.0 cumulative GPA at the end of either Fall or Spring term, the designation will automatically be removed.

Reinstatement of Prehealth Designator

If a student held and lost the Prehealth designator, and still desires to access the services provided to those with the designation, they can request to have the designation reinstated if their cumulative GPA is 3.0 or above at the end of a long semester (Fall or Spring). Academic advisors or the Office of Prehealth Studies can reinstate the designator for qualifying students.

Leadership in Medicine

• Leadership in Medicine Minor

Dual Admissions

Baylor University has a dual admission program with Baylor College of Medicine (The Baylor Medical Track). Details are available on the Prehealth homepage at http://www.baylor.edu/prehealth.       

The Joint Admission Medical Program (JAMP) is a special program created by the Texas Legislature to support and encourage highly qualified, economically disadvantaged Texas resident students pursuing a medical education.  Baylor University is a private school participant in JAMP.  Selected students will receive undergraduate and graduate scholarships as well as stipends for the two required summer medical school internships following the sophomore and junior academic years.  JAMP also guarantees the admission of qualified students to a participating medical school.

For information on program qualifications, use the “Do I Qualify” link on the website: https://www.texasjamp.org/, then contact the Baylor JFD (JAMP Faculty Director) to schedule an appointment.

Pre-Medical/Pre-Dental Programs

Students preparing for dentistry and medicine are urged to complete the baccalaureate degree before entering professional school. Because the broad-based liberal arts education has proved the best foundation on which to build highly specialized professional training, the medical and dental schools select students with majors in both nonscience and science disciplines. Regardless of major, the student is encouraged to excel academically in all disciplines and to develop strong personal qualities of leadership, interpersonal skills, ethics, and service.

Admission to the medical and dental schools is highly competitive and only superior students are accepted. In general, selection is based on the student’s application, academic record, professional preparation, scores on the Medical College Admission Test or the Dental Admission Test, letters of recommendation, and a personal interview at the professional school.

The student should determine any specific course requirements and recommendations of the professional school to which application is to be made. Four year planners are available in the Office of Prehealth Studies, Baylor Sciences Building (BSB), B.111.

Pre-Occupational Therapy

Baylor University offers a program of undergraduate instruction designed to prepare students for application to Occupational Therapy schools. Students should incorporate Occupational Therapy prerequisite courses into whatever degree program they choose. OT schools do not have a preference for a particular degree or major.

It is the responsibility of the student to ascertain that course selection fulfills the requirements of the Occupational Therapy school(s) to which the student plans to apply. Information regarding coursework for OT schools is available in the Office of Prehealth Studies: Baylor Sciences Building (BSB), B. 111.

Pre-Optometry

Baylor University offers a program of courses designed to prepare students for the professional curriculum in optometry offered by optometry schools.

The student should determine any specific course requirements and recommendations of the professional schools where they plan to apply.

Admission requirements are a bachelor’s degree, satisfactory (C or better) completion of the following preprofessional course work, an acceptable Optometry Admission Test (OAT) score, and a preprofessional evaluation. Four year planners are available in the Office of Prehealth Studies; Baylor Sciences Building (BSB) B.111.

Pre-Pharmacy

Students who plan to enter the field of pharmacy may apply for admission to a school of pharmacy after completing the appropriate prepharmacy requirements, which require two years or more of study. Information regarding specific coursework for pharmacy schools is available in the Office of Prehealth Studies; Baylor Sciences Building (BSB) B.111. All schools in Texas now require the Pharmacy College Admission test (PCAT), as do pharmacy schools in most states. This exam is given several times each year. Four year planners are available in the Office of Prehealth Studies; BSB, B.111.

Pre-Physical Therapy

Baylor University offers a program of undergraduate instruction designed to prepare students for the professional curricula of accredited physical therapy programs. The physical therapy schools do not have a preference for a particular degree or major. A student earning a bachelor’s degree at Baylor University will begin a master’s or doctoral program in physical therapy.

It is the responsibility of the student to determine which courses are needed by the school(s) to which they intend to apply (at least annually). Four year planners are available in the Office of Prehealth Studies; BSB, B.111.

Pre-Physician Assistant

Baylor University offers a program of courses designed to prepare students for the physician assistant (PA) schools. Information regarding specific coursework for PA schools is available in the Office of Prehealth Studies; Baylor Sciences Building (BSB), B.111.

Students must check with each school to determine specific requirements. For more information go to http://www.baylor.edu/Prehealth.

Pre-Podiatry

Baylor University offers a program of courses designed to prepare students for the professional curriculum in podiatry offered by accredited schools.

The student should determine any specific course requirements and recommendations of the professional schools where application is to be made.

Admission requirements include a bachelor’s degree (or a minimum of ninety semester hours), satisfactory (C or better) completion of the following preprofessional course work, an acceptable Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) or, in some cases, Graduate Record Exam (GRE) score, a preprofessional evaluation, and a professional school interview.

Pre-Veterinary Medicine

Baylor University offers a program of courses designed to prepare students for the professional curriculum in veterinary medicine offered by accredited schools.

A minimum “C” grade in each preprofessional course required for admission, sixty-five hours of completed preprofessional coursework (may include work in progress), and an acceptable score on the GRE General Test. The student should determine any specific course requirements and recommendations of the professional schools to which they plan to apply.