Pre-Medical

As a pre-med student, you will work with Marissa Sheaf, M.S.Ed., director of health professions advising, throughout your time at F&M. Marissa provides one-on-one advising during drop-in hours and appointments, enabling you to get personalized guidance on the prerequisites for medical schools, how to become a competitive applicant, and more. She also creates and oversees experiential learning programs where you can gain clinical experience and helps connect you with alumni in different health professions. Additionally, Marissa presents on numerous topics and holds workshops throughout the year designed to provide insight and exploration into different careers in healthcare.

Immerse yourself in the day-to-day life of medicine prior to entering the field. Marissa Sheaf, M.S.Ed., director of health professions advising, creates and oversees experiential learning programs through which you can gain clinical experience and helps connect you with alumni in different health professions.

Many pre-med students volunteer at local hospitals and clinics, including University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Lancaster, Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health (LGH), and Lancaster Health Center. Some students volunteer for F&M EMS and Lancaster EMS after gaining EMT certification. If you have a specific area of interest, you’ll receive guidance and support to find clinical opportunities.

Health Professions Advising also coordinates the True Blue Network Mentorship Program. If you’re accepted to the True Blue Network Mentorship Program, you’ll be paired with an alumni or community physician who will serve as your mentor. This program instills a deep understanding of a life in medicine from both professional and personal perspectives. Often, students have the ability to shadow their mentor, further developing their understanding of patient care.

While most undergraduate institutions reserve research opportunities for their graduate programs, we want you to engage now — not later. At F&M, you’ll dive into practice and enjoy hands-on experience in and out of the classroom. We offer summer research opportunities for a limited number of pre-med students through a partnership with University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine. Pre-medical students can also apply for funding to support their off-campus research projects. Past students have completed summer research at:

• Human Epilepsy Project at Yale University
• Penn State College of Medicine Department of Pediatrics
• University of Pittsburgh
• Carnegie Mellon Institute
• Hadassah Medical Center in Israel
• Lankenau Institute for Medical Research
• University of Pennsylvania Institute for Translational Medicine

Clubs and organizations offer a fun and exciting way to get involved while supplementing your academic experience. In your sophomore or junior year, you can apply to be a member of F&M’s Benjamin Rush Pre-Health Honor Society, an organization that hosts programs and events and creates a sense of community among pre-med students.

Once you are set to apply to medical school, you will prepare your application with the assistance of the Director of Health Professions Advising and the Health Professions Advisory Committee. You will also prepare to take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). This exam tests biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, and verbal reasoning, as well as concepts from biochemistry, psychology, and sociology. With the help of Health Professions Advising, you can prepare for this exam with customized study and preparation strategies. You will be provided official practice tests from the Association of American Medical Colleges. You can also receive guidance and tips compiled from F&M students and alumni who have scored in the 90th percentile or higher on the MCAT.

Penn State College of Medicine

Early assurance programs allow you the opportunity to apply to and secure spots in post-graduate programs prior to completing your degree. Through such a program, outstanding F&M students (3.5 minimum GPA) may apply to Penn State College of Medicine in the spring of their sophomore year. If selected, you’ll receive a provisional acceptance. You’ll work closely with Marissa Sheaf, M.S.Ed., director of health professions advising, to prepare your application.

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

F&M has an affiliation agreement in place with Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) for students who are applying after their junior year, senior year, or as alumni. F&M applicants automatically receive an interview if they meet criteria set by PCOM.

Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University

F&M has a cooperative partnership in place with Thomas Jefferson University’s Physician Shortage Area Program (PSAP). PSAP is an admissions and educational program designed to increase the supply and retention of physicians in rural areas and small towns, with a focus on Primary Care doctors for Pennsylvania and Delaware. Priority is given to applicants enrolled in one of the seven colleges and universities that are members of the PSAP Cooperative.

If you have questions about early assurance programs, please reach out to Marissa Sheaf at marissa.sheaf@fandm.edu.

Graduates who follow the pre-med track are distinctly prepared for success in medicine. Many go on to medical school before beginning their career as a leader in the field. 

Graduate School

In recent years, qualified applicants (3.4 GPA, 3.3 science GPA and 76% or better MCAT score) have been accepted to medical school at a rate of 91%. The individualized learning and hands-on experience F&M provides gives them an advantage in getting admitted into some of the nation’s top programs, including:

• Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
• Drexel University College of Medicine
• Emory University School of Medicine
• Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
• Miller School of Medicine - University of Miami
• Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine
• Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
• Sidney Kimmel Medical School - Thomas Jefferson University
• University of Pennsylvania
• Yale School of Medicine

Career Paths

Many F&M alumni have become leaders in medicine, including in private practice, clinics, and other settings. They hold positions such as:

• Anesthesiologist
• Cardiologist
• Cardiothoracic Surgeon
• Chief Medical Officer
• Chiropractor
• Dermatologist
• Emergency Physician
• Endocrinologist
• Family Physician
• Gastroenterologist
• General Surgeon
• Internal Medicine Physician
• Medical Director
• Pathologist
• Physician
• Radiologist
• OB/GYN
• Ophthalmologist
• Optometrist
• Orthopedic Surgeon
• Osteopathic Physician