Pre-Professional Health
Program Details
If you dream of a career in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, podiatry, optometry, pharmacy or physical therapy, we've got exciting news for you. Over the last five years, 86% of our undergraduate students who applied to medical school were accepted, which is way above the national average of 44%. Now's the perfect time to start thinking about your unique goals and educational plans. Let's kickstart your journey to becoming a successful Xavier graduate in the world of professional healthcare.
Note: The Pre-Professional Health program is not a major. Students are advised to declare a major that they perform well in but that also prepares them for their respective choice of graduate school program. Xavier provides the solid support and personal attention students need, from academic advising and peer mentoring to MCAT preparation.
Program Overview
First Year
- Explore health careers
- Visit your pre-professional advisor
- Join the Xavier Pre-Med Society Club
Sophomore Year
- Research admittance requirements for medical school
- Plan your MCAT preparation schedule
- Participate in research
Junior Through Senior Year
- Mock interview with the Health Sciences Committee
- Take the MCAT
- Submit medical school applications
- Gather your letters of recommendation
- Interview with the medical schools
- Decide which school to attend
Early Acceptance
The Early Acceptance Program is designed to facilitate the admission of Xavier students into Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM). This means that as an undergraduate student, you can be enrolled simultaneously at both Xavier and LECOM. Each academic year, up to five students will be accepted from high school into the Early Admission Program by LECOM and Xavier University.
Career Outcomes
99% of Xavier students are working, volunteering or in graduate school within six months of graduating (Class of 2022). Additionally, Xavier students have a 92% acceptance rate to medical schools (Class of 2019), compared to 40% nationally.
Graduates from health-related majors have gone on to work at the following companies: Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, The Cleveland Clinic, The Christ Hospital, Mercy Health, Good Samaritan Hospital, St. Elizabeth Healthcare, TriHealth, Anthem
Student Clubs
- Alpha Epsilon Delta (Pre-Med Honor Society)- Alpha Epsilon Delta (AED) is a national pre-health honors organization for juniors and seniors. Their main focus is service to the Cincinnati community, with opportunities to serve at places like the Ronald McDonald House and Cincinnati Children's Hospital.
- Pre-Med Student Association- The Pre-Med Student Association is a club for students interested in pursuing a career in the health professions. The club works to unite, educate and empower future health professionals by bringing in speakers and providing information about careers and insight from upperclassmen. There is also a Pre-Dental Society for students planning a career in dentistry.
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Request InformationEarly Acceptance to Medical School
Through our early acceptance program, students can be enrolled in medical school while completing their undergraduate degree. The program is designed to facilitate the admission of Xavier students into Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM); this means that as an undergraduate, you can be enrolled simultaneously at both Xavier and LECOM.
Pre-Professional Health Advising
Under the guidance of a pre-professional health advisor and a Health Sciences Committee of science faculty, students get help with course selection, time management tips, information on individual medical schools, MCAT preparation advice, letters of recommendation and mock admission interviews as they prepare for admission to medical, dental and other professional graduate health programs.
Success After Graduation
Xavier graduates practice in a range of fields of medicine, professional health care and other related careers. They go on to study at prestigious health schools like Boston University School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, University of Pennsylvania, Washington University, Duke University and Northwestern University.
Graduate With Honors
Are you looking for an academic challenge? The University Scholars Honors Program offers incoming students a more challenging curriculum and close support from professors while completing their undergraduate degree. Acceptance into the program is highly selective and includes a $2000 travel grant.
Pre-Professional Health Major at Xavier University
The Pre-Professional Health program at Xavier prepares students for acceptance into medical, dental, veterinary or other graduate health professions programs. Students are advised to declare a major that they perform well in but that also prepares them for their respective graduate school program. Xavier provides the solid support and personal attention students need, from academic advising to peer mentoring and MCAT preparation. For 2019, a record 92 percent of Xavier graduates who applied to medical school were accepted.
Xavier University’s College of Arts and Sciences challenges students to develop an integrated understanding of humanity, the world, and God by pursuing the questions raised in Xavier's core and departmental curricula. The College of Arts and Sciences is the oldest and largest college at Xavier University. The college provides an excellent liberal arts education in the Jesuit tradition that prepares students for careers, professional or graduate school, and life in a global society.
Xavier University is a private university located in Cincinnati, Ohio, providing a liberal arts education in the Jesuit Catholic tradition. Founded in 1831, the University is the sixth-oldest Catholic university in the nation. It has been ranked among the top 10 master's-level universities in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report for the past two decades. The Princeton Review names it one of the "Best 385 Colleges in America."