Course planning advice here is limited to majors. For a full description of degree requirements, please see this
overview of the Academic Program and refer to the
Catalog for details and official rules. Any discrepancy between the Course Planning Pages and the Catalog will be resolved in favor of the Catalog.
What It
Means to Be Pre-Med at Hendrix
At Hendrix, pre-med is a term used for students who are interested in training to become a physician. It is not a major, but instead serves to identify students who may apply to medical school, ensuring they receive the advice,
support, and guidance they need. As a pre-med student at Hendrix, there is not a single prescribed
pathway or set of courses for you to take. Instead, you will embark on your own journey in which you will:
- discern whether a career in medicine is right for you,
- explore your motivation to serve your communities through medicine,
- complete the coursework required to attend medical school and to be prepared to take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), and
- develop the skills and competencies needed to become a compassionate, patient-centered medical professional.
The Gap Year
and Accelerated Tracks to Medical School
As a pre-med student at Hendrix the timing of when you take certain courses will follow one of two tracks:
- the
gap year track - for students planning on starting medical school a year or more after they graduate from Hendrix, or
- the accelerated track - for students planning on starting medical school the year they graduate from Hendrix.
There is no advantage to which track you take, as the acceptance rates at medical school of Hendrix students on the accelerated track (77 %) is virtually the same as those on the gap year track (72 %). Your
Student Placement Record (available on CampusWeb) will help you determine which track to start on:
- If you are placed in CHEM 100: Concepts in Chemistry, look at the guidance below on the gap year track
- If you are placed in CHEM 110: General Chemistry I, look at the guidance below on the accelerated track
First Year
Course Selection – Gap Year Track
- Biology: BIOL 150: Fundamentals of Cellular Life (Fall or Spring)
- Chemistry: CHEM 100: Concepts in Chemistry (Spring only)
- Math: based on placement record, either:
- MATH 120: Precalculus (Fall or Spring)
- MATH 130: Calculus I (Fall or Spring)
First Year Course Selection – Accelerated Track
- Biology: BIOL 150: Fundamentals of Cellular Life (Fall or Spring)
- Chemistry: CHEM 110: General Chemistry I (Fall only) and CHEM 120: General Chemistry II (Spring only)
- Math: based on placement record, either:
- MATH 120: Precalculus (Fall or Spring)
- MATH 130: Calculus I (Fall or Spring)
The Pre-Med Advising Committee (PMAC) and Pre-Med Mentors
As a pre-med student at Hendrix, you will receive support from the Pre-Med Advising Committee (PMAC) and a dedicated pre-med mentor. Your pre-med mentor will assist you with:
- course selection,
- helping you find shadowing, volunteer, research, and clinical opportunities,
- navigating the medical school application process, and
- exploring gap year options, if needed.
To request a pre-med mentor, please complete this form, or email premedadvising@hendrix.edu for additional
support.