Pre-Med Program

If medical school is in your future plans, you’ve come to the right place. Not only does George Fox have the track record to give you confidence in our ability to prepare you for the rigors of med school, you will be joining a community where you will be known by name, research opportunities abound, and where faith is integrated in learning.

Our Track Record

Case in point regarding our track record: George Fox pre-med students who maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher have a better than 95% acceptance rate into medical school. The university also maintains an 80% acceptance rate overall – considerably higher than the national average of 50%.

You will find our graduates at medical schools throughout the country, including the University of Southern California, Michigan State University, Vanderbilt University, Oregon Health & Science University, Washington University Medical School, the University of Kansas, and several others.

Our Community

As for our community, our 16-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio assures you that you will receive personalized attention. And with the career and academic coaching you will receive through our Career and Academic Planning Center, you have advocates who will help plot your course and find the medical school that’s right for you!

You’ll also have the opportunity to connect with your peers by joining the local chapter of the American Medical Student Association, a student-governed national organization committed to connecting pre-med students with resources that will help prepare them for medical school. You may also work as a teaching assistant or gain internship experience both on and off campus.

Research Opportunities

Our biology and chemistry professors actively conduct research in onsite and offsite research laboratories, providing our undergraduate majors the opportunity to participate and present the results. And a handful of our graduates have gone on to cancer research labs at OHSU – recent grads Quinlan Morrow and Brittany Smith among them.

On campus, students in our biology major have gained valuable research experience alongside professor John Schmitt, whose breast cancer research project, “Vitamin D Regulation in Breast Cancer Cells,” has received more than $75,000 in grant funding from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust.

Our Faith

Beyond preparing you academically, our professors will take a vested interest in you as a person – willing to listen as you discuss your hopes and dreams for your career, as well as your growth both personally and spiritually. They also teach science from a Christ-centered perspective, recognizing God as Creator, so you won’t be attending a school where science and Christianity are at odds.

students in biochemistry class

What Will I Study?

We offer all of the courses necessary to satisfy the required competencies of most medical schools. It’s important to consult with your academic advisor early to set up a plan for a strong program. Medical school admission requirements will vary considerably between different schools, so research into specific prerequisites at medical schools of interest should be reviewed as early as possible.

Here are some other important things to be aware of:

  • Medical school admissions are shifting more toward a liberal arts education and a revised integrated science and mathematics curriculum. Emphasis is transitioning from a prescription of courses (prerequisites) to student demonstration of defined competencies.
  • Regardless of your major, you must demonstrate both knowledge and ability in the disciplines of mathematics and statistics, physics, chemistry, biochemistry, and biology.
  • In addition to biological sciences, the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) also will assess your knowledge in social and behavioral sciences.
  • In addition to meeting the minimal entrance requirements into medical school, good grades (3.5 GPA or above) and a strong performance on the national admissions test (MCAT, usually taken in the spring of your junior year) are essential.

With medical school admissions committees seeking individuals with a diversified undergraduate portfolio, George Fox is an ideal choice for your pre-med education, as we offer courses in ethics, literature, the arts, humanities and anthropology to complement your science curriculum. Students who want to pursue a career in medicine most commonly select a major in biology or biochemistry.

Trina (Christiansen) Davis

George Fox, MD, Boston University School of Medicine

I was closely mentored by several faculty members who saw my potential and directly encouraged me to pursue graduate school. They coached me step-by-step through the process of deciding what program and what school would be the best fit. Many of my med school classmates had learned material in big lecture halls and were more equipped for passive receiving of information, rather than taking initiative and being willing to try new ways of thinking or doing.