Premedical Studies at Florida Tech
What is Premed?
At Florida Tech, premedical studies or "premed" refers to degree programs that fulfill the rigorous admission requirements of medical and veterinary schools while delivering in-depth knowledge and training in a specific academic discipline. Premed alone is not a major at Florida Tech, but we offer different science and engineering degrees that are considered premed programs.
Why Premed at Florida Tech?
Our outcomes are excellent—far above the national rate. Students who complete a premed-track program at Florida Tech and apply to a medical or health professional school are accepted at a rate of about 70%. Nationally, only about 40% of students who apply to medical school are accepted.
This makes Florida Tech an ideal place for students interested in pursuing a health-related career in medicine, veterinary medicine, dentistry, optometry, pharmacy or any of the other allied health professions.
Students who want to major in biology, biomedical engineering, chemistry or physics may take the premed path. All premed students at Florida Tech receive a hands-on education with courses, labs and projects led by active research scientists and engineers. By combining the scientific laboratories and resources of a large research university with the small size and personal attention of a private college, Florida Tech provides a unique undergraduate learning experience that includes:
- Learn from expert faculty who involve you in important research and mentor you towards greatness and success
- Specialized courses that allow you to earn credit toward your degree by engaging in original research and design projects
- The opportunity to participate in local and national academic conferences, publish papers in major research journals with their faculty advisors, or build and demonstrate a prototype of a biomedical device
What is the Premed Experience?
Beyond their coursework, premed students spend their time building medically-related experience that aligns with their career interests. Many volunteer at local hospitals and spend time shadowing physicians. Most also join the Premed Club, our campus chapter of the American Medical Student Association.
Dedicated Premed Advisement
Our director of premedical studies maintains up-to-date information about medical school admission requirements, admission tests, and professional school application procedures, and guides premed students throughout the process. She mentors students throughout their time at Florida Tech, helping them select electives and choose research activities that will bolster their chances of getting into medical school upon graduation.
Courses
The courses that premed students take depend on their major. For biology students, there are lectures and laboratories in anatomy, microbiology, genetics, biochemistry, physiology, developmental biology, and immunology. In chemistry, students explore analytical and physical chemistry. Physics students take advanced courses in modern physics, thermodynamics, and optics. Upper level biomedical engineering majors explore biomechanics and biomedical measurements and instrumentation, and take courses in biomedical engineering design. To round out their background, all of our students take courses in the humanities and social sciences. Our curriculum not only works in getting students admitted into medical or vet school, it also makes these professional school courses easier. You can review all of the core courses in the Catalog.
Real Experience
Students in the sciences will have the opportunity to conduct cutting-edge biomedical research. Students in biomedical engineering will participate in a capstone experience as part of required courses where they will design and build a prototype of an actual device that will be used for demonstration. All students will get to participate in a year-end research and design showcase at Florida Tech and also attend a national undergraduate student design competition.
Where Do Premed Students Go After Graduation?
Florida Tech students go onto health professional schools, doctoral programs in biomedical sciences and biomedical engineering, and careers in biotechnology and health-related research. Recent graduates have gone onto:
Medical Schools
- Johns Hopkins University
- Florida State University
- University of Miami
- University of Florida
- University of Central Florida
- SUNY at Buffalo
- New York Medical College
Other Health Professional Schools
- Baylor College of Dentistry
- University of Florida College of Pharmacy
- LECOM College of Pharmacy
- North Carolina State College of Veterinary Medicine
- SUNY Stonybrook School of Health, Technology, and Management (Physicians Assistant Program)
- NOVA Southeastern University (Physicians Assistant Program)
- Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine
Graduate Schools (Doctoral Programs)
- Florida Institute of Technology
- Georgetown University
- Harvard University
- Johns Hopkins University
- Columbia University
- University of Florida
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- University of California, Santa Barbara
Employment
- National Institutes of Health
- Centers for Disease Control
- Midwest Research Institute
- Women and Infants Hospital, Providence RI
- NASA - Kennedy Space Center
- Peace Corps