Pre-Medical Primary Care Program
Interested in Primary Care Medicine?
Want to serve rural or underrepresented populations? Elizabethtown College has an early assurance program for students interested in primary care with The Pennsylvania State University (PSU) College of Medicine. The Pre-Medical Primary Care Program (PPP) is designed to offer the preparation and benefits of a strong undergraduate education, including hands on opportunities to learn anatomy and physiology with human cadavers, for your medical degree.
Through this highly selective program of talented, motivated students, you will develop your interest in primary care medicine and forge relationships with practitioners and medical students. Students completing this program will earn a B.S. degree from Elizabethtown College and a M.D. degree from The Pennsylvania State College of Medicine.
Apply to our early-assurance program with The PSU College of Medicine
What is Primary Care?
Individuals working in primary care medicine are often the ones who initially help with undiagnosed health concerns. Primary care medicine also includes working in areas of disease prevention, health maintenance, counseling, patient education, as well as diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic illnesses in a variety of health care settings. Primary care physicians typically practice in family medicine, general internal medicine, and pediatrics.
Benefits of Being in the Pre-Medical Primary Care Program (PPP)
- Early assurance seat in The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine*
- Reduced costs of medical school applications
- Tailored Health professions advising
- Opportunities to job shadow medical personnel at the Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
- Opportunity to participate in Primary Care Scholars Summer Program
*Must meet conditional agreements while at Elizabethtown College
Program Requirements
To ensure matriculation into PSU’s College of Medicine, while at Etown:
- First Year: Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.3
- Second Year: Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.4 and *completion of an internship
- Junior Year: Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5, a minimum Biology/Chemistry/Physics/Math GPA of 3.5 and *completion of a second internship
- The MCAT examination is required for admission to the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine and should be completed by early spring of your Junior year. Students are required to obtain a compositive score of at least 507. Students not meeting this requirement may retake the exam one time before July 1.
- Senior Year: Completion of a B.S. degree with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5**
Students in this program are required to participate in the Primary Care Scholars Program during either the summer following the second or third year at the college. The Primary Care Scholars program is a offered by PSU College of Medicine where students have the opportunity to learn more about primary care, meet with medical students and professionals, as well as shadow.
*Internships should be completed prior to the start of the following academic year.
**Students while at Elizabethtown College must stay in good standing with the College’s Student Conduct board.
Important Dates for Applying
January 15 – Complete Elizabethtown College or Common Application and Pre-Medical Primary Care Program materials
February Admitted Student Day – On-campus Interviews are conducted for Pre-Medical Primary Care Program by Elizabethtown College
**Elizabethtown College will share decisions for the Pre-Medicine Primary Care Program by the 1st of March. Students recommended to PSU College of Medicine will then be invited by PSU College of Medicine to interview. The final decisions will be shared with students and Elizabethtown College prior to the May 1 Declaration of Intent deadline.
Minimum Eligibility Requirements
- Pennsylvania residency with preference for students residing in rural and/or medically underserved areas of Pennsylvania.
- Students must rank in the top 10 percent of their high school graduating class or demonstrate an upward high school trajectory with a rigorous science background.
- Submit and complete the Elizabethtown College or Common Application
- Standardized test scores are optional. If reported, preference is given to students having earned a minimum score of 1250 on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or an equivalent score of 26 on the ACT.
- Completion of three years of natural sciences including biology, chemistry, and physics and mathematics through trigonometry.
Application Process
- Students may select the Penn State Pre-Medical Primary Care Program among the specialty program options on either the Elizabethtown College or Common Application. If you would like to be considered for the program and did not select it at the time of application, please contact the Admissions Office.
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The additional admission requirements for this program and their status will display on the Specialty Program checklist in your Status Portal:
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Additional requirements include a minimum of two letters of support from high school teachers, with at least one from a science teacher; a resume; essay responses (300-500 words each) to the three prompts; and high school, and if relevant, college/university transcripts.
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- Selected candidates will be invited to interview during the February Accepted Student Day with the Elizabethtown College Health Professions Advising Committee
Recommendations from the Elizabethtown College Health Professions Advising Committee will be sent to The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine for interviews. Those deemed by PSU College of Medicine to have excellent potential for a career in primary care will be simultaneously accepted for the Pre-Medical Primary Care Program at Elizabethtown as well as be granted provisional acceptance to The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine. Final acceptance to The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine is contingent upon satisfactory fulfillment of yearly criteria.