Pre-Medicine: Chemistry (BS)

Accelerated MD & Graduate Degree Options

USF’s pre-med chem program offers students several opportunities for accelerated admission to graduate and professional school.

Pre-Med to DO Program with Marian University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine

A sister Franciscan institution, the College of Osteopathic Medicine at Marian University Indianapolis offers a faith-based approach to physician training. Our partnership offers two options:

• Early Acceptance Track – guarantees an admission interview in September of your senior year, with a final decision by Sept. 30.
• Guaranteed Interview Track – offers an admission interview in October of your senior year, with an admissions decision within one week

View admissions requirements.

Pre-Med to Master of Pharmacogenomics with Manchester University

Pharmacogenomics (PGx), also known as personalized medicine, is one of the fastest-growing scientific disciplines. A master’s degree in PGx prepares you for careers in medicinal chemistry, genetic testing and pharmaceuticals, and for medical school and Ph.D. programs.

• Our partnership reserves spots in its on-campus for four qualified USF students

View admissions requirements.

Personalized Pre-Med Advising

USF’s pre-med chem program offers one-on-one advising from a medical school admissions expert, who will help:

• Determine the best medical schools and programs for you
• Develop your medical school admissions materials
• Ensure you meet med school application deadlines
• Prepare you for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)

Real-World Experiences: Research & Internships

Pre-med students interested in research, medicine, pharmaceuticals and medicinal chemistry get hands-on experience in professional settings through internships and on- and off-campus research.

Internship sites include research labs, medical device manufacturers and healthcare facilities throughout the region, including:

• Cooke Polymer Technology
• Fort Wayne Metals Lab
• A&L Great Lakes Laboratory
• Bethesda Lutheran Communities

And pre-med chem program students have conducted research with faculty scientists at USF, as well as through fellowship at off-site labs:

• Argonne National Laboratory
• American Chemical Society Nuclear and Radiochemistry Summer School
• Midwestern Alliance for Healthcare Education Program (Parkview Health)

Research Spotlight:
Lead Paint Project Bringing Meaning to Lab Work

Since 2017, USF chemistry majors have teamed up with the Fort Wayne-Allen County Department of Health to test and analyze area homes for lead-based paint.This community-based project opportunity connects chemistry to public health, medicine and environmental science. Read the full story.

Faculty & Facilities

Inside the Achatz Hall of Science, a Distinction Winner in Spaces4Learning’s 2020 Educational Design Showcase, you will learn, experiment and discover in state-of-the-art chemistry labs equipped with high-tech equipment, tools and instrumentation.

Your dedicated pre-med professors have a diverse range of research interests and professional experience:

• Anatomy
• Community health education
• Epidemiology/population health
• Forensic chemistry
• Inorganic chemistry
• Medical ethics
• Organic chemistry
• Virology

You will also learn and work with instructors and lab staff who are active practitioners, clinicians, technicians and healthcare business professionals who bring up-to-date skills, research and best practices to the classroom.

Meet a Few Chemistry Students & Professors

Campus & Community Involvement

USF students will find many ways to get involved on campus and in the community. Organizations that might appeal to pre-med and chemistry majors include:

• Chemistry
• Kinesiology and Nutrition Club
• Pre-Professional Healthcare Honor Society
• Criminologists in Action

Medical School Acceptance: Graduate and Professional Programs

Our chemistry pre-med students have been accepted at into medical programs at institutions such as:

• Des Moines University, College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Indiana University School of Medicine
• Indiana University School of Optometry
• Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Midwestern University, College of Osteopathic Medicine

I worked on faculty research one summer and did an internship at a national lab another, both because of Dr. Geyer’s support. Now that I’ve pursued a Ph.D. at a large university, I see how much I was given as an undergraduate and the difference it makes.

Talitha Frecker ’13, earned a Ph.D. in chemistry at Vanderbilt University
Associate director of technology development at Lanther Sensors