Pre-Med
Dr. Erich Stabenau
Department Chair
eks@bradley.edu
The Degree
Bradley’s Departments of Biology and Chemistry offer a curriculum leading to a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts in Biology or Chemistry with an emphasis in preparing to continue studies in medical school. These programs prepare graduates to comprehend and utilize the current interdisciplinary nature of scientific investigation and emphasize active, investigative learning techniques, preparing students to go on to graduate studies.
The Biology Department has developed and implemented the Biology Mentors Program for well-prepared freshmen and sophomores. This year-long course includes classroom and demonstration instruction of scientific methods and scientific ethics. An important aspect of the course is that each student is assigned to a faculty mentor to undertake independent research. This program is currently in its ninth year and has become a model for the integration of education and research throughout the University. At Bradley University, the discipline of Chemistry has a long tradition of excellence. The department has been accredited by the American Chemical Society for the professional education of chemists since 1948, when accreditation began.
The biology department has an active NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site granted to provide a summer research program for a community of 10 undergraduates and their faculty mentors. Currently only 19 percent of such awards are made to undergraduate institutions nationwide. The program at Bradley is one of only two REU biology sites in the state of Illinois.
Outside of the classroom, students who wish to go on to medical school have a wealth of co-curricular and cooperative learning experiences from which to choose, including:
- undergraduate research
- an industrial cooperative education assignment
- assisting in the laboratory
- Biology Club
- Biology Undergraduate Society of Bradley University (BUGS)
- Chemistry Club
To gain entrance into medical school, students will typically need a competitive grade point average of 3.5 or higher, a score of 30 or higher on the MCAT, demonstrated service or volunteerism and undergraduate research. The program at Bradley prepares students very well for these requirements.
Bradley’s Pre-Med majors have been accepted to many prestigious graduate programs, including programs offered at:
- Harvard University
- Washington University
- M.I.T.
- Northwestern University
- Princeton University
- Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
- Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville
- University of Chicago
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
