Special Programs in Health Professions

The Creative Premedical Scholar Program seeks students who want to major in the liberal arts at Tulane and pursue a career in medicine after graduation.  Successful applicants receive guaranteed admission to Tulane's School of Medicine and are not required to take the MCAT.  Relieved of the pressures that often accompany preparation for the MCAT and applying to medical school, students admitted into the Creative Premedical Scholar Program are free to invest in a course of study within the humanities, arts, and social sciences.   

Eligibility

Students apply in the spring of their sophomore year and must meet the following criteria:

• Have a GPA of 3.6 or above.
• Complete a minimum of 60 credits of undergraduate work by the end of the sophomore year
• Complete all of the following premedical science course requirements by the end of their sophomore year with a B- or higher in each class. The requirements are: one year each of general biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, and physics, all with laboratories (see chart below for Tulane course numbers). Courses may be taken during the summer, either at Tulane or at another institution that has been approved by the respective departments for transfer credit.
• Plan to earn a BA or BFA degree in the School of Liberal Arts.  Majors in the Business School, School of Science and Engineering, School of Continuing Studies, or School of Public Health are not acceptable, though a student may pursue any minor.
• Please be advised that meeting the eligibility requirements in no way guarantees admission to the Creative Premedical Scholar Program or the Tulane School of Medicine.

Students who have completed more than two years of undergraduate work or have transferred to Tulane from another university are not eligible.

 Application Process

Application materials are available via the links below. All required application materials must be emailed to the Pre-Health Office by April 1, for the current application cycle.

Forms open in a new tab

1. Creative Premedical Scholar Program Application
2. Application Waiver 1: Release of Confidential Documents
3. Application Waiver 2: Access to Evaluations
4. Letter of Recommendation Request Form (you will need two letters of recommendation, one from a science professor and one from a non-science professor)
5. Resume

Applications will be reviewed by the Creative Premedical Scholar Program Nominating Committee and top-ranked students will be invited to interview with the committee at the end of April. The Committee will notify applicants regarding their decision by mid-June. Creative Premedical Scholars are expected to carry at least 15 credits per semester and maintain a 3.6 GPA.  They must also write an honors thesis (Scholars not in the Honors program will write a thesis in their major department).

FAQs for Creative Premedical Scholar Program

The Tulane Pathway to Medicine (TPM) is a 4+4 program that provides students, upon matriculation to Tulane University as undergrad students, admissions to Tulane University School of Medicine (TUSOM). This program is best suited for high-achieving students who are committed to pursuing a degree in medicine at Tulane after they complete their four years of undergraduate education. 

TPM is an invitation-only program. Select high-achieving students will be invited to apply for TPM after they apply for undergraduate admission. Students selected to apply typically have an ACT score of 35+ and a high school GPA of 3.8+. The Office of Undergraduate Admissions will invite candidates to interview on campus during Honors Weekend. Soon after the interview process, the applicants will be notified if they are accepted in the program.

Matriculation into TUSOM is contingent upon successful completion of the undergraduate curriculum requirements. Students in the TPM program are not required to major in a particular major but will be required to maintain a 3.5 overall GPA. Students are also required to maintain a 3.5 GPA in their core science classes which include: two semesters of General Chemistry, two semesters of Organic Chemistry, two semesters of Physics, and two Biology courses. Students accepted to the TPM program are encouraged to work closely with their Pre-Health Advisor to plan the completion of these core science requirements. Students will also be required to take the MCAT exam prior to entering medical school but scores will not be used for admissions purposes.  

Students’ undergraduate education in the TPM program will be partially financed by the merit scholarship they receive as honor students, along with any additional financial aid they may receive. There will be no guaranteed financial assistance for their medical education, but all accepted students will be eligible and considered for merit-based financial assistance upon entering TUSOM. 

For more information about the TPM program, please contact Julie Brasseaux at (jbrasseaux@tulane.edu).