The Pre-Medical Program at Widener is a voluntary program open to all students in all majors. The program is directed by Dr. Theodore O'Tanyi, the health professions advisor. Pre-medical advising begins in the freshmen year and continues through the application and interview process in the senior year. Field trips are organized during the academic year to Philadelphia professional schools (medical, dental, veterinary, optometry, and podiatric medical), and campus visits are organized for admissions personnel from these and other schools. These trips and visits are coordinated with the Widener Undergraduate Chapter of the American Medical Students Association.

Widener has four separate kinds of affiliation agreements with professional schools:

• The Widener Medical Scholars Program. This is an early assurance medical school admission program with the Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia. The program is designed to attract students into primary care specialties (general pediatrics, general internal medicine, and family practice) and is limited to eight students annually. Students who are successful in gaining admittance to the program as high school seniors are assured of acceptance in the medical school if they successfully complete a four-year bachelor degree at Widener including the specified prerequisite courses for medical school. Eligibility requirements and details follow:
  
  
  • Open to high school seniors (transfer students are not eligible).
  • Minimum 1270 combined SAT with no less than 560 on each sub-test.
  • A supplemental application must be submitted with an essay aimed particularly at primary care medicine. The application deadline is December 15 for high school seniors.
  • Three levels of interviews are required: at Widener, at the Crozer-Chester Medical Center, and at the medical school.
  • Students must live in Pennsylvania or Delaware.
  • Students may choose any major at Widener.
   
• Dual Degree 3/4 programs for biology majors only. Widener has four separate but similar 3/4 programs where a student completes the first three years of the biology major curriculum including all general education requirements and is then accepted into the professional school. Instead of a senior year at Widener, the student begins the four-year program at the professional school. Upon completion of the first year of professional school, the course work is transferred to Widener and Widener awards the B.S. degree in biology. The four programs are listed below:
  
  
  • Osteopathic Medicine. B.S./D.O program with the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Students may practice in any field of medicine (psychiatry, surgery, nephrology, neurology, etc.). MD's and DO's have the same practice opportunities and are licensed by the same examining boards.
  • Optometry. B.S./O.D program with the Pennsylvania College of Optometry.
  • Podiatric Medicine. B.S./D.P.M program with the Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine.
  • Dentistry. B.S./D.M.D. program with the Temple University School of Dentistry.


• Primary Care Partnership affiliation with the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine at Hershey, PA. Widener is one of 22 schools throughout the state of Pennsylvania participating in this program which provides special seminars for students interested in primary care. Opportunities exist for students to work with medical school faculty on research during the summer. Students who participate in this program may qualify for special consideration at the time of application in the junior year.



• Assured admission and early admission programs with the Widener University Graduate Physical Therapy Program. Widener has a three-year graduate program in physical therapy that leads to the degree Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.).  A small, select group of high school seniors is offered assured admission to the graduate program when they enter as pre-physical therapy undergraduates from high school. As with the 3/4 programs explained above, Widener has a 3/3 program in physical therapy, allowing students selected in their junior year to begin their course work in the graduate physical therapy program following three years of undergraduate study in biology, anthropology, psychology, sociology, or behavioral science. See the pre-physical therapy page for more details.

The Pre-Medical Program is designed to assist students in pursuing careers in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, optometry, podiatric medicine, physical therapy, occupational therapy, etc. Students can choose any major within the university, and they work individually with the pre-medical advisor. This includes advising sessions, seminars and field trips in the first several years. In the junior year students are assisted in the application process and reviewed by the Pre-Medical Committee. Early in the senior year practice interviews are videotaped to assist students in the interview process. Close to 100% of the students who work with the pre-medical advisor and the Pre-Medical Committee are successful in gaining admission to the school of their choice.