Pre-Medical Program

Start Your Career in Medicine at RA!

For students who are interested in a scientific medical career, but who are also interested in other academic disciplines, Roosevelt Academy’s Science Department has a highly popular pre-medical program. Besides general courses in the life sciences, such as Biochemistry, Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, students are also offered several courses with a specific focus on medical aspects, including Functional Anatomy, Infection, Immunology, Pharmacology, Human Physiology and Mechanisms of Diseases.

These courses offer a mix of theory and practice: in some new research results will be studied and debated in class; in others students personally meet with patients and their doctors to discuss their medical cases in more detail. Practicing physicians and surgeons are actively involved in curriculum development and delivery. Students are encouraged to take nursing internships, usually during the winter or summer break. Such experiences are particularly valuable for students with the ambition to enter a medical master's program such as the SUMMA program at Utrecht University or the AKO program at Maastricht University. Roosevelt Academy works with the Zeeland hospitals, the Hogeschool Zeeland and other partners. Our aim is to create a stimulating learning environment for all.

It is important to note that RA’s pre-medical program is not designed as a specific training program in the medical profession. The pre-medical program consists of a set of courses from the so-called Biomedical and the Life Sciences tracks. These two tracks are embedded in a liberal arts and science curriculum. At Roosevelt Academy students are offered a broad and rich academic background. Subjects such as Mathematics, Research Methods and Statistics, and a second foreign language are required parts of the program. In other words: RA is particularly looking for students whose interests go beyond the medical profession. If the thought of combining courses in biomedical and life sciences with courses in psychology, ethics, law, or even art history, computer science or music appeals to you, RA may be the right place for you to study!

After graduating from Roosevelt Academy, students need to apply to the master program of their choice. Any student that completes the pre-medical program should be prepared for medical master's programs. For example all RA students who have completed the premedical program are eligible to write the qualifying exam for the Selective Utrecht Medical Master (SUMMA) program at Utrecht University and the Arts-Klinisch Onderzoeker program (AKO) of the University at Maastricht. In 2007 one of our students has been accepted to study medicine at Cambridge and several of our students have written the entrance exams for SUMMA and AKO (both the Utrecht and the Maastricht programs are offered only in Dutch). 

In addition, it is possible to apply to medical masters programs abroad. As in some countries -- such as the U.S. -- medical schools only start at the master level, a Bachelor of Science from Roosevelt Academy will serve as a good starting point. It should be noted that acceptances at medical master programs are not automatic; admission is usually dependent on performance in entrance exams, interviews, letters of reference, etc. In the last two years the first two groups of our students have completed the entrance exams for SUMMA and AKO and the majority of them were admitted to one of these programs. For both Dutch medical masters' programs it has become evident that a first-class academic record is what is needed, and that a clear interest in medical science is essential. The completion of an independent research project or honor's thesis is therefore highly recommended.

Courses in the pre-medical program:

• SCI 131 Introduction to Life Science
• SCI 191 Introductory Science Laboratory
• SCI 262 Biochemistry
• SCI 231 Molecular Biology and Cell Biology
• SCI 232 Functional Anatomy
  
• SCI 234 Human Physiology
  
• SCI 261 Mechanisms of Disease
• SCI 291 Life Science Laboratory (recommended for SUMMA and A-KO)
  
• SCI 337 Pharmacology
• SCI 362 Infection and Immunity
  
• SCI 363 Molecular Pathology and Genetics

More information?

Please contact us by phone: 0118-655500 or by e-mail: . Online application forms can be found in the Admissions section.