Frequently Asked Questions

• The Pre-Health Program (PHP) at the City College of New York is NOT affiliated with:
  • The Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education
  • The CUNY School of Medicine

• We only advise for the following pre-health careers:
  • Medicine (MD and DO)
  • Dentistry
  • Optometry
  • Podiatry
  • Veterinary Medicine
  • Physician’s Assistant (PA)

• We do NOT advise for:
  • Nursing
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Public Heath
  • Physical Therapy
  • Pharmacy

• Yes. An application is required for first and second semester freshman, as well as entering transfer students.

• Yes. All undergraduate students can get started in the program as a prospective (ie, “pre-pre”) health student.

If you have 90+ cumulative credits, and a science GPA less than 3.0, and hoping to apply for the next application cycle, you are not eligible for this program.

• Yes. 1) If prospective (i.e., “pre-pre”) health students fail to meet the requirements for pre-health status after three semesters, they will be dismissed from PHP. 2) If pre-health students fail to maintain a 3.0 GPA, they will be placed on probation; if they fail to bring their GPA back above 3.0, the will be dismissed from PHP.

• No.

• No

• Any major.  Per the professional schools, we strongly encourage our students to pursue any major that they are passionate about.

• Yes.

• No.  Tutoring is available to students in the Division of Science through the Office of science Advising.

• Yes.  You cannot be in attendance at another school and be part of PHP.

• No.  Please do not submit an application to be part of PHP to receive a committee letter.

• Yes.  We are part of the consortium of schools with the SUNY Downstate College of Medicine through the Early Medical Education Program.

• Please review the link below. [attach link]

• Yes.

• No.  While you are welcome to take the pre-req courses for PT programs, there is no office on campus that can advise you on being a competitive applicant to PT schools/programs.

• No.  Only students who are currently enrolled in the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education are presently permitted to apply to and enroll at the CUNY Medical School.

• We cannot guarantee admission to medical school.  Our responsibility is to provide nurturing, support and advocacy for our students to help them prepare to become competitive applicants to professional schools.

No.  We do not advise for any of the major at CCNY.  Moving forward, undergraduate students will have two sets of advisors:  their major advisor, to help them select classes and prepare to graduate in their major, and us, who will advise them on matters relating to become competitive applicants to professional school. 

• No.  We leave that to the students to decide for themselves.

• Yes.  However, the minimum cumulative GPA is 3.0; the minimum science GPA is 3.0.

• It is mandatory. No exceptions.

• Yes.

• No.  However, if you are hoping to apply for financial aid, you must be matriculated into a degree program. 

• No.

Please contact the CCNY Office of Financial Aid. 

This is a career changer program.  Post-bac students interested in applying must have little to no math and/or science credits.  If you were a science major as an undergraduate student and looking for a program to enhance your math/science grades, this is not the program for you.

• Yes.  Pre-Calculus is required for General Biology; Calculus is required for General Chemistry.

• No.

No.

Yes. If you have not taken any math courses as an undergraduate student, we will review your transcript to determine the best math course for you to take.

Or, you are welcome to take a College Algebra & Trig or Pre-Calculus class at an accredited two-or-four-year college PRIOR to applying to PHP.

Once we resume on-campus learning, post-bac students can also have their math skills assessed by taking the Math Placement Test offered by the CCNY Office of Testing and Evaluation.

• No.

• No.

• At least two years.

• Yes.

• Yes.

• It is our expectation that if you are accepted to CCNY, then you will take your courses at CCNY.

Yes. But they must have earned a minimum GPA of 3.2+, and they must have earned 24 CCNY science credits to be eligible for a committee letter.

• No.

• No. Sadly, we do not have the time or the resources to meet with prospective post-bac students. All the information needed can be found on our website.  You are welcome to send an email with questions.

• No. You will be enrolled in classes with our undergraduate students.

• Please refer to the CCNY Office of the Bursar for the most up-to-date information regarding undergraduate tuition and fees.

• Yes. 

• No.

• Yes. All post-bac students are required to maintain a 3.2 cumulative GPA while in the program. If they do not, they will be dismissed from PHP.  However, a dismissal from PHP is NOT a dismissal from CCNY.

• Yes.  However, students can only enroll at the college as non-degree through CCNY Admissions.  Also, we strongly discourage students from taking science during the summer, due to the accelerated pace of our summer semester.

• Yes.

• Beginning January 2021 and moving forward:  undergraduate and post-bac students must have a science GPA (GPA consisting of subjects in Biology, Physics, Chemistry and Math ONLY) of 3.3+ to be eligible to meet with the Pre-Health Faculty Committee for a committee letter
• Students who have a science GPA less than 3.3 will not be eligible for a committee letter under no circumstances
• Only those who are officially part of the Program in Pre-Medical Studies and those with a sGPA of 3.3+ are eligible for a committee letter
• Please do not apply to the Program in Pre-Medical Studies simply to obtain a committee letter
• Beginning with the 2023 application cycle and moving forward, no student will be eligible for a committee letter with an MCAT score less than 510 for MD (allopathic) and 507 for DO (osteopathic).
• For the post-bac students, to be eligible for a committee letter, you must have earned 24+ CCNY science credits.
• To be eligible for a committee letter, undergraduates and post-bac students must be active in the program and have attended all the appropriate meetings/events