Medical/Dental Preparatory Program (MCAT or DAT Prep Course; or Basic Medical Science Course)

Medical/Dental Preparatory Program Basic Medical Science group

Aetna Health Professions Partnership Initiative

The Program:

  • Is for college sophomores, juniors, seniors or recent graduates. Priority consideration will be given to pipeline participants.
  • The MCAT/DAT track is a six-week summer program and the BMS track is a five-week summer program.
  • Track One MCAT/DAT Preparation Program is for students who will be taking the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) or Dental Admission Test (DAT). The program focuses on MCAT test preparation or DAT test preparation, application essay workshop, mock interviews, professional development workshops, and some exposure to clinical medicine or dental medicine.
  • Track Two Basic Medical Science Program is for all other students not on Track One. This track focuses on a course emphasizing essential principles of cell and molecular biology correlated to team-based learning activities including laboratories and case studies.
  • Has two purposes (a) to facilitate the entry of these students into medical and dental schools by improving their performance on admissions tests and through professional development activities and (b) to increase the retention of successful matriculants to professional schools through early exposure to professional education.
  • Provides a stipend.

Handbook

Important Dates

  • March 1, 2023: Submission date for all applications. All applications must be submitted by midnight March 1 to be considered for admission.
  • March 1, 2023: Submission date for all supporting documents. All supporting documents must be received by March 1 to be considered for admission.
  • February 15, 2023: Admission decisions for applications completed by February 1, 2023.
  • April 1, 2023: Admission decisions for applications completed after February 1, 2023.
  • June 12, 2023: First day of program for the MCAT/DAT track.
  • June 20, 2023: First day of program for the BMS track.
  • July 21, 2023: Last day of program.

Application Criteria

All Applicants Should:

  • Be college sophomores, juniors, seniors, or recent graduates of pre-professional programs with a ‘B+’ average or better (Science GPA of 3.2 or better and overall GPA of 3.3 or better).
  • Have high motivation and demonstrate potential for pursuing a career in medicine or dental medicine.
  • Be from groups that have been traditionally underrepresented in the health professions (African American, Hispanic/Latino, Native American, Native Alaskan, Native Hawaiian) or others from disadvantaged backgrounds who meet all eligibility criteria and have a high probability of fulfilling the social and educational goals of this program.
  • Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.

How to Apply

Please review the Frequently Asked Questions before submitting your application.

    • Score reports for all exams taken: SAT, PEAU, ACT, GRE, and MCAT/DAT.
    • An official transcript from each college or university attended.*
    • Two letters of recommendation (at least one from a science instructor) submitted directly by recommenders.
    • Provide a copy of your Federal Income Tax Form 1040 or equivalent for the current tax year – only page reflecting number of dependents and adjusted gross income (submit 1040 when completed and filed).

Note: Only completed applications with supplemental materials submitted to hcop@uchc.edu will be reviewed.

* Only official transcripts that cannot be submitted as an e-script can be sent by postal mail (please see FAQs for instructions on how to mail transcripts).

Contact

Granville Wrensford, Ph.D.
Department of Health Career Opportunity Programs
UConn Health
263 Farmington Avenue
Farmington, CT 06030-3920
Email: gwrensford@uchc.edu

Kerry-Ann Stewart, Ph.D.
Department of Health Career Opportunity Programs
UConn Health
263 Farmington Avenue
Farmington, CT 06030-3920
Email: kestewart@uchc.edu

Medical/Dental Preparatory Program MCAT group