Furman Sciences and Pre-med

Colleges and Universities A-Z Furman University
1

My DD was just admitted to Furman RD and is very excited.

She visited this Summer and really enjoyed it but we were wondering about experiences people have had with the sciences in terms of quality of professors, the departments etc. She may go Pre Med but is undecided. Anyone have experience with Furman Pre Med advising?

2

Have you seen the info on their website? I think they have a good rep for med school.

http://www.furman.edu/academics/pre-health/prospective-students/Pages/medical-school-admission-statistics.aspx

3

@eldestgoing my D2 went to Furman, majored in Biology, and is currently in her 2nd year of medical school. I have nothing but great things to say about her experiences there and the excellent preparation for med school.

  • Biology and Chemistry courses were difficult, but professors were great. Classes are small, professors, not TAs teach their labs, and students are able to form a close relationship with professors. This was a big plus for letters of recommendation. At med school interviews, several commented on how personal Ds letters were - that usually everything in a letter of rec can be found in the transcript, but obviously her letter writers knew her well.
  • pre-med advising is very good. Students make contact with the office their freshman year, and they go in periodically to check in and make sure they are doing what they need to progress. They help students get internships, volunteer, and shadowing experience.
  • one of the very best experiences she had was taking the Medicine Program, a 10 credit program that includes a course in Medical Ethics, a course in Sociology of Medicine, and observations each week in various units at the Greenville Hospital System and a free clinic for the homeless. This is a short article on the program:

http://features.furman.edu/in-pursuit-of-medicines-moral-code/

PM me if you have any specific questions I can answer.

4

Another new opportunity for pre-meds at Furman; USC School of Medicine - Greenville is offering early admission to up to 5 Furman students a year, and there is one full scholarship a year for a Furman graduate who matriculates there. To qualify for early acceptance a student has to have at least a 3.6 GPA, but when you consider that only about 40% of students who apply to medical school get in anywhere, and normally the application cycle is about a year (and very time consuming, expensive, and stressful), having an acceptance by the end of the junior year would be phenomenal - and make for a more pleasant senior year for a pre-med!

http://www.furman.edu/academics/pre-health/prospective-students/Pages/early-admission-for-medical-school.aspx

5

@dheldreth, thank you so much. That is an amazing opportunity and I missed it on their web site.