University Bulletin (2020-2021)

Brandeis University's Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program is designed for college graduates and career-changers who do not have the necessary pre-requisites for health professions programs. Our unique program allows students to take not only necessary science courses, but also to benefit from Brandeis' rich programmatic offerings in health policy and related fields.

The small, intensive program provides cohort members with individualized academic and career advising in a supportive environment. The curriculum supports students interested in applying to allopathic and osteopathic medical schools as well as related health fields such as dentistry, veterinary medicine, optometry and podiatry.

The program is not designed for students who wish to repeat or supplement prior science coursework. It is intended for those who still need to take the majority of courses required for admission to medical and other health professional schools. Select students who have completed a full year of General Chemistry and Biology with labs at the undergraduate level may apply for the Finisher Track, entering in the summer with Organic Chemistry.

Student participating in and completing the Post Baccalaureate Pre-Medical Program are expected to:

1. Develop self-efficacy, flexible thinking, and demonstrate self-reflection.

2. Value and understand academic preparation needed to succeed in their chosen profession.

3. Demonstrate academic mastery in their pre-health pre-requisite coursework.

4. Value extracurricular experiences in which they learn about their chosen field and develop the competencies needed to succeed.

5. Have a thorough understanding of what is required for their health professions program application.

The Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program is a full-time program with two tracks. The career changer track is a 21 month long program with fall entrance. A select number of students are eligible for summer entry into the 15 month finisher track. Application Deadlines: Priority deadline: January 2nd for both finisher and career changer track. Applicants who submit a completed application by January 2nd will receive an admissions decision by mid-February. Applications received after January 2nd will be considered on a rolling basis until the cohort is full. Please note, no applications will be reviewed after May 15 for the Career Changer track and April 15 for the Finisher track. It is recommended that applicants have some background in math and some volunteer experience in the medical field.

This full-time program, 15 or 21 months long, is designed for U.S. citizens or permanent residents who have not taken the courses required for admission to medical and other health professional schools. Please note that international students (non- U.S. citizens and non-permanent residents) are not eligible to apply to this program.

Once accepted into the program, students consult individually with the program director to determine their final course schedule. The career changer full-time program begins in the fall semester for five consecutive semesters, including the summer between the first and second year.

Career Changer Track: Begins in the fall semester and continues for five consecutive semesters, including the summer between the first and second years.

Finisher Track (for students ready to enter Organic Chemistry): Begins in the summer and continues for three consecutive semesters, ending in May.

Brandeis' world-renowned science programs are the foundation for the career and finisher tracks, which can incorporate optional classes from the Health: Science, Society, and Policy (HSSP) Program curriculum. Each track includes the following coursework:

Finisher Track

1. Five science courses with labs (CHEM 25a and 29a, CHEM 25b and 29b, BCHM 88b, PHYS 10a and 10b, and PHYS 18a and 18b). Additional coursework in biochemistry, physiology, and psychology is available.

2. Optional courses from the Health: Science, Society, and Policy (HSSP) Program: HS 104b (American Health Care) and HSSP 114b (Racial/Ethnic and Gender Inequalities in Health and Health Care).

3. Two two-credit semesters of Clinical Seminar (PMED 201a) featuring physician guest speakers from a variety of health care practices.

Career Changer Track

1. Nine science courses with labs (BIOL 14a and 18a, BIOL 15b and 18b, CHEM 11a and 11b, CHEM 18a and 18b, CHEM 25a and 29a, CHEM 25b and 29b, BCHM 88b, PHYS 10a and 10b, and PHYS 18a and 18b). Additional coursework in biochemistry, physiology, and psychology is available.

2. Optional courses from the Health: Science, Society, and Policy (HSSP) Program: HS 104b (American Health Care) and HSSP 114b (Racial/Ethnic and Gender Inequalities in Health and Health Care).

3. Two two-credit semesters of Clinical Seminar (PMED 201a) featuring physician guest speakers from a variety of health care practices.

Math Requirement

Upon admission, Career Changer students will be asked to take a math placement exam to assess readiness for General Chemistry. Students who place into Math 5a (Precalculus Mathematics) are required to take its equivalent the summer prior to enrolling in the program and earn a B or above in the course. Other math courses taken in the program may include MATH 10a (Techniques of Calculus (a)) and one of the following courses: BIOL 51a (Biostatistics), PSYC 51a (Statistics), MATH 8a (Introduction to Probability and Statistics), or equivalent.

Academic Standing

To be eligible for continuing each semester in the post baccalaureate premedical program, students must complete the requirements for their track and maintain a 3.3 GPA each semester, with a grade of C or above in each course. At Brandeis, each lecture course counts as one class. The labs generally are counted as ½ course, with the exception of BIO 18A, which is a 4-credit lab. 100-level courses are open to post-bac students who want to take advantage of additional Brandeis course offerings. Courses with capped enrollment may require faculty approval.

If a student receives a grade below C, course credit will not be earned and therefore not applied to the program requirements. A student may retake the course or take an additional science course with a lab to meet the grade requirement of C or above.

Requirements for admission to healthcare programs vary by school and by field of study. Veterinary schools, dental schools, medical schools and other health careers have somewhat different requirements though the four lecture and lab sequences in chemistry, biology, organic chemistry and physics are foundational for each medical professional track. It is important to complete all four science sequences in addition to biochemistry and psychology before taking the Medical College Admissions Tests (MCAT) or the Dental Admission Test (DAT). Many veterinary schools will accept the Graduate Record Examination.

PMED 201a Postbaccalaureate Premedical Clinical Seminar
Open only to Postbaccalaureate Premedical students. Yields half-course credit.
Focuses on critical dimensions of medical practice as seen from the perspectives of health care practitioners. Physician guest speakers at each seminar will represent a range of medical expertise and will include an emphasis on collaborations in delivering care. Usually offered every semester.
Staff

BCHM 88b Introductory Biochemistry
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Prerequisite: One year organic chemistry with laboratory, BIOL 14a, and BIOL 15b. Does not meet the requirements for the major in biochemistry or chemistry.
Topics include protein and nucleic acid structure; metabolism of biologically important compounds; formation and utilization of "energy-rich" compounds; introduction to enzyme mechanism; comparison of basic biochemical and chemical processes; and biochemical basis of disease. Usually offered every year.
Emily Westover

BIOL 14a Genetics and Genomics
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Studies fundamentals of genetics, molecular biology and genomics through analytical thinking and problem-solving. Topics include heredity, meiosis, molecular basis of phenotypic variations, and an introduction to tools and techniques used by past and current researchers in genetics. Usually offered every semester.
Rachel Woodruff

BIOL 15b Cells and Organisms
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Introduces contemporary biology with an emphasis on cells, organs, and organ systems. Topics include the forms and functions of macromolecules, organelles, and cells, the integration of cells into tissues, and the physiology of fundamental life processes. The course is intended to prepare students to understand the biology of everyday life, and to provide a strong foundation for those who continue to study the life sciences. Usually offered every semester.
Neil Simister and Maria Miara

BIOL 18a General Biology Laboratory
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Prerequisite: BIOL 14a, BIOL 18b and sophomore standing. Yields full-course credit. Laboratory fee: $150 per semester. This lab is time-intensive and students will be expected to come in to lab between regular scheduled lab sessions. In order to accommodate students with time conflicts it may be necessary to re-assign students without conflicts to another section of the course. Students' section choice will be honored if possible.
Provides firsthand experience with a wide array of organisms and illustrates basic approaches to experimental design and problem solving in genetics and genomics. Usually offered every year.
Melissa Kosinski-Collins

BIOL 18b General Biology Laboratory
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Prerequisite: BIOL 15b and sophomore standing. Yields full-course credit. Laboratory fee: $150 per semester. This lab is time-intensive and students will be expected to come to lab between regular scheduled lab sessions. In order to accommodate students with time conflicts it may be necessary to re-assign students without conflicts to another section of the course. Students' section choice will be honored if possible.
Provides firsthand experience with modern molecular biology techniques and illustrates basic approaches to experimental design and problem solving in molecular and cellular biology including applications of biochemical techniques. Usually offered every year.
Kene Piasta

CHEM 11a General Chemistry I
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This course may not be taken for credit by students who have passed CHEM 15a in previous years. Four class hours and one sixty-minute structured study group session per week. The corresponding lab is CHEM 18a.
Covers a wide array of topics, embracing aspects of descriptive, as well as quantitative, chemistry. No prior study of chemistry is assumed, as the course begins by looking at the atomic foundation of matter, the elements, and the organization of the periodic table, working its way up to studying how atoms are bonded together to form larger units of matter. Students who complete this course will have an understanding of the three major phases of matter—solids, liquids, and gases—and how they behave, as well as a knowledge of the major types of chemical reactions and how to represent them. A strong focus is put on learning methods of creative problem-solving—using the material as a way to develop creative approaches to solving unfamiliar problems—a skill that carries students far beyond the confines of the classroom. Usually offered every year.
Claudia Novack

CHEM 11b General Chemistry II
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Prerequisite: A satisfactory grade (C- or better) in CHEM 11a or an approved equivalent. This course may not be taken for credit by students who have passed CHEM 15b in previous years. Four class hours and one sixty-minute structured study group session per week. The corresponding lab is CHEM 18b.
Picks up where Chemistry 11a left off, advancing students’ understanding of bonding models and molecular structure and exploring the basics of coordination chemistry. Three major quantitative topics are covered in the second half of General Chemistry—chemical equilibrium (including acid-base chemistry, solubility, and complex-ion formation), chemical kinetics, and thermodynamics. Other topics explored are electrochemistry and nuclear chemistry. Usually offered every year.
Claudia Novack

CHEM 18a General Chemistry Laboratory I
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Corequisite: CHEM 11a. Dropping CHEM 11a necessitates written permission from the lab instructor to continue with this course. Two semester-hour credits; yields half-course credit. Laboratory fee: $100 per semester. This course may not be taken for credit by students who have passed CHEM 19a in previous years.
Introduction to basic laboratory methods and methods of qualitative and quantitative analyses. Included in the analytical methods are gas chromatography and infrared measurements. A synthesis project that includes analyzing the product by titration. Calorimetric experiment using probes interfaced with computers. Identification of unknowns based on physical and chemical properties. Analysis of the metal content of substances by atomic absorption. One laboratory lecture per week. One afternoon of laboratory per week. Usually offered every year.
Milos Dolnik

CHEM 18b General Chemistry Laboratory II
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Prerequisites: A satisfactory grade (C- or better) in CHEM 18a and CHEM 11a. Corequisite: CHEM 11b. Dropping CHEM 11b necessitates written permission from the lab instructor to continue with this course. May yield half-course credit toward rate of work and graduation. Two semester-hour credits. Laboratory fee: $100 per semester. This course may not be taken for credit by students who have passed CHEM 19b in previous years.
The second semester of the general chemistry laboratory program. Continued use of probes interfaced with computers to monitor pH and electrical conductivity changes in titrating weak monoprotic and polyprotic amino acids, to monitor pressure changes as part of a kinetics study, and to monitor voltage changes of electrochemical cells with temperature so as to establish thermodynamic parameters for redox reactions. Also included is identification of unknowns based on selective precipitation. Usually offered every year.
Milos Dolnik

CHEM 25a Organic Chemistry I
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Prerequisite: A satisfactory grade (C- or better) in CHEM 11b or 15b or the equivalent. CHEM 25a honors option involves a separate recitation and permission of the instructor to enroll. Students in the honors section will receive a note on their transcript designating the class "Honors Organic Chemistry." Three class hours and one ninety-minute recitation per week.
Structure, reactions, preparations, and uses of the compounds of carbon. Usually offered every year.
Stephanie Murray

CHEM 25b Organic Chemistry II
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Prerequisite: A satisfactory grade (C- or better) in CHEM 25a or its equivalent. CHEM 25b honors option involves a separate recitation and permission of the instructor to enroll. Students in the honors section will receive a note on their transcript designating the class "Honors Organic Chemistry." Three class hours and one ninety-minute recitation per week.
A continuation of CHEM 25a. Usually offered every year.
Stephanie Murray

CHEM 29a Organic Chemistry Laboratory I
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Prerequisite: A satisfactory grade (C- or better) in CHEM 18b or 19b or the equivalent. Corequisite: CHEM 25a. Dropping CHEM 25a necessitates written permission from lab instructor to continue with this course. May yield half-course credit toward rate of work and graduation. Two semester-hour credits. Laboratory fee: $125 per semester.
Gives experience in the important techniques of organic chemical laboratory practice of isolation and purification of organic compounds by crystallization, distillation, and chromatography, and their characterization using analytical and instrumental methods. One afternoon of laboratory per week. One ninety-minute laboratory lecture per week. Usually offered every year.
Stephanie Murray

CHEM 29b Organic Chemistry Laboratory II
Prerequisite: A satisfactory grade (C- or better) in CHEM 29a or the equivalent. Corequisite: CHEM 25b. Dropping CHEM 25b necessitates written permission from lab instructor to continue with this course. May yield half-course credit toward rate of work and graduation. Two semester-hour credits. Laboratory fee: $125 per semester.
A continuation of CHEM 29a with an emphasis on the synthesis of typical organic compounds. One afternoon of laboratory per week. One ninety-minute laboratory lecture per week. Usually offered every year.
Stephanie Murray

HS 104b American Health Care
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Examines and critically analyzes the United States healthcare system, emphasizing the major trends and issues that have led to the current sense of "crisis." In addition to providing a historical perspective, this course will establish a context for analyzing the current, varied approaches to health care reform. Usually offered every year.
Stuart Altman

HSSP 114b Racial/Ethnic and Gender Inequalities in Health and Health Care
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An examination of the epidemiological patterns of health status by race/ethnicity, gender, and socio-economic status. Addresses current theories and critiques explaining disparities in health status, access, quality, and conceptual models, frameworks, and interventions for eliminating inequalities. Usually offered every year.
Staff

PHYS 10a Introduction to Physical Laws and Phenomena I
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Corequisite: MATH 10a or equivalent. Usually taken with PHYS 18a.
An introduction to Newtonian mechanics, kinetic theory, and thermodynamics. Usually offered every year.
Peter Mistark

PHYS 10b Introduction to Physical Laws and Phenomena II
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Prerequisite: PHYS 10a. Usually taken with PHYS 18b.
An introduction to electricity and magnetism, optics, special theory of relativity, and the structure of the atom. Usually offered every year.
Peter Mistark

PHYS 18a Introductory Laboratory I
Corequisite: PHYS 10a. May yield half-course credit toward rate-of-work and graduation. Two semester-hour credits.
Laboratory course consisting of basic physics experiments designed to accompany PHYS 10a. Usually offered every year.
Seth Fraden

PHYS 18b Introductory Laboratory II
Corequisite: PHYS 10b. May yield half-course credit toward rate-of-work and graduation. Two semester-hour credits.
Laboratory course consisting of basic physics experiments designed to accompany PHYS 10b. Usually offered every year.
Guillaume Duclos