The Houston Premedical Academy

(Open to DeBakey HSHP Seniors Exclusively)

University of Houston                 Baylor College of Medicine

Philosophy

The Houston Premedical Academy (HPA) is a partnership between the DeBakey High School for Health Professions (DHSHP), the University of Houston (UH) and Baylor College of Medicine (BCM). It is a special undergraduate program at UH for DHSHP graduates interested in becoming physicians. Through an academically rich and supportive environment, the HPA program enables students to make their career choices and medical school selection at the same time. Since the HPA began in 1996, 98 students have entered the program, and 37 of 44 program graduates (84%) have matriculated into medical school, 32 at BCM. To date, five HPA graduates have earned their MD degrees. There are currently 38 students enrolled at UH and 28 at BCM.

Description

Up to 10 graduating DHSHP students are selected to attend the HPA each year. These students also receive provisional acceptance into BCM, but they are required to complete all baccalaureate degree requirements of UH and meet other criteria (see below) before being accepted by the medical school. The entire program lasts eight years, from entrance into the HPA at UH through graduation from BCM. During their four years in the HPA, students participate in summer activities designed to increase their awareness and understanding of issues related to medical education and the practice of medicine.

While there is no single prescribed curriculum for the program, all HPA students must major in one of the disciplines within the UH College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (see list below).

• Biology
• Earth Science
• Biochemical and Biophysical Sciences
• Geology
• Interdisciplinary Sciences
• Chemistry
• Mathematics
• Computer Science
• Physics

Regardless of major, program students must take and pass all BCM prerequisites from an approved course listing while at UH. These prerequisites are: one year of biology (with lab); one year of general chemistry (with lab); one year of organic chemistry (with lab); one year of physics (with lab); and one year of English. No grade lower than a "C" for these classes will count toward matriculation into BCM. Program students must maintain an overall grade point average of at least 3.4 and a science grade point average of at least 3.2 (on a 4.0 system). In addition, to gain admission into BCM, HPA students must obtain a Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) score of at least 28, with no section score (verbal reasoning, physical sciences, biological sciences) less than 7.0. Support programs at UH and BCM include tutoring and counseling.

All students selected for the program receive scholarship support from UH, sufficient to cover tuition and fees. Additional financial aid may be available for eligible students (limited to citizens and permanent residents of the United States). All financial aid provided by UH and BCM is contingent upon students' maintaining the minimum required grade point averages, participating in summer activities and achieving minimum MCAT scores.

Selection

Graduating DHSHP seniors wishing to participate in the HPA must complete two applications: one for the University of Houston and one for the Houston Premedical Academy. Students may apply to only one BCM combined degree program. Program selection criteria include:

1. SAT scores no less that 580 critical reading, 600 math and 520 writing (students must take the SAT to be considered for entrance into the program);
2. strong DHSHP academic performance, as evidenced by a minimum overall GPA of 3.2 and core GPA of 3.0 (especially in science, mathematics and English);
3. one letter of support from DHSHP teachers, counselors and/or administrators;
4. two letters of recommendation from community service organization leaders;
5. evidence of community service while at DHSHP;
6. motivation and other attributes representative of exceptional achievement

Students from schools other than the DHSHP and students who already have graduated from DHSHP are not eligible for the program.

Applications for the Houston Premedical Academy are due on February 2, 2009, by 5:00 p.m. Applications of students accepted by UH will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee at BCM. Semi-finalists will be invited to BCM for an interview on Friday, February 27, 2009. Notification of acceptance to the program will be made by April 1, 2009.

About the University of Houston

The University of Houston (UH), the state's premier urban teaching and research university, stands at the forefront of education, research and service. The UH campus serves more than 35,000 students in twelve academic colleges and in its interdisciplinary Honors College. The university offers 294 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs, and awards more than 6,000 degrees annually. It is the most ethnically diverse research university in the U.S. The innovative curriculum, nationally ranked programs, and dynamic learning and mentoring environment bring students face-to-face with award-winning faculty.

UH operates more than 40 research centers and institutes and maintains more than 300 creative partnerships with corporate, civic, and governmental entities. Interdisciplinary research at UH includes groundbreaking areas such as bionanotechnology, superconductivity, space commercialization, biomedical engineering, economics, education, petroleum exploration, and virtual technology. The UH libraries are Houston's largest, and they house one of the most up-to-date networked electronic publication centers in the nation. Grants and research awards to the university in 2006 exceeded $77.3 million.

About Baylor College of Medicine

Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, the only private medical school in the greater Southwest, was founded in 1900 and is today an internationally respected medical and research institution known for excellence in education, research and patient care.

Today, the College consistently ranks among the top of the country's 125 medical schools. For 2007, U.S. News & World Report has ranked the College 10th overall among the nation's top medical schools for research and 11th for primary care. BCM also is listed 13th among all U.S. medical schools for National Institutes of Health funding, and No. 1 for research expenditures in biological science by the National Science Foundation.

Located in the Texas Medical Center, a 700-acre complex housing 42 member institutions, BCM has affiliations with seven teaching hospitals, each with a national and international reputation for medical excellence.

The College has total research support exceeding $374 million, with $314 million from federal sources, and more than 90 research and patient-care centers and units. Currently, BCM trains more than 3,000 medical, graduate, nurse anesthesia, and physician assistant students, as well as residents and postdoctoral fellows.

This program is sponsored, in part, by the Michael E. DeBakey Foundation