PreMed and PreHealth Students
As a PreMed/PreHealth (PMPH) student, there are additional considerations to keep in mind when planning for a study abroad program to ensure you still meet eligibility and admissions requirements for medical school and other health professional graduate schools.
Medical school and other health professional graduate programs commonly require that prerequisite course credits are earned in the US/Canada system. Coursework taken during a traditional semester abroad at non-US/Canada institutions will transfer back to Northeastern and count towards your GPA.
Coursework taken abroad may therefore fulfill Northeastern degree requirements. However, it may not be eligible to count toward course requirements for your health professional graduate program. Learn more about “commonly required” courses here.
We have included some tips and resources below to assist you in planning your summer or semester abroad program!
Hands-on Experience: Many full-semester study abroad programs allow you to gain practical knowledge through independent or field-based research, immersive language learning, and internships/professional shadowing.
Critical Skill Development: The skills you’ll develop while participating in a global experience are also in line with the PreMed/PreHealth competencies that medical/health professional schools are looking for in their candidates. These include, for example, ethical responsibility, resilience, interpersonal skills, and cultural humility. Spending a full semester (or more!) abroad allows you to reap the maximum benefits of your global experience.
These experiences will help you distinguish yourself in the medical/health professional school application and interview process.
There is no “ideal” term for PreMed/PreHealth students to study abroad. However, you should avoid studying abroad in your final undergraduate semester and the fall semester after you have applied to a graduate program, as interviews may take place in person in the United States.
Health graduate school applications are typically submitted in the spring and summer months. It is therefore important that you do not plan to study abroad the fall semester after you have applied to a graduate program, as interviews may take place in person in the United States.
For example, if you apply to a graduate program during the spring semester of your third-year, you should not plan to study abroad during the fall of your fourth year.
If you’re planning to take any medical/professional health school “commonly required” laboratory science coursework abroad, you should select a study abroad program that is either:
1. Accredited by agencies recognized by the US Department of Education.
- For example, The American College of Thessaloniki is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).
- This can also include a US institution’s overseas campus (e.g. Saint Louis University in Madrid).
2. A U.S.-based study abroad provider with a U.S. School of Record.
- These providers typically offer the option to request a transcript from their US School of Record, sometimes at a fee.
We recommend prioritizing taking courses that are not included among the prerequisite laboratory science courses for graduate programs, such as major electives. You may take these courses at a foreign university without issues.
Save PreMed and PreHealth prerequisite courses for your time at a domestic Northeastern campus.
You should meet with a study abroad advisor to learn about additional US-accredited and US-School of Record study abroad programs.
You may also wish to consider Dialogue of Civilizations programs and some Semester/Summer In programs. Although these are facilitated internationally, you take fully accredited Northeastern courses on these programs as usual. PreMed/PreHealth students can potentially take classes on these programs that satisfy medical/health professional school program prerequisites.
Be sure to review resources from the PreMed/PreHealth Advising Program and meet with your PreHealth Advisor to discuss your interest in studying abroad and ensure your understanding of medical/health professional school admissions guidelines.
We also encourage you to connect with your Academic Advisor to discuss your study abroad plans, as they can assist with adjusting your Northeastern academic plan.