Cleveland State University's Pathways to Practice program provides opportunities for students who are underrepresented in medicine and are interested in careers in urban primary care to gain acceptance to, and ultimately excel in, medical school. Students who are admitted to the program complete an undergraduate Urban Health Certificate (minimum of 19 credits including 8 credits of urban health, 8 credits of clinical science and 3 credits of professional development courses) while also completing the science prerequisites needed for medical school.

Pathways to Practice Prerequisite course work (completed prior to  start of the Program)

Students need to have completed the following courses and GPA requirements before the start of the program:

• at least one semester of general biology (CSU BIO 200/201 or equivalent) w/grade of C or better
• general chemistry I w/lab (CSU CHM 261/266 or equivalent) w/grade of C or better 
• general chemistry II  w/lab (CHM 262/267 or equivalent) w/grade of C or better
• At least 3.0 GPA across these courses as a post bacc student or 3.2 GPA as an CSU undergrad student

Useful Information:

• Students who do not meet these prerequisite requirements at the time of application to the program can still be considered, so long as they document how they will meet the requirements by the time the program begins (for example, by taking or retaking courses in spring or summer semesters). If admitted with these courses pending, admission will be contingent on successful completion of the planned coursework.
• Students with older courses with satisfactory grades may be considered if they can validate their knowledge with contemporary work or educational experiences.
• In determining eligibility, only the most recent course attempt will be considered.
• Cumulative GPA: To meet the program mission of preparing diverse students with interests in urban primary care for entry into medical school, applicants will be evaluated holistically to determine potential for success in the program and potential for admission to medical school after completion of program requirements. While a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 is recommended, candidates with a lower cumulative GPA who demonstrate pattern of improvement over time can be considered in our holistic admissions process.

Medical School Prerequisites

Unless already completed with grades that are competitive for medical school admission and are up to five years old, students must complete the following courses concurrent with Urban Health Certificate courses:

• Second semester of general biology (BIO 202/203)
• Two semesters of organic chemistry with lab (CHM 331/336 and CHM 332/337)
• Two semesters of physics with lab (PHY 231/232 preferred or PHY 221/222)
• One semester of biochemistry (BIO 306/307 or CHM 402/502)

Students will be required to achieve a cumulative GPA in the above mentioned BCPM (Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Math) courses of at least 3.4. 

Urban Health Certificate Curriculum (additional required courses)

• Professional Development Courses: Participation in a series of 1-credit Professional Development courses that focus on critical analysis and reasoning skills and standardized testing exam preparedness. The first three courses are required of all students; the final course is only required for students who have not met MCAT guidelines for entry into medical school (typically 500, but may vary based on the medical schools to which the student is applying).
  • HSC 427 - Professional Development I (1 credit) (1st year Fall)
  • HSC 429 - Professional Development II (1 credit) (1st year Spring)
• Urban Health Seminar: Completion of an 8-credit, 4-course urban health sequence, which includes a capstone community-based participatory research project developed and implemented in Urban Health III and IV.
  • HSC 434/534 Urban Health I (1 credit) (1st year Fall)
  • HSC 461/561 Urban Health II (1 credit) (1st year Spring)
  • HSC 463/563 Urban Health III (3 credits) (2nd year Fall)
  • HSC 465/565 Urban Health IV (3 credits) (2nd year Spring)
• Clinical Science Courses:
  • HSC 422 or 520 Physiology for the Clinical Sciences (4 credits) (2nd year)
  • HSC 475/575 Human Gross Anatomy (3 credits) (2nd year) AND
  • HSC 457/557 Human Gross Anatomy Lab (3 credit dissection lab) 

RECOMMENDED COURSES (OUTSIDE OF THE URBAN HEALTH CERTIFICATE) TO ENHANCE PREPARATION FOR MEDICAL SCHOOL INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:

• Statistics and Research Methods: STA 147 or 347; PSY 217 and 317; PSY 312
• Upper Division Biology courses: Immunology BIO 412/413 or 512/513; Histology BIO 418/419 or 518/519; Genetics BIO 310/311, Cell Biology BIO 308/309
• Upper Division Chemistry courses: Medicinal Chemistry I and II CHM 351/352
• Additional clinical science courses: Pathology HSC 381/581; Neuroscience HSC 476/478 or 576/578
• Psychology courses: PSY 101 - Introduction to Psychology, PSY 345 - Abnormal Psychology, PSY 372 - Memory and Cognition, PSY 481 - Psychopharmacology, PSY 482 - Biological Basis of Behavior
• Sociology courses: SOC 101 - Introduction to Sociology, SOC 312 - Sociology of Mental Illness, SOC 343 - Medical Sociology
• Philosophy courses in health care ethics or bioethics: PHL 240, 440, 441, 442, 443

CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENTS

REQUIRED COURSES (19-22 CREDITS)

• HSC 427 - Professional Development I
• HSC 429 - Professional Development II
• HSC 434 - Urban Health I
• HSC 461 - Urban Health II
• HSC 463 - Urban Health III
• HSC 465 - Urban Health IV
• HSC 422 - Physiology for the Clinical Sciences
• HSC 475 - Human Gross Anatomy (Must be accompanied by either HSC 457 or HSC 485)
• HSC 457 - Human Gross Anatomy Lab or HSC 485 - Human Gross Anatomy Observation Lab 

OPTIONAL COURSE (1 CREDIT)

• HSC 450 - Physiology Lab

Note that classes fill quickly and it is your responsibility to enroll in a timely manner. Check the latest Catalog of Classes for more course information. 

Contact the Pathways to Practice Department  for more details at 4urbanhealth@csuohio.edu.

Updated September 4, 2019