
Pre-Med Program
If medical school is in your future plans, you’ve come to the right place. Not only does George Fox have the track record to give you confidence in our ability to prepare you for the rigors of med school, you will be joining a community where you will be known by name, research opportunities abound, and where faith is integrated in learning.
Our Track Record
Case in point regarding our track record: George Fox pre-med students who maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher have a better than 95% acceptance rate into medical school. The university also maintains an 80% acceptance rate overall – considerably higher than the national average of 50%.
You will find our graduates at medical schools throughout the country, including the University of Southern California, Michigan State University, Vanderbilt University, Oregon Health & Science University, Washington University Medical School, the University of Kansas, and several others.
Our Community
As for our community, our 16-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio assures you that you will receive personalized attention. And with the career and academic coaching you will receive through our IDEA Center, you have advocates who will help plot your course and find the medical school that’s right for you!
You’ll also have the opportunity to connect with your peers by joining the local chapter of the American Medical Student Association, a student-governed national organization committed to connecting pre-med students with resources that will help prepare them for medical school. You may also work as a teaching assistant or gain internship experience both on and off campus.
Research Opportunities
Our biology and chemistry professors actively conduct research in onsite and offsite research laboratories, providing our undergraduate majors the opportunity to participate and present the results. And a handful of our graduates have gone on to cancer research labs at OHSU – recent grads Quinlan Morrow and Brittany Smith among them.
On campus, students in our biology major have gained valuable research experience alongside professor John Schmitt, whose breast cancer research project, “Vitamin D Regulation in Breast Cancer Cells,” has received more than $75,000 in grant funding from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust.
Our Faith
Beyond preparing you academically, our professors will take a vested interest in you as a person – willing to listen as you discuss your hopes and dreams for your career, as well as your growth both personally and spiritually. They also teach science from a Christ-centered perspective, recognizing God as Creator, so you won’t be attending a school where science and Christianity are at odds.

What Will I Study?
We offer all of the courses necessary to satisfy the required competencies of most medical schools. It’s important to consult with your academic advisor early to set up a plan for a strong program. Medical school admission requirements will vary considerably between different schools, so research into specific prerequisites at medical schools of interest should be reviewed as early as possible.
Here are some other important things to be aware of:
- Medical school admissions are shifting more toward a liberal arts education and a revised integrated science and mathematics curriculum. Emphasis is transitioning from a prescription of courses (prerequisites) to student demonstration of defined competencies.
- Regardless of your major, you must demonstrate both knowledge and ability in the disciplines of mathematics and statistics, physics, chemistry, biochemistry, and biology.
- In addition to biological sciences, the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) also will assess your knowledge in social and behavioral sciences.
- In addition to meeting the minimal entrance requirements into medical school, good grades (3.5 GPA or above) and a strong performance on the national admissions test (MCAT, usually taken in the spring of your junior year) are essential.
With medical school admissions committees seeking individuals with a diversified undergraduate portfolio, George Fox is an ideal choice for your pre-med education, as we offer courses in ethics, literature, the arts, humanities and anthropology to complement your science curriculum. Students who want to pursue a career in medicine most commonly select a major in biology or biochemistry.
Bachelors (BS) in Biology Requirements
×Biology Core Requirements (18 hours)
Complete the following:
Biology Upper-Division Electives (16 hours)
Complete at least one course from each of the following groups.
Choose one of the following:
Choose one of the following:
Choose one of the following:
Physical Sciences (16 hours)
Choose four of the following:
Quantitative Skills (6-8 hours)
Complete the following:
Choose one of the following:
Optional Thesis
Students can petition the department thesis committee by the end of the fall semester of their junior year for permission to do original research as part of their degree requirement. Students allowed to pursue the thesis option must:
- Complete an acceptable research proposal and the Research Methods course (BIOL 384) by the end of the spring semester of the junior year.
- Take up to 4 hours of Biological Research (BIOL 465) between the spring semester of their junior year and graduation, and Senior Thesis (BIOL 496) during the spring semester of their senior year.
- Complete a written thesis acceptable to the thesis committee by April 1 of their senior year.
- Prepare a poster and give an oral presentation of their research prior to graduation.
The department considers this an honor to be noted on the student's transcript. The thesis is designed to enhance a student's preparation for graduate or professional school.
Bachelors (BS) in Biochemistry Requirements
×Complete the following:
Complete the following:
Complete the following:
Choose one of the following:
Choose one of the following sequences:
OR
Choose three of the following:
Philosophy: The opportunity to pursue a chemistry thesis is an honor. Consequently, the thesis option will be noted on a student's transcript. The thesis is designed to enhance a student's preparation for graduate or professional school. The heart of the thesis is original research conducted under the guidance of a chemistry faculty member.
Eligibility: The thesis option may be pursued by any chemistry major in good academic standing. Students wishing to pursue a thesis must:
- Consult with their research advisor about an acceptable research project.
- In writing, notify the chemistry thesis committee (composed of the chemistry department faculty) of their intention to conduct research. The thesis committee must receive notification by the end of the fall semester of the student's junior year.
After the beginning of the spring semester of a student's junior year, students must petition the department thesis committee for permission to pursue thesis research. Students who pursue the thesis option must:
- Enroll in at least 1 hour of Chemical Research (CHEM 465) each semester, beginning the spring semester of their junior year, through the spring semester of their senior year.
- Submit the first copy of a written thesis to the thesis committee by April 1 of their senior year. The final, edited copy is due to the thesis committee the last day of classes during the spring semester.
- Prepare a poster and give an oral presentation of their research.
In some cases, students may apply research conducted off campus to the CHEM 465 requirement. Students who participate in off-campus research programs may petition the thesis committee for special consideration of the thesis option. The thesis committee must receive the petition by the beginning of the fall semester of the student's senior year. The thesis committee may elect to substitute the off-campus experience for a portion of the CHEM 465 requirement.
Trina (Christiansen) Davis
George Fox, MD, Boston University School of Medicine
I was closely mentored by several faculty members who saw my potential and directly encouraged me to pursue graduate school. They coached me step-by-step through the process of deciding what program and what school would be the best fit. Many of my med school classmates had learned material in big lecture halls and were more equipped for passive receiving of information, rather than taking initiative and being willing to try new ways of thinking or doing.