VI. Special Programs and Policies at the University of Georgia

The Honors Program
Advanced Placement Program
Alpha Epsilon Delta

There are a number of special programs and organizations at the University of Georgia that may be of considerable assistance to students in premedicine. In addition to the Premedical Studies Office, the Honors Program, Advanced Placement, and Alpha Epsilon Delta provide services which are discussed below.

The Honors Program
The University of Georgia has a well-recognized Honors Program that offers a number of different services to academically strong students. Enrollment is by invitation, which is extended to entering freshmen with high SAT scores and a strong high school record. Students not initially invited to join may be considered for admission later in their college career (Collegiate Entry).  Information on enrolling is available in the Honors Office which is located on North Campus in the Moore College (building). Students enrolled in the Honors Program may register for honors courses which usually have smaller enrollment with enriched course content and they are generally taught by the more experienced faculty.

Many students preparing for medical school are in the Honors Program and students invited to join are encouraged to do so. The decision to enroll is personal and participation is not required for admission to medical school. Most students in the program are advised on a regular basis by honors advisors, but it should be emphasized that honors students are eligible for all services and resources available through the Premedical Studies Office and they are urged to take advantage of any assistance available through this office. This includes preprofessional advising regarding any aspect of preparation for medical school (i.e., MCAT's, AMCAS, deadlines, etc.) and preparation of a faculty 'packet.' Honors premedical advisors often submit one of the letters of evaluation used in the preparation of the faculty 'packet' for honors students. No student should ever feel that he/she is either in the Honors Program or in the Premedical Studies Program. It is usually in the best interests of the student to take advantage of the advice and assistance available in both programs.

Advanced Placement
Advanced placement credit and/or exemption may be earned either by taking locally administered departmental tests (usually during summer orientation) or by participating in the Advanced Placement Program of the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB). In the CEEB program college credit may be earned for advanced courses taken during high school, if the student scores sufficiently well on the CEEB advanced placement test. Information regarding interpretation of scores and credit allowed may be obtained during advanced placement orientation or through the Honors Program Office. Some medical schools do not recognize AP credit for required courses needed for consideration for interviews.

Whenever a premedical student registers for a course, it should be with the reasonable expectation of making no worse than a ‘B’ and preferably an ‘A’. It may be ill-advised for a student to register for a course, for example the first quarter of a language, if he/she has already mastered the material, for a good student may become bored in the course and this could lead to poor performance.

The subjects in which many premedical students obtain advanced placement are English, history, mathematics and chemistry. Well-prepared students may begin mathematics with calculus, exempting algebra and trigonometry or pre-calculus math with credit. A small but significant group of the students who are accepted to medical school have had CHEM 1411, 1412 or CHEM 1311H, 1312H (advanced general chemistry) rather than the 1211 series (general chemistry). PHYSICS 1211 and 1212 are sometimes taken by students in premedicine, but most premeds select the ‘trigonometry-based’ physics courses.  Students with a good background in physics and a high aptitude in mathematics (calculus pre- or co-requisites) are encouraged to take these courses. It may be perceived positively by some medical school admissions officers if the more challenging sequences have been taken, but not if "C's" and "D's" were the grades earned in these more rigorous courses.  Some medical schools will accept AP credit for required courses only if the credit is "validated" by taking a higher level course in the subject.
 
Alpha Epsilon Delta
Alpha Epsilon Delta, national premedical honor society, has a large and active chapter at the University of Georgia. The UGA Premedical Studies Office extends invitations for membership in AED to those students who maintain a strong academic record in a premedical, predental, or preoptometry, or prepodiatry program and have enrolled with the office. AED also provides a number of informative programs and services to students in these premedical disciplines. Meetings are held concurrently with the "UGA Premed Club," which includes 1st year students (and all other classes, as well).

In order to be eligible for membership in the Georgia Alpha Chapter of AED, a student must complete 36 hours of college work with at least 12 hours in residence at UGA with an overall and cumulative GPA of at least 3.20 and a science/math GPA of 3.20, including courses in chemistry and biology. The UGA premed e-mail Listserv is the means by which the opportunity to join is announced. UGA students must enroll themselves on the UGA premed e-mail list ("Listserv") through which announcements on upcoming meetings and events are issued.  This is discussed at the UGA Premedical “Group Orientation Sessions.”

AED provides a number of services to students in these premed studies, such as sponsoring guest speakers, including physicians, medical educators, medical students, etc., who present informative programs on their particular medical specialty, medical school, medical research or other topics of interest. In program planning particular emphasis is placed on admissions. A number of admissions chairmen and committee members from medical schools will visit the campus each year, sponsored by AED. AED also plans and underwrites the cost of field trips to some medical and dental schools (through student dues – paid once upon initiation). Any student, whether a member of AED or not, is invited to participate in all these programs and all meetings. Usually each academic year student leaders initiate the formation of predental and preoptometry committees (“clubs”) which arrange activities for those interested.  Another venue in which topics for ‘premeds’ are presented is the UGA Premedical Forum.

(Please send all questions and comments to resa@uga.edu,  Room 207 Memorial Hall, Athens, GA 30602)