My time at Goshen College nurtured curiosity, compassion, humility, critical thinking, and commitment to peace and justice, laying a strong foundation for my work as a physician. Cross-cultural engagement, including time in Senegal and Morocco, broadened my perspectives and taught me the power of connection while the campus community’s culture of support showed me the importance of growing deep roots. I’m deeply grateful for GC’s enduring commitment to helping each student grow, learn, and thrive.
Staging - Pre-Medicine
Track
What Is the Pre-Medicine Study Track?
You came to find out one thing: does this path actually get you into medical school?
Goshen College’s pre-medicine study track is a pre-professional advising track, not a separate major, that pairs a science major such as biology, chemistry, or exercise science with the courses medical schools require.
You add no extra tuition to take the track, so your cost is just your science major. Pre-health advisors guide your course selection, MCAT preparation, and applications. Goshen College has small classes, so the people reading your recommendation letters already know your name. Students who are the first in their family to aim for medical school, and students arriving from across the world, both belong here as the norm, not the exception.
How the Study Track Works
You choose a science major, and academic advisors layer in the prerequisites medical schools expect. The track combines naturally with biology, chemistry, or exercise science. Advisors confirm you meet every course requirement for your applications, so nothing falls through the cracks in your final year.
You can join undergraduate research in molecular biology, physiology, and ecology as soon as your first year, spend a summer in the Maple Scholars program, and run labs in the Schrock Science Laboratories. Off-campus research happens through partnerships with AbbVie, Notre Dame, and Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center.
Medical Experience Without Leaving Home
You do not have to move across the country to build a competitive application. You shadow physicians at Goshen Hospital and other nearby medical centers, intern at local hospitals, clinics, and community health organizations, and serve through the Center for Healing and Hope and the Center for Civic Innovation, all within Elkhart County.
Staying close to family while you do this is the norm here, not a compromise. The track prepares you for medical school (MD and DO programs), physician assistant programs, and graduate programs in public health and the biomedical sciences. Recent alumni have gone on to Indiana University School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, and University of Michigan Medical School.
What It Costs, and How Aid Works
The pre-medicine track adds no extra tuition. You pay the same as you would for your science major, because the track is advising and preparation layered onto a degree you are already earning. Most Goshen students receive financial aid or scholarships, so the sticker price is rarely what you actually pay. To see your own price after aid, run the net price calculator and talk with a real person in the financial aid office.
Joelle Friesen, M.D. '17
Chief Medical Resident at Mayo Clinic
Common Questions About the Pre-Medicine Study Track
No. Pre-medicine is a study track, not a major. You major in a science such as biology, chemistry, or exercise science, and academic advisors layer in the courses you need for medical school applications. You graduate with a bachelor’s degree plus your completed pre-med prerequisites.
Goshen’s medical school acceptance rate is 86%, a five-year average. Alumni have gone on to Indiana University School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, and University of Michigan Medical School. Pre-health advising guides your coursework, MCAT preparation, and applications from your first year.
Yes. You shadow physicians at Goshen Hospital and other nearby medical centers, intern at local hospitals, clinics, and community health organizations, and serve through the Center for Healing and Hope, all within Elkhart County. You build a competitive medical-school application without leaving the area you call home.
You can start undergraduate research as early as your first year in molecular biology, physiology, and ecology, join the Maple Scholars summer program, and use the Schrock Science Laboratories. Off-campus partnerships include AbbVie, Notre Dame, and Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center.
Yes. Goshen is a small, values-centered campus where 91% of classes have fewer than 30 students, so faculty know you by name. The Pre-Health Club, pre-health advising, and faculty mentors support you from your first semester, whether you are the first in your family to aim for medical school or arriving from another country.
Phil Allman
Professor of Marine Biology
Andy Ammons
Professor of Biology
Deana Baker
Associate Professor of Biology
Pre-Health Club Advisor
Raquel Montanez Gonzalez
Associate Professor of Biology
Jonathon Schramm
Professor of Sustainability and Environmental Education
Department ChairDan Smith
Professor of Chemistry
Department Chair
