Pre-Med & Pre-Health at Pitzer
Learn about Pitzer's pre-med and pre-health academic pathways to a fulfilling career in the healthcare field.
“Pitzer not only taught me the core principles and knowledge of science and the humanities, but also the major challenges our world faces and how we as a community can work together to solve them.”
Cameron Stockford '23
MD-PhD Student, Yale School of Medicine
Neuroscience major
That's double the national average.
Why Pitzer for Pre-Med?
Pitzer's liberal arts foundation grounds your pre-med and pre-health studies, ensuring you graduate not only ready for a career in healthcare, but as a thinker and doer capable of shaping what’s next. Experience science that’s collaborative, creative, and deeply connected to real-world impact.
- Abundant undergraduate research opportunities - a must for competitive grad school applications.
- Collaborative learning at the Pitzer-Scripps Colleges Department of Natural Sciences.
- A strong interdisciplinary focus, where your pre-health studies are combined with courses in the humanities and social sciences.
- Access to resources of the five world-renowned Claremont Colleges.
- Personalized career path advising via our Pre-Health Advising Office and Office of Career Services.
- Upperclass peer mentors by your side to help guide your way.
- A thriving alumni mentorship program - begin to build your network while an undergrad.
Quick Stats
100%
Health-related Grad School Acceptance
80%+
Medical School Acceptance
10:1
Student-Faculty Ratio
100+
5C STEM Courses @ the Claremont Colleges
1:1
Pre-Health Advising
25+
Pre-Med & Pre-Health Clubs Across the 5Cs
Career Pathways
Work one-on-one with a dedicated pre-health advisor to explore your interests, get medical/graduate school requirement advice, and map a customized path towards your healthcare career.
Popular healthcare field pathways:
- Dentistry
- Medicine
- Nursing
- Optometry
- Pharmacy
- Physical Therapy
- Physician Assistant
- Podiatry
- Public Health
- Veterinary Medicine
Combining Science & the Humanities
Pitzer's interdisciplinary focus is what sets us apart. Be immersed in both the sciences and humanities, making you a well-rounded scholar able to tackle problems from a variety of perspectives.
Read Pratya's Story
"Narrative medicine is an intersection of humanities and science that looks at how we can use storytelling and radical listening to inform how we practice and deliver healthcare.”
Ptraya Poosala '24
MSPH Student at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Neuroscience and Narrative Medicine self-designed major
Student-Centered Resources
Research Opportunities
Our Department of Natural Sciences professors offer many different research lab projects to get involved with throughout the year. We also offer an extensive summer research program, in which students have the opportunity to receive paid 10-week fellowships to work with science faculty.
Explore Faculty Research Labs
Richard Ampah '25, human biology major and mathematics minor, studied cerebral palsy through the lens of biology, algorithms, and AI in collaboration with Professor of Physics Sarah Marzen. Read Richard's story.
Faculty Mentorship
Our faculty play a major role in nurturing the next generation of healthcare providers by offering invaluable mentored research opportunities that allow hands-on experience in cutting-edge laboratories and out in the field.
Learn More About Faculty Mentorship at Pitzer
Dedicated Pre-Health Advising
Our pre-health advising office assists in your exploration and preparation from start to finish, helping you explore the pathways to a career in medicine and healthcare. We're here to help guide your four-year plan, secure extracurricular experiences, and succeed in the undergraduate to grad/medical school journey.
Learn About Pre-Health Advising
The Nucleus
Pitzer’s modern scientific hub brings together faculty and students across the natural sciences. With flexible, light-filled teaching labs, open collaboration areas, and a rooftop greenhouse, it’s a space where creativity and inquiry thrive side by side.
Explore the NucleusLearning Opportunities
The Summer Science Immersion Program is for first-year incoming students with an interest in science. Held the week before fall classes begin, this program helps students get comfortable with being college students and navigating their way around a science lab and college-level coursework.
If accepted to Pitzer, our Admission team will send you more information about applying to this program.
Be immersed in epidemiology, important public health concepts, and intercultural learning. Through intensive Spanish language courses, a seminar on health and health care in Costa Rica, internships, and family stays, explore health care in Central America while furthering your Spanish language skills.
Pitzer in Costa Rica Summer Health Program Info
We offer summer opportunities to get involved in faculty-led research projects at the Department of Natural Sciences (DNS). Or use the summer months to embark on scientific explorations at another institution or organization. Pitzer students have the opportunity to apply for the following research grants to help fund summer research experiences:
- Easton Ecological Research Award
- W.M. Keck Fund
- Stein Family Summer Research Fellowship Program
- Neuroscience Summer Research Fellowships
- David Sadava Endowed Student Internship Fund (available to Pitzer sophomores and juniors)
- Science Internship Fund
- Thomas Poon Endowed Student Internship Fund
Contact the Office of Career Services for more information about summer research/internship funding.
Explore Summer Research
Visit the Department of Natural Sciences website for more information on summer research opportunities and funding sources.
We help connect you to valuable pre-health and pre-med internship and volunteer opportunities at medical centers, hospitals, clinics, health centers, and other organizations.
Most medical schools recommend that applicants shadow for at least 50 hours in the U.S. Our Pre-Health Advising Office will help guide you through the process of finding shadowing opportunities.
Learning on a Global Scale
“The Summer Health program in Costa Rica allowed me to study a universal health care system in the classroom, as well as through an internship in San José.”
Sydney Gerteis ’23
Sociology major
Explore Our Health-Related Majors
Biology
Be equipped with the tools to engage with biological issues at all scales of organization, from molecular to ecological, and emerge as a leader in environmental, biotechnology, and health-related fields.
Biochemistry
Pitzer's biochemistry major gives you the tools you need to succeed, whether you’re planning to enter a career in fields ranging from education to biotechnology, or looking to continue your education in graduate school.
Biophysics
A biophysics major gives you skills you can leverage to continue your studies in graduate school or pursue a range of careers, from medicine to engineering.
Chemistry
Develop a broad understanding of the various branches of chemistry and a mastery of the skills and techniques used by chemists.
Human Biology
Be at the forefront of fields from anthropology to public health, bringing an interdisciplinary approach wherever your career takes you.
Neuroscience
Through a blend of scientific inquiry and interdisciplinary exploration, we'll equip you with tools to explore the brain and its functions.
Organismal Biology
If you are interested in understanding how different organisms function or how they interact with their environment, organismal biology might be the major for you.
Recent News
View More Science News
Featured
Fighting the Superbugs: DNS’ Sierra Williams Awarded $457,000 NIH Grant
Williams and her students will explore alternative ways to combat drug-resistant bacteria
Ready to Learn More? Contact Us!
- Director of Pre-Health Professions Advising
- Pre-Health Administrative Assistant