The ICSM Premedical Academy will provide a vehicle for college graduates to prepare themselves for professional training and future careers in the health sciences, including advanced preparation for the MCAT. The curriculum is based on the first two years of professional education, incorporating a cross-cultural educational approach. Accepted participants in the program will have to have completed premedical courses in college and will have a program of study for a full nine-month academic year. Narrative learning ("storytelling") will constitute a major focus of the integrative biological curriculum. The medical basic sciences will be taught as parts of a single grand narrative of evolutionary biology, easily remembered and conceptually rich. This overall educational design not only emphasizes concepts over memorization, it has a clear organizational framework for the information. Educational modalities included in the course include Inquiry-Based Learning, a small-group protocol of proven effectiveness; Concept mapping to learn standardized test-taking skills; Lecturio online exam preparation and learning resources; Draw-It-To-Know-It medical basic science learning exercises; VH Dissector virtual dissection labs; Microscopy labs with personal Foldscopes; and Active Learning through Adaptive Practices and feedback from faculty on Discussion and Abstract assignments from course readings. Students will assemble a personal Portfolio in the course, a useful asset for application to medical school. The course syllabus can be viewed here.
Tuition for the online ICSM Premedical Academy is $1999, which includes course textbook, readings, software, and laboratory equipment for the three sessions: the online four-week MCAT prep course, nine-month systems-based Basic Sciences course, and eight-week Clinical Sciences and USMLE I prep course. Scholarships for up to 50% of tuition are available upon application. Students successfully completing the course receive a Certificate of Completion.
Requirements for application to the ICSM Premedical Academy include a submitted resume, undergraduate transcripts, and a letter of application, with an application fee of $25. Applicants for admission receive decisions within one week of application. A place in the 2023 Premedical Academy is guaranteed only upon payment of full tuition by July 1, 2023, one month prior to the start of the program.