News Release

The Johns Hopkins University is establishing a Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Program to offer pre-med courses to college graduates who want to attend medical school.

Housed in the university's Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, the program is expected to accept students and begin classes in the summer or fall of 2001.

David Trabilsy, former assistant dean for admissions at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, is the program's director. Trabilsy said the highly selective program will provide an opportunity for "talented and focused individuals" without the necessary science background to fulfill their premed requirements at an institution known for excellence in medical education.

"We are looking to establish the premier post- baccalaureate program in the country," Trabilsy said. "The program's essential focus will be on completing the basic premed requirements, but we also hope to tap into the vast resources that Hopkins has to offer in areas such as medicine and public health. That is what I feel will be most appealing to prospective students: the resources that this great university has."

Trabilsy said he wants to customize a program of study for each student. The initial class will include about a dozen students, Trabilsy said, but he foresees the program growing over time.

Students will take science courses on the premed track side-by-side with undergraduates at the university's Homewood campus. Scheduling details are still being worked out, Trabilsy said, but it's expected that students will attend on a full-time basis. The program will be based on a 14-month core, with additional time, if needed, based on the students' academic background and the interests they wish to pursue at Johns Hopkins beyond the required science courses.

The Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Program is intended both for those coming directly out of college or graduate study and for those seeking a change of career.

"What is very appealing about this program is that these are individuals who bring with them a wealth of experiences and maturity into an academic environment," Trabilsy said. "We feel these are people who are going to make unique contributions, not only to the premed experience but also in medical schools, as well as in their health careers. What I personally would like to see are opportunities created for them to build on their previous experience, whether they have been lawyers, teachers, engineers or come from the world of business."

Trabilsy said that incorporating the program's students into the traditional study body will add an "extra dimension and nice dynamic" to the classroom. He describes the representative applicant as a "bright and determined individual" who has thoroughly thought out the demands of a medical education.

There are currently fewer than 75 post-baccalaureate programs in the country. Established ones on the East Coast include those at Bryn Mawr College, Columbia University, Tufts University, the University of Pennsylvania and Goucher College.

Nationwide, applicant pools for post-baccalaureate programs have been in decline, mirroring the decline in medical school applicant pools. Trabilsy said he is confident, however, that the Hopkins program will emerge as a success story.

"I would have to think twice about doing this elsewhere, but because it's Hopkins and because of our reputation for medicine and premedical education, I feel we will be successful," Trabilsy said. "Clearly, what will help to us become established very quickly is the Hopkins name."

For details on the program and to inquire about applying, contact David Trabilsy at 410-516-7748 or dmtrab@jhu.edu.