A note on eligibility:
At Pre-Health Career Pathways, our mission is to support and empower all students and recent alumni, helping you feel seen, heard, and guided throughout your journey.
We understand that the eligibility guidelines listed below may feel discouraging or even exclusive. Please know that these benchmarks are based on trends in URI and national acceptance data, and are meant to help you understand what makes an applicant competitive in these very selective admissions processes.
Not meeting every requirement does not mean the door is closed. We’re still here to help you explore your options and build a plan that aligns with your goals. That might mean working toward strengthening your application over time, or discovering other rewarding paths within the health professions and there are many.
You’re not alone in this process and we’re here to help you navigate it.
In order to participate in PATH, applicants must meet the following for eligibility:
Prerequisite Requirements
Applicants need to have completed the majority of their prerequisite coursework for their intended health profession program.
Must have no more than one (1) core science prerequisite course left to complete prior to participating.
Acceptable courses to not yet have completed could include:
- Upper-division electives (ie: genetics, physiology, microbiology)
- Non-science courses (ie: second semester of English or statistics)
Applicants should also have completed at least four (4) semesters of study at URI.
Clinical/Direct Patient Care Experience
Demonstrated clinical/direct patient care experience that includes consistent, hands-on interaction with patients, clients, or healthcare providers.
This experience is a key component of a competitive application. Substantive involvement in patient care or clinical settings, not just observation/shadowing.
Guidelines (not requirements) for recommended amount of hours:
- Medicine (MD/DO): 100-300+ hours
- Dentistry: 100-200+ hours
GPA Requirements
Applicants are expected to meet the following minimum GPA recommendations:
Medical school applicants:
- Science BCPM GPA (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Math): 3.3 or higher
- Cumulative GPA: 3.3 or higher
Dental, Optometry, and Podiatry Applicants:
- Science BCPM GPA: 3.0 or higher
- Cumulative GPA: 3.0 or higher
Important Note:
Competitive applicants that have been accepted in the past typically are 3.6 or higher
Competitive Standardized Test Scores
Test scores should reflect both academic readiness and alignment with current applicant pools. While score requirements vary by profession and school, successful applicants typically score at or above national averages.
Guidelines for recommended scores:
- MCAT: 508+
- DAT: 19 – 21 AA (test score scales changed March 2025, will update as more info is released)
- OAT: 310+
If applicants haven’t completed these standardized tests at the time of completing PATH, they should indicate their plan to prepare for and take the MCAT, DAT, OAT or other required test.
Competencies
Ability to demonstrate, through experience and recommendations, meeting the Core Competencies for Entering Medical Students or ADEA Core Competencies.
Graduation Year
Status as a current undergraduate student, alumni who graduated no more than three (3) years ago.
For students enrolled in graduate programs URI, students must have completed their undergraduate (Bachelor’s Degree) from URI.
In addition to these criteria, applicants are encouraged to review the technical standards for the schools to which they plan to apply. These standards are usually available on each school’s website.