Pre-Medical & Dental Preceptorship Program

PRE-MEDICAL & DENTAL PRECEPTORSHIP PROGRAM

The Pre-Medical & (now) Dental Preceptorship Program offers the opportunity for students to shadow practitioners* affiliated with THR’s Arlington Memorial Hospital, LivingSprings Clinic, or Dental Health Arlington, while tying in academic components for course credit. Interested students must apply and are selected through a competitive application process and must meet the criteria below. (Note: shadowing opportunities are dependent on THR and UTA policies). This course is ONLY offered in the Fall.

*Students enrolled in Fall sessions for the EMT course may be eligible to take this course for credit. The EMT course requirements and clinicals are considered as the shadowing aspect for the course. Students planning on taking the EMT course in the Fall and are interested in course credit must complete the application and be accepted.

PROGRAM MISSION

This program is intended to provide an opportunity for students to connect the day-to-day experiences of a healthcare professional with current healthcare topics. This includes objective analysis of data and discussions surrounding the reality of healthcare along with the challenges associated in this field.

Applications for Fall 2025 are closed*

Applications for Fall 2026 will open February 13, 2026, and close March 7th, 2026

*Fall EMT students, contact sandy.hobart@uta.edu for application link if deadline has passed

WHY APPLY? THOUGHTS from PAST PRECEPTORSHIP STUDENTS

"I can’t thank you enough for the opportunities and lessons you provided throughout my time at UTA. Also, I have to add that so many of the topics we discussed in the preceptorship class came up time and time again in the CASPER and in both MMI and traditional interviews! I was grateful to feel educated and prepared so that I was able to talk with my interviewers conversationally about difficult topics."

"My opinions and mindset surrounding medicine and being a physician have certainly evolved after finishing the preceptorship [program]. I now [have] a more knowledgeable picture of medicine in comparison to the one I had before this experience."

"By the time I was a formal participant of the preceptorship program I was lost on what my mission in pursuing medicine was, an advantage that I believed I possessed coming into university. This semester stood as a transition in my career path where I tried my best to readdress my motivation through this preceptorship program. Eventually, through many lengthy discussions about the issues in healthcare, my obstacle manifested in my fledgling ability to form connections of the raw experience to my personal vision."

"My perspective shifted from a black and white version of medicine to incorporating intangible ideals such as the social determinants of health. My understanding of medicine seemingly grew out of the pages of a textbook. This program has allowed me to approach situations from multiple angles and relish the lifelong learning process of medicine. "

ELIGIBLITY CRITERIA

A minimum of 60 earned, graded US/Canadian college credit hours (must be completed by start of Preceptorship term; AP credit does not count)
A minimum overall GPA of 3.4. For post-baccalaureate students, a minimum UTA post-bacc GPA of 3.6 in 12 hours including at least 6 hours of 3000/4000 level sciences towards medical/PA programs
Must be a currently enrolled undergraduate UTA student and have completed at least one full semester at UTA at submission of application
Must have completed BIOL and CHEM 1441 & 1442 or equivalent at time of application. (Note: Certain upper level BIOL courses may be a substitute for BIOL 1442)
- Preference given to students with strong science backgrounds with upper-level sciences
Demonstrates a motivation towards medicine or dentistry through healthcare related work, volunteering, or shadowing experiences after high school
Is not an applicant in the current or upcoming medical/dental/PA school cycle (2025-2026 or 2026-2027)
A well-articulated motivation toward medicine/dentistry as presented in a brief personal statement
Must have reliable transportation to and from assigned site with availability on some weekday mornings

Students are registered for a 3-hour Journal Club course by the Program Coordinator after acceptance into the program. The course is scheduled for Mondays from 3-4:20pm. (SCIE 3348) Course credit can be applied as elective credit for most degree plans but should be reviewed with your advisor. Please keep in mind that tuition and fees must be paid by the student. Students are expected to complete a minimum number of shadowing hours (typically on weekday mornings) during the term along with attending and participating in the academic portion of the weekly course. Keep this in mind when registering for classes.

APPLICANT SELECTION CRITERIA

Applicants will be reviewed holistically. Competitive applicants will be selected and invited for an interview. Final selections will be made after the interview depending on number of practitioners available. Selection criteria will be based on:

MEETING THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
ACADEMIC ABILITY: Overall GPA, Science GPA, trend
MOTIVATION TOWARDS MEDICINE/DENTISTRY: Clinical and Non-Clinical Experiences, Volunteering, Personal Statement
CRITICAL THINKING AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS: Interview
FINAL SELECTION: After Interviews
Average of 8-12 students selected depending on preceptor availability

IMPORTANT DATES:

Application Opens: Friday, February 13, 2026
Application Deadline: Sunday, March 7, 2026 @ 11:59 pm
Application Review: week of March 8th (tentative)
Applicants notified for an Interview: week of March 15th (tentative)
Interviews: week of March 22nd (tentative)
- NOTE: Interviews last appx 15-25 minutes
Candidates notified of acceptance: week of March 29th (tentative)
MANDATORY Journal Club - Fall term - Mondays at 3-4:20p pm in CPB 303 (tentative)

Pre-Medical & Dental Preceptorship Program