The Houston Premedical Academy is an eight-year, high school-to-medical school scholarship program, established in 1996 as a partnership among the DeBakey High School for Health Professions, the University of Houston (Honors Program in the Health Professions, The Honors College), and Baylor College of Medicine. Each year, up to six DHSHP students are selected, and to date, 187 students have matriculated into the program. A total of 108 HPA students have entered medical school, and 76 have received an M.D. (73 from Baylor, three from other Texas medical schools). As of Fall 2020, 24 program students are enrolled at University of Houston and 25 at Baylor College of Medicine.
Students receive provisional acceptance into Baylor upon accepted into the HPA program, but they are required to complete all baccalaureate degree requirements of UH and meet other criteria (outlined below) before being accepted by Baylor College of Medicine. The entire program lasts eight years, from entrance into the HPA at UH through graduation from Baylor. Applicants to the HPA must complete three applications:
- UH Admission Application
- UH Honors College Application
- HPA Application
HPA applicants must first be admitted to UH and also to the UH Honors College, prior to review by Baylor. Applicants selected for the HPA, through the Baylor medical school admissions process are allowed to major in any of the undergraduate degree programs offered by UH. However, they must minor in the Medicine & Society Program offered by the Honors College. HPA students will also reside in Honors College Housing during the first year at UH. Regardless of major, program students must take and pass all BCM prerequisites. These prerequisites are:
- One year of Honors Freshman biology (with lab)
- One year of general chemistry, Honors section preferred (with lab)
- One year of organic chemistry (with lab); one year of physics (with lab)
- One year of Human Situation (Honors Freshman English)
No grade lower than a “C” for these classes will count toward matriculation into Baylor. Program students must maintain a semester and cumulative GPA average of at least 3.50 and a semester and cumulative science GPA average of at least 3.50 (on a 4.0 system). In addition, to gain admission into Baylor, HPA students must obtain a Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) score of 500-507; with no section score (biological and biochemical foundations of living systems, chemical and physical foundations of biological systems, psychological, social and biological foundations of behavior, and critical analysis and reasoning skills) less than 125.