This document is one in a series designed to provide basic information about mainline health professions and the Premedical Office at Xavier University of Louisiana.

General Focus of XU's Premedical Office: Xavier's Premedical Office provides support for students interested in pursuing careers in medicine (M.D. degree), osteopathic medicine (D.O. degree), dentistry, veterinary medicine, optometry, and podiatry. These areas are commonly known by the acronym MODVOP. (Pharmacy, the remaining "mainline" health profession, is supported separately by a PrePharmacy Office, NCF 107, because of the special role of pharmacy at Xavier. XU has the only College of Pharmacy in the southern part of Louisiana).

Support provided by the Premedical Office is designed to complement academic advising, scheduling, etc. provided by academic advisors within a student's major department. Xavier's system for providing advice to students interested in medicine is a very structured, continuous process which begins the first week of a student's freshman year and continues until graduation. Because of cost limitations and the ongoing nature of the advising process, most advising for premedical students at Xavier is done in group workshops or meetings. The schedule of upcoming meetings for Premedical students is available on the Premed page of XU's website throughout the academic year, in the Premedical Office, AND in weekly email messages sent to all students who have working email addresses on file in the Premedical Office. Freshmanl Premedical students at Xavier should stop by the Premedical Office to pick up a copy of the meetings scheduled for a given semester the first week of school AND should attend all meetings scheduled for them. Freshmen, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior Premeds should check daily for importantemail messages from the Premedical Office regarding meetings, recruitment visits, summer programs, etc.

Location, Staffing, and Hours: Xavier's Premedical Office is located in room 108 of the Norman C. Francis (NCF) Science Building (Building #36 on Campus Map). It is staffed by a combination of XU faculty, staff, and students from the Departments of Biology, Chemistry, and Psychology. Most work part-time for Premed and devote the remainder of their time to either teaching (faculty) or to taking classes (students). As a result, the exact hours of the Premedical Office varies somewhat from semester to semester as the courses workers teach or take change. However, the office is generally open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, during the academic year (August 15-May 15). At times when the office is not staffed, messages may be left for the staff on the University's phone-mail system (call 504-520-7437). In addition, persons can contact the Office by e-mail at xupremed@yahoo.com, by fax at 504-520-7923, or by mail (1 Drexel Drive Box 120, New Orleans, LA 70125). Calls are generally answered (probably by students) the day received except during vacation or times when the college work-load is exceptionally heavy (e.g. during finals). Student workers are systematically trained to answer the wide variety of questions the Premedical Office receives and to know when a question is beyond their knowledge or authority to answer. That is, student responses regarding the program are accurate and can be trusted. Finally, it should be noted that XU's Premedical Office is not staffed as such during the summer months as faculty and students often have other obligations during this time (e.g. summer research or enrichment programs, summer school, etc.). From May 15-August 15, the Premedical Office is usually staffed by one (1) full-time adviser who is responsible for assisting rising XU senior Premed students with the rigorous and extensive application process to medical, dental, etc. school. Because staffing is limited during summer months, students who require assistance should either call the Premedical Office or send email to xupremed@yahoo.com. (Note: The fact that XU's Premedical Office staff may not be readily available during the summer is not a problem for students who fully participate in numerous, highly-structured activities during the academic year and/or keep the multitude of materials handed out at those meetings. It may, however, be a problem for those who do not complete all academic year activities. Therefore, serious premedical students should attend all meetings scheduled for them or make them up in a timely fashion).

Types of Support Provided By XU's Premedical Office: Due to the large number of students interested in medical, dental, etc. school at Xavier and the complexity of the process of preparing for entry into and applying to such schools, activities sponsored by XU's Premedical Office are generally highly structured, and to the extent possible, conducted in a group format at a specified time (or times). In addition, at almost all such activities, students complete worksheets and/or receive handouts with pertinent information. Copies of the meeting handouts are made available in the Premedical Office after each meeting so that students who cannot attend a meeting on a particular day can easily make it up at their leisure. Additionally, so that parents or guardians remain informed as to scheduled activities for Premeds, they are invited to receive copies of email messages sent to students by the Premedical Office. If, for any reason, a student requires assistance beyond the scheduled group of individual meetings, he/she should stop by the Premedical Office as soon as possible. The following are some of the types of support currently provided by XU's Premedical Office.

Types of Support NOT Provided By XU's Premedical Office: Because Xavier's Premedical Office is very active (and hence very visible), there are many mistaken beliefs regarding the services which the office can or does provide. Here are some things which XU's Premed Office cannot do.

Finally, does it work? Yes!!! Xavier, a small school with limited financial resources, has been successful nationally for over ten years in placing African-Americans into medical school.