Early Assurance: Medicine

The Early Assurance Program in Medicine is a program offered jointly by the Honors College and the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University for North Carolina residents. The program is directed at prospective students who are interested in medical school after they complete their undergraduate degrees. This program guarantees your entry into the Brody School of Medicine upon completion of your undergraduate degree and Honors College academic requirements. Each year, four incoming Honors College students are selected for this program and an additional four students are identified as alternates. Early Assurance will be open only to students currently enrolled and in good standing in ECU’s Honors College. First time Honors College applicants are no longer eligible to apply.

Requirements for Admittance

By the end of fall semester of the second year, students who wish to apply for Early Assurance in Medicine must meet the following criteria: Students who accept a position in the Early Assurance program must maintain certain academic standards and participate in various activities to remain eligible for their guaranteed seats in the entering class. These requirements include:

  1. Must have a minimum GPA of 3.5 (both overall & science).
  2. Must be in good standing in the Honors College and remain in good standing through graduation.
  3. Must have completed at least 20 of the credit hours of prerequisite courses:
    1. Minimum 8 credit hours of Biology, preferably advanced level Biology coursework beyond General/Introductory Biology at ECU, not including AP credits and/or Dual Enrollment Community College credits. Courses could include: Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Anatomy & Physiology
    2. Minimum 12 credit hours of Chemistry
      1. 8 hours General Chemistry
      2. At least 4 hours of Organic Chemistry (plus lab)
  4. Maintains “an acceptable level of personal deportment and professionalism.”
  5. Must actively participate in ECU Pre-Professional Advising Center (PPAC) activities, including the Primary Care Physician Shadowing (PCPS) Program and volunteerism. Must register and establish a relationship with the PPAC office and complete the PPAC Professionalism certificate program.
  6. Students in the EA in Medicine program are guaranteed a seat in a specific cohort (i.e., cohort starting two full years after being accepted to the EAM program) of our Doctor of Medicine four-year professional program upon completion of their undergraduate degree.
    • EAM students must matriculate in that specific cohort; alternatively, they can forfeit their EAM seat and apply for an earlier through the standard EAM admissions process for a different cohort.
    • EAM students may elect to defer one year following their accepted cohort. This deferral can be self-directed or directed by the Senior Associate Dean of Admissions.
  7. Must have completed the Honors College elective course “Survey of Health Careers” HNRS 3003.