The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is offering incoming and transfer students an opportunity to strengthen their math and chemistry skills before the fall semester begins through the Thompson Scholars Program, a selective summer bridge experience designed for students pursuing professional health care careers.
Hosted by UTC’s Pre-Health Professions Advising in the College of Arts and Sciences, the in-person program runs Aug. 3-21 and is limited to 24 students who meet eligibility criteria. Participants will receive intensive instruction in college algebra concepts and introductory general chemistry while building a cohort community that continues into the academic year.
Registration for the Thompson Scholars Program is now open at go.utc.edu/Thompson-Scholars. Applications will be accepted through Friday, May 1.
Theresa Blackman, assistant director of Pre-Health Student Services, said the program focuses on both academic preparation and confidence building.
“The Thompson Scholars Program is designed for students who demonstrate readiness for college-level math but need additional preparation to advance directly into calculus-level coursework and general chemistry,” Blackman said. “Eligible students must have an ACT math score between 19 and 22 and an intended pathway into professional health care programs.
“This program provides both math and chemistry instruction taught by UTC faculty and aims to demystify chemistry. A lot of students, especially those who’ve never had any interaction with chemistry, get so nervous that they walk into chemistry and have already set themselves up for failure. We help them understand what content will be covered and how to study at the college level.”
Students who complete the program and pass an exit exam may bypass College Algebra and be placed directly into Basic Calculus or Combined Precalculus, depending on their major. They will also move directly into General Chemistry I, keeping them on track in their pre-health coursework.
“Obviously, one of the big selling points for the program is you get to skip a math class,” Blackman said. “They’re able to directly place into chemistry, which they love, and they’re in chemistry with people they developed connections with over two weeks in the summer. It really sets them up for success.”
If a student does not pass the exit exam, they will enroll in College Algebra and a preparatory chemistry course while remaining in a shared cohort section for added support.
The program is open to both residential and commuter students. Residential participants will move into campus housing on Aug. 3. Daily sessions run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and students are expected to attend all sessions. The program includes 14 days of instruction, with the final three days focused on chemistry preparation.
“We’re also planning to offer a first-year experience section that will be tailored toward pre-health students,” Blackman said. “They’ll be able to continue that community that they’ve been building over the summer.”
Established by Polly Ann Thompson (’67) and her husband Richard, the Thompson Scholars Program was created to strengthen math and science readiness for students pursuing health care-focused degrees.
The couple saw an opportunity to make a lasting impact by helping future health care professionals build the foundational skills needed to succeed.
“I just wanted to do something for students,” Polly Ann Thompson said. “We’d like to help people get the type of advantages that we’ve gotten.”
Their gift supports instructional costs, housing subsidies and community-building activities, helping keep the student program fee at $110, which covers housing, program materials, activities and daily lunches.
The program does not provide college credit.
For more information, contact Theresa Blackman at [email protected] or visit the Soar to Success with the Thompson Scholars Program webpage.
