The Premedical/Prehealth Concentration helps prepare students academically for entry into medical, dental, veterinary, and certain other health-related professional programs. The Concentration includes 36 credits: one year of biology with lab, one year of general chemistry with lab, one year of organic chemistry with lab, one year of physics with lab, and one course in statistics. Along with these standard requirements, prerequisites for professional programs typically include 1 or 2 courses in English, the humanities, and social science. It should be noted that prerequisites vary by individual schools, so careful research and planning are required of each prehealth student.
Students interested in pursuing graduate education in health fields such as nursing, physical therapy, physician assistant, athletic training, occupational therapy, and genetic counseling will not benefit from pursuing the Concentration because there tends to be considerable variance in requirements across these programs. These students, as well as Concentration students, will work closely with prehealth advisors to plan the appropriate coursework necessary for strong preparation in their chosen field.
For premedical and predental students, additional coursework is necessary to do well on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) or the Dental Admissions Test (DAT) and to be prepared for the rigors of medical or dental school. The Prehealth Advising Office recommends that premedical students also take the following: Cell Biology (BIO 210), Genetics (BIO 220), Principles of Physiology (BIO 360), Biochemistry (CHE 341), Introduction to Sociology (SOA 100) and Introduction to Psychology (PSY 105). Predental students are advised to take Biochemistry (CHE 341), Anatomy (BIO 261) and Principles of Physiology (BIO 360) as additional coursework.
A prehealth student may choose any major or individualized major provided they meet all prerequisites for the schools to which they apply. Many students interested in pursuing a healthcare field major in the sciences because of their intellectual curiosity in this area, and the course requirements for medical/dental/veterinary school align well with a biology, biochemistry/molecular biology, or chemistry major. Nationwide, only 68% of people in medical schools major in the sciences, with 32% majoring in the humanities, social sciences, or other non-science areas.
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