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Tips For Students Considering a Medical or
other Health Career
Choosing a Major
Although traditionally most premedical and pre-health
professional students have chosen majors in biological
sciences, you may choose any major.
Courses Required by Professional Health Schools
In addition to fulfilling the General Education Requirements
and those of your major department, you must complete the
following basic science prerequisites to be eligible for
admission to most professional schools:
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Biol
106 and 107 (general biology) |
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Chem
105 and 106 (general chemistry) |
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Chem
345* |
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MBios
301 (introductory genetics) |
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MBios
303 (biochemistry) |
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Phys
101 and 102 or 201 and 202 (physics) |
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Math
140 or 171 (calculus) are also recommended. |
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*Some professional school may require Chem
346 & 348
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The
B.S. Biology is designed with these requirements in
mind. |
A few
professional schools have different or additional
requirements; students are encouraged to seek up-to-date
admissions information at each professional school's
website.
These courses
can be completed in the first two years if you start with
Biol 106 and Chem 105 in your first semester. Transfer
students need only to take the courses they are lacking from
the above to fulfill the basic science prerequisites.
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Highly
Recommended Electives |
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The
following science electives are especially
recommended: |
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Biol 321: Animal
Development |
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Biol 350: Comparative
Physiology |
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MBioS 360: Cell &
Molecular Laboratory |
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MBioS 440: Immunology |
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MBioS
302: Microbiology |
Personal
Growth and Development Goals
In addition to completing degree requirements and the basic
science prerequisites, you must attain several important
goals of personal growth and development to become an
effective health care professional. Evidence of failure to
set or to achieve these goals will decrease your chances of
admission to professional schools.
Become a Good Communicator
Your first goal is to become very effective at assimilating
and analyzing verbal information and at written and spoken
communication. English 101 is but a step toward this goal.
An additional English composition course is strongly
suggested. You will continue to acquire and refine these
communication skills as you prepare assignments and class
presentations in the courses in your major area.
Appreciate Other Cultures
Your second goal is to understand your own history and
culture and also those of the other major ethnic groups that
make up the U.S. society. People with different social and
cultural backgrounds will ultimately be your patients, and
you must be ready to treat them with tolerance and
understanding. A “knowledge of and exposure to the needs of
individuals and society” is one of the specific admissions
criteria at the University of Washington School of Medicine.
The General Education Requirement courses are first steps to
this goal, but you should also consider Comparative Ethnic
Studies and Women’s Studies courses. Study abroad can give
you a broader cultural perspective. We strongly encourage
students to study overseas for a semester or full academic
year. Information about study-abroad opportunities can be
obtained from Student Services or by calling (360) 546-9567.
Recognize the Challenges of a Health Career
Your third goal is to understand and accept the demands and
sacrifices, as well as the rewards, of a career in medicine
or dentistry. For example, “awareness of health care
delivery systems” is another stated admission criterion at
the University of Washington Medical School. Talking to your
own doctor or dentist is the first step. WSU Vancouver
students are fortunate to have multiple opportunities for
shadowing, volunteering, and internships at local hospitals
and clinics in the Vancouver/Portland Metro area.
Listen and Empathize
Your last goal is to become the kind of person whom patients
can readily and safely trust and confide in. You must have a
sympathetic grasp of the feelings of people younger and
older than yourself, or those of the opposite sex and of
those less capable than you. You can work toward this goal
through elective courses in Psychology, Sociology, and
Women’s Studies, and through any work, volunteer service or
activity that involves people skills. Personal integrity and
a well-developed ethical perspective are essential.
Admissions Tests
The MCAT, DAT, PCAT, GRE
Good scores on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT),
Dental Aptitude Test (DAT), Pharmacy College Admissions Test
(PCAT), Graduate Record Exam (GRE), taken in April or August
the year before matriculation (entering professional school) will be a critical
element of your success at application time. You should see
each basic science course as part of your preparation for
the test.
The Application Process
Application to professional schools begins with the filing
of a standardized application form in the summer of the year
before matriculation (entering professional school). The first cut of applicants is
made at this stage. Those who pass this cut receive
supplemental applications from the institutions at which
they are successful. In the second cut, applicants are
screened to determine which ones will receive invitations to
be interviewed. In the last cut, interviewed applicants are
screened for admission.
Acceptance Rates into Professional Schools
In the U.S., professional schools in the health professions
are probably the most difficult professions to enter. For
example, at the University of Washington medical school,
about half of all in-state applicants are interviewed and
about 1/4 of the interviewed applicants are accepted, for a
success rate of 1/5. At the University of Washington dental
school, the acceptance rate is about 1/10 for in-state
applicants.
We Help You Prepare
WSU Vancouver Science Programs faculty provide academic
advising, information about the requirements and
characteristics of professional schools, other support (such
as mock interviews), and a composite letter of
recommendation for each applicant. If you are serious about
preparing for one of these professions, we will provide
objective support at every step of the process.
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