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2000-2001 Catalog |
Pre-Medical Sciences
The pre-medical sciences program provides the basic training students require for careers in dentistry, medicine, veterinary medicine, optometry, and podiatry.
Students may select any major as a field of study which must include specific preprofessional courses. When selecting a major consider that your undergraduate years may be your last opportunity to pursue in depth a nonscience subject of interest. Professional schools are most concerned with the overall quality, scope and difficulty of undergraduate work.
Preprofessional courses are designed to provide a strong foundation in the sciences, highly developed communicative skills and a solid background in the social sciences and humanities. The curriculum guide outlined below conforms to the minimal course requirements established by professional schools.
The minimal requirements should be completed by the end of the third year of study or prior to taking the admission test required by professional schools. Since specific subject requirements vary among institutions, students should discuss their academic plans with a pre-medical sciences advisor. Individuals with weak math and science preparation should consider a five year undergraduate program beginning with remedial courses in math, English, and reading skills.
Admission to a professional school is very competitive. Students must maintain a B-plus grade-point average in college if they expect to be admitted. All required courses must be taken for letter grades. In addition, the applicant must place high on an admissions test which has been designed to measure basic academic ability in the natural sciences, reading ability and problem solving skills. The examinations are given twice a year, usually in the spring and autumn, and ordinarily is taken during the junior year.
Besides their academic accomplishments and admission exam scores, acceptance by a professional school is also dependent upon letters of recommendation by the University's pre-professional advisory committee and personal interviews conducted by the professional school. It is important that students consult with their pre-medical sciences advisor and with their major advisor each year to make sure that he or she can satisfy the necessary requirements for graduation within the time available. The advisor can also discuss procedures, counsel and support the student during the process of applying to a professional school.
High School Preparation: High school students contemplating a pre-medical sciences program should have three to four years of mathematics, several years of a modern foreign language, experience in chemistry and considerable background in literature and social science.
Suggested Course of Study
Dentistry, Medicine, Osteopathy, Optometry, Podiatry, Veterinary Medicine
First Year A S
BIOL 101N-102N Principles of
Biology and Laboratory 4 -
BIOL 103N-104N Diversity of Life
and Laboratory - 5
CHEM 161N-162N College Chemistry and
Laboratory 5 5
COMM 111A Introduction to Public Speaking - 3
ENEX 101 Composition 3 -
*MATH 117 Probability and Linear Mathematics 3 -
*MATH 121 Precalculus - 4
*Students placing into MATH 150, Applied Calculus, should take calculus instead of MATH 117 and 121.
Second Year
BIOL 221-222 Cell and Molecular Biology and
Laboratory 5 -
BIOL 223 Genetics & Evolution - 4
CHEM 221-222, 223-224 Organic Chemistry
and Laboratory 5 5
MATH 241 Statistics - 4
Third Year
PHYS 121-122N General Physics or 221N-222N 5 5
Specific additional requirements:
Students also must satisfy the University's General Education requirements and specific requirements for a major. Biochemistry (BIOC 380 or 481-482) and microbiology (MICB 300-301) are required by most dental and veterinary medicine schools. Some medical schools require calculus and many recommend an upper-division course in biochemistry. Substituting CHEM 151N-152N for CHEM 161N-162N is not recommended and may jeopardize admission to professional school.
Highly recommended courses:
BIOL 301 Developmental Biology, 3 cr.
BIOL 460 Medical Physiology, 3 cr.
CHEM 370 Physical Chemistry for the Life Sciences, 3 cr.