Pre-Health FAQ
As you pursue a career in a professional health field, you鈥檙e bound to have questions about the process. Here are some of the most asked questions from students. If you have additional questions, you can set up an appointment with an adviser.
Students planning to apply to optometry school often major in biology but you can choose any major that allows you to complete the prerequisite courses you鈥檒l need.
While you can choose any major or degree, the standard requirements for admission to most dental schools include courses in biology, chemistry and physics, including lectures and labs in each area. If you don鈥檛 major in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, neuroscience or biomedical engineering, it鈥檚 strongly recommended that you minor in biology.
Students interested in attending veterinary school can choose any major but commonly focus on subjects like biology, math, physics and chemistry. Colleges of veterinary medicine also encourage applicants to take classes like animal reproduction, anatomy, genetics and statistics as part of their curriculum.
You鈥檙e not required to take biology courses beyond BIOL 1260/1265 but most health-professional schools recommend high-level biology courses.
Don鈥檛 enroll in a lower-level math course to raise your GPA. Professional health admissions committees look beyond the GPA to the rigor of the coursework. Instead, if you鈥檝e already taken Calculus I, you should take Calculus II or Statistics.
Consider taking Introduction to the Helping Professions (PPHS 1020) to see what other careers may be right for you. Career Services can also help you figure out your next steps.