Orientation

First-Year Registration Advice for Students interested in the Health Professions

Students interested in health professions (human medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, nursing, public health, pharmacy, etc.) have many curricular options. Although there are certain courses students must take to prepare for the MCAT exam or to be considered for admission to health science post-graduate programs, pre-health students can major in any discipline, not just the natural sciences. Detailed information about pre-health programs and the support Allegheny provides for pre-health students can be found at http://sites.allegheny.edu/health. Students interested in pre-health professions should arrange to meet with the pre-health advising staff in ACCEL early in their first year to discuss their specific interests.

If you are a pre-health student, you should focusing on enrolling in courses that are intrinsically interesting to you while adhering to the following guidelines:

 

1. Take a sequence of two math courses your first year.

a.       If you placed into Math 160 or higher, take Math 160 or the higher level course into which you have been placed.

b.      If you placed into Math 159 or lower, and if you are interested in majoring in biochemistry, chemistry, computer science, geology, mathematics, or physics, take Math 159 in the fall followed by Math 160 in the Spring. If you are not interested in one of those majors, Math 157 followed by Math 158 in the spring is a good alternative. Math 157-158 meets requirements for a biology or environmental science major, but it will not prepare you for a major in mathematics, computer science, or the physical sciences: biochemistry, chemistry, geology, and physics.

 

2. Begin the introductory chemistry sequence your first year.

a.       If you placed into Math 160 or higher and are considering a major in biology, biochemistry, or chemistry, take introductory chemistry in the fall. If you are not interested in majoring in these areas and there are other fall courses that interest you more, you may defer chemistry to the spring.

b.      If you placed into Math 159 or lower, take Chemistry 110 in the spring of your first year if you earn a C or higher in your fall Math course. If you do not earn at least a C in your fall math course, talk to your advisor or the professional staff in ACCEL about other scheduling options.

 

3. Begin the biology sequence with Biology 220 sometime in your first two years. Most pre-health students will take Bio 220 the semester after completing introductory chemistry.

 

4. Take English 200 at some point during your first two years. English 200 is a requirement for medical schools, and we recommend that you complete it no later than the end of your sophomore year. Earlier might be better. Many first and second year students find that a literature course (English 200) provides welcome variety to their schedule, which is often heavily weighted in the sciences.

 

*Consider taking English 200 early on in your program.