Frequently Asked Questions

It will take approximately two years to complete all pre-requisites and some upper division science courses. However, most students continue taking additional upper division classes once they apply to professional school during the "glide year".

Prehealth classes typically have about 20-30 students and laboratory classes have about 20-25 students.

Please refer to the Course Information Section for a general list of required and recommended courses. You must consult with a preprofessional advisor to be sure that the course(s) will meet admission requirements of the professional schools. It is recommended that student with little science preparation may wish to take introductory or non-major science courses before undertaking more challenging pre-requisites.

No, but you will need copies of transcripts to prove you have already taken those courses. Generally, the rule of thumb is: if you have grades of C or better, do not repeat these basic science classes - take additional upper division classes in the same discipline.

It is recommended that student retake any pre-requisite courses where they received a grade of C- and below. It is more important to take more upper division classes and show an upward trend in GPA than to retake classes in which you received a C. Repeating courses you passed with a C or above is considered lack of proper judgment viewed negatively by most schools.

No. Professional schools prefer broadly trained applicants utilizing a variety of skills in different academic disciplines. Our program has students majoring in sociology, English, computer science, history, business, and the sciences. However, it is important to complete your science pre-requisites with the best possible grades. Additionally, many schools require a minimum number of units in the liberal arts in addition to your science classes.

Please refer to PHAPSA Community Service.

There is never a time when you will have enough volunteer hours. It is recommended that pre-health students have at least 40 hours of volunteering or shadowing. The more time you can show volunteering, the more seriously you will be taken as a committed applicant. Some programs like veterinary have a minimum hour's requirement. Students are advised to visit the appropriate websites or contact the respective schools for updated information on requirements.

Most professional schools want academic competence as reflected by grades over the years, plus the appropriate entrance exam. If your grades show some degree of mastery of the sciences, they will consider you competitive enough for consideration. Usually, we recommend to our prehealth students to ensure their GPAs are very close to 3.30 and above. We also recommend test scores about the national average if possible. (502 and above for the MCAT; 20 and above for DAT and at least 300 in OAT)

It is always a good sign when a student is invited for an interview. It indicates that professional schools are seriously considering you for possible admission. In fact, many schools believe that applicants talk themselves out of possible admission during the interview! As such plan accordingly. We usually do mock interviews in the program office by appointment (mock interviews for prehealth students are also available at the Career Development Center) and we provide pertinent feedback immediately afterward.