FAQ

What is “Prehealth”?

This jargon is short hand for: premed, predentistry, prevet, preoptometry, prepodiatry, and prechiropractic students. There is no prehealth major, rather a curricular program students follow to complete the requirements for entry into these professional schools upon graduation.

What do students need to do to qualify for admission into these professional schools? To be a qualified, competitive applicant, students must do the following:

  • Successfully complete their degree and major with an excellent record
  • Complete prerequisite courses with superior grades
  • Perform very well on admission tests
  • Compile a strong record of references and a Prehealth Committee Letter
  • Participate in sincere and sustained health related and service activities

Should a student major in Biology or at least a science?

Maybe! Students should major in the disciplines they truly enjoy. If it includes the prerequisite courses fine, if not they will take those courses in addition to their major. Professional schools want students skilled in science, but not exclusively.

What’s a prerequisite?

These are courses required for admission and also may be the basic preparation for the admission tests. Common to all these professions are four sciences and a year of English. The science courses include the following with a year of lab in each:

  • Biology
  • General Chemistry
  • Organic Chemistry
  • Physics

What if a student is waived out of the UB English requirements?

Students should take other higher level English courses of their choice to equal 2 semesters.

Which UB courses meet these prerequisite requirements?

Chemistry CHE 101-102, 105-106, or 107-108 10 credits
Organic Chemistry CHE 201-202 or 251-252 10 credits
Biology BIO 200-201 8 credits
Physics PHY 101-102 w/labs 151-152
PHY 107-108 or 117-118 w/lab 158		 9-10 credits
English ENG 101-201
(If any waived take 3 or 6 credits of English literature)		 6 credits
Mathematics MTH 121-122 OR 141-142 (Recommended) 8 credits
Is this all?

For medicine, dentistry, and podiatry it is. Optometry, veterinary, and chiropractic have additional requirements depending on the school:

  • Chiropractic: one course in Psychology
  • Optometry: Psychology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Statistics, Calculus and others
  • Veterinary: Biochemistry, Microbiology, Genetics, Nutrition and others
Couldn’t a student take BIO 129/130?

It is not recommended as sufficient preparation for admission tests or entrance into the professional schools.

When do students apply to these schools and what is “Early Assurance”?

Students hoping to attend after graduation usually apply in the Spring and Summer of their junior year, but senior year and later is appropriate for others. Very talented sophomores may apply to Early Assurance programs in Medicine and Dentistry if they have the following:

  • Medicine: 3.75 GPA overall and science, ½ the prereqs for UB; 3 of 4 for Syracuse; Prehealth Letter, SAT of 1400 required; strong record of volunteer service
  • Dentistry: 3.3 overall and science, 3 of 4 prerequisites & English; Prehealth Letter; strong record of dental volunteer experience

When do students take admissions tests?

They can take them as soon as they have the four basic prerequisites done, but the real answer is when they feel best prepared. Students hoping to start professional school the Fall after graduation should plan to be ready for the tests by the Spring of their junior year.

How many references do students need?

Students will need a minimum of 4 references, mostly academic and at least 2 in science. This is one of the requirements to apply for a Prehealth Committee Letter of evaluation. References can be obtained when a class is completed and need not wait till junior year when applying for the Letter. The Advisement Center retains references for 5 years until a student applies for a Letter.

How can they get them in these big science classes?

By asking!! We receive hundreds of letter each year, the majority from UB professors of large science courses. Students must take the steps to meet faculty at office hours and get to know them. This can feel pretty awkward at first, but it is part of the process and a measure of a student’s initiative.

What is the Prehealth Committee?

It is a very hard working 9-member faculty committee sponsored by the Vice Provost’s Office that assists students in gathering their references and providing a letter of evaluation. This letter and the individual references meet the professional school requirements for references.

Must a student have a Committee Letter?

Technically no! However, professional schools usually know which schools have committees and will ask a student why they do not have one?

Should a student give up on a professional health school if they got a bad grade in a prerequisite or had a really bad semester?

Not necessarily. It depends on why, how often, and what they have done since. Obviously, it doesn’t help to have such a record, but it is recoverable depending on the circumstances and the rest of the record. However, lots of good volunteering or references will not balance out a weak or so-so overall record.

Is it true that prehealth students should never “resign a class”?

No, but several will be a problem. A resignation especially early in the student’s career is not fatal. However students unable to do two sciences in one semester will not be as competitive.

What are the required GPA’s to get into professional health schools?

For better or worse there are no cut offs. The national average GPA’s for admitted students:

Medicine MD: 3.7 Overall/3.5 Science DO: 3.4 Overall/3.3 Science MCAT: 30 (Allopathic Schools), 25 (Osteopathic Schools)
Dentistry 3.4 Overall/3.3 Science DAT: 17 (Academic Average), 18 (Perceptual Aptitude)
Optometry 3.3 OAT: 310
Podiatry 3.2 MCAT: 21
Veterinary 3.6 (3.7 Cornell) GRE: 1320 (for Cornell)
Chiropractic 3.0 No test required

What should prehealth students remember?

  • Everything you do is a part of your permanent record so compile the record with which you will be proud to apply. Freshman year counts!
  • Pick a realistic program that will prepare you for your major and complete the prehealth prereqs. Not every student can do this in four years. Don’t get caught in the “I don’t want to get behind” syndrome. Speed won’t make up for weak grades.
  • Learn strategies to approach professors for references. Don’t wait until your junior year.
  • Participate in service and health related volunteer work or research from early on at UB. This cannot be done authentically in the semester before your application.
  • It is your job to become educated about your intended profession and how to qualify.
  • Attend at least one Prehealth Workshop each semester.

Where can a student find help with these questions?

See your academic advisor today to talk about your program at UB.


Last updated: July 05 2008 18:01:45.