Are you interested in becoming a doctor, dentist, vet, chiropractor, optometrist, or podiatrist? If so, keep listening for some great information on how the University at Buffalo Prehealth Advisement Center can help you prepare for one of these highly rewarding, highly competitive, professions. My name is Dalene Aylward and I am one of two full time Prehealth Academic Advisors at UB. I advise freshmen and sophomores, while Libby Morsheimer advises juniors, seniors, students who have completed their bachelor’s degrees, international students, and the freshmen and sophomores specifically applying to our Early Assurance Programs and Combined Degree Dental Program. But more on these later! I should mention that Libby and I assist students with preparation for only the following four year professional health schools: Medical Dental Veterinary Chiropractic Podiatry, and Optometry UB has other offices on campus that assist students with the preparation for Exercise Science, Occupational and Physical Therapy, Nursing, Pharmacy, and other health professions. So if you’re asking yourself, “Do I have what it takes?”, “How do I know if this is really for me?”, and “How do I get started?” there are two things you can begin doing now. First, make sure to take science courses such as Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, and second, spend a lot of time in relevant settings. All these professional health schools are highly competitive and becoming more so each year. Having superior grades is critical to your success. There is no substitute for excellence in your academic performance. Believe it or not, for your undergraduate degree you can choose any major you want! You do not even have to choose a science major. If you are undecided at this point that’s okay as well, as you will have general education courses and basic science and math prerequisite courses to complete for the professional health schools. Health prerequisites that you will need are: 2 semesters of Biology 2 semesters of Chemistry 2 semesters of Organic Chemistry 2 semesters of Physics and 2 semesters of Calculus, all with labs. Professional health schools also want to see 2 semesters of English. These courses have several purposes: to prepare you for admission exams, prepare you for entrance to the professional health schools, and to use as a basis to compare your grades to the other applicants! Libby and I, along with your departmental advisor, can help you choose which courses are best suited for you. Further, students preparing for optometry, chiropractic medicine, and veterinary medicine will have additional requirements. Additional recommended courses for all the professional health schools include anatomy, physiology, and genetics, among others, and UB has all of these courses to help prepare you for your future! Research can greatly enhance your application, and as an undergraduate at a large research university you will have a multitude of opportunities to get involved if you are interested. When it comes time to apply, we have a Prehealth Committee specifically designed to aid in the application process and the gathering letters of recommendation, for all UB students who wish to apply to these professional health schools. For those students who are very talented, we have special admission programs to the university’s School of Medicine and School of Dental Medicine. Our Early Assurance Programs are for college sophomores. To apply to the Medical School, students must have a 1400 high school SAT, half the prerequisite courses completed with a 3.75 GPA overall, and have a letter from the Prehealth Committee. To apply to the Dental School, students must have 75% of the prerequisites completed with a 3.5 GPA overall and have a letter from the Prehealth Committee. Students who apply and are accepted to these programs must meet several other requirements, including maintaining a highly competitive GPA to remain in the program. Our 3+4 Combined Degree Dental Program is an accelerated program offered in conjunction with the Biology Department. Students complete 3 years of undergraduate work instead of 4, specifically in Biology, before entering and completing the 4 years in the Dental School. Students can apply to this program in 3 ways: in high school with at least a 92 GPA and 1200 SAT, or as a college sophomore or a junior on a space available basis, with at least a 3.5 GPA. These students will also need a letter from the Prehealth Committee. It should be noted that students may only apply once to this program. Just as with the Early Assurance Programs, students who apply and are accepted to the Combined Degree Program will have several other requirements, including maintaining a highly competitive GPA and attaining at least 100 hours of clinical experience. If you are currently a high school student, here are some ways that you can further your chances of future success: Be sure to take at least one year of Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. Take at least 4 years of Mathematics. If you can fit electives into your schedule, take them! Professional health schools like to see broadly educated applicants. And finally, begin community service volunteering, shadowing and getting clinical experiences in health-related settings. Your own practitioner’s office is a great place to start! Also, do not let “senioritis” get the best of you. Continue to do your best throughout your years in high school and in college. Every grade counts! So why should you apply to UB if you’re a potential prehealth student? Our services for you include: Personal appointments with one of the two full-time prehealth advisors A multitude of workshops offered every semester Several Prehealth Student-run clubs A comprehensive Prehealth site with our blog “The Prehealth Bulletin”, updated daily A Prehealth Resource Area UB Medical and Dental School tours Information sessions with outside speakers And a Prehealth Committee designed to assist you in the professional application process Visit our site for more information on all of our services: www.prehealth.buffalo.edu. See the “Getting Started” link for frequently asked questions and tips for high school students, parents, and school counselors. Be sure to look for Libby and I at UB Admissions events such as Open House, Preview Day, and the Discovery Days. We look forward to helping you plan your professional health career!