Students planning health professions careers should understand that most require post-graduate training, and many are master's degree or doctoral level programs. Consult a pre-professional advisor early in your college career. Plan to apply to graduate programs in the summer or fall of the year before you plan to begin the program. Do not wait until just before the deadline to apply-- apply close to the earliest time the school or application service accepts applications. Investigate the web sites for programs that are of interest to you to make sure that you take the prerequisite courses required--programs at different schools may require different courses.
Veterinary Medicine (graduate program)
Pre-veterinary students should consult a knowledgeable major advisor early in their college career, since required courses should be complete at the time of application to veterinary school. Minimum course requirements include a year of biology, two years of chemistry (inorganic or general and organic), and a year of physics, all with laboratories. Pre-vet students should plan to work with a veterinarian to gain experience while they are in college (and/or high school!). This can be paid or unpaid, but should include exposure to as many aspects of animal medicine as possible. Such experience is critical for admission to veterinary school and also provides a potential source for a required letter of evaluation from a veterinarian.
Residents of Illinois usually attend the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine (Urbana/Champaign, IL), which has a web page at http://www.cvm.uiuc.edu/admissions/. This web page has very complete information about admission requirements. (Residents of states that have a state College of Veterinary Medicine are less likely to be accepted by a veterinary school of a different state.)
Students apply to the UIUC CVM through the VMCAS application service (information available at http://www.aavmc.org/). The standardized admission test is now the GRE.
Optometry (graduate program)
The requirements for admission to the schools and colleges of optometry vary, but students wishing to study optometry should be certain to take at least a year of biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, general physics, and microbiology; English; college mathematics; and other social science and humanities courses. The science courses should be pre-professional level courses designed for science majors or health professional students and should offer laboratory experience. Brief survey courses in the sciences will not prepare you for optometry school. Be sure to consult with the pre-optometry advisor at your school or an advisor at the school or college of optometry that you plan to attend.
Most programs require the OAT as an admissions test. Further information is available from the Association of School and Colleges of Optometry (web page: http://www.opted.org) and the American Academy of Optometry (web page: http://www.aaopt.org).
Podiatry (graduate program)
Although the requirements for admission to the schools and colleges of podiatry vary, students wishing to study podiatry should be certain to take at least 8 to 12 semester hours of biology, 8 semester hours of general chemistry, 8 semester hours of organic chemistry, 8 semester hours of general physics, and 6 semester hours of English. Other courses required may include biochemistry, genetics, comparative anatomy, college math, and social science and humanities courses. The science courses should be pre-professional level courses designed for science majors or health professional students and should offer laboratory experience. Brief survey courses in the sciences will not prepare you for podiatry school. Be sure to consult with the pre-podiatry advisor at your school or an advisor at the school or college of podiatry that you plan to attend.
Most podiatry schools require the MCAT or GRE as an admissions test. Further information is available from the American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine (web page: http://www.aacpm.org/).
Physician Assistant Programs (graduate program)
Many PA programs require health care experience before admission. Most PA programs require a year of chemistry (with labs), a year of physics (with labs), and a year of biology, but some specify anatomy and physiology, or zoology, or microbiology in addition to general biology. Some programs specify abnormal psychology, some developmental psychology, and some just one year of psychology and one other social/behavioral science course (but make sure what they mean by social science!). In math, a few require calculus, but most require college algebra and trigonometry, plus statistics. Most programs require the GRE as an admissions test; application is made through CASPA (web page: http://www.caspaonline.org/). Further information is available from the American Academy of Physician Assistants web page at http://www.aapa.org/ .
Physical Therapy Programs (graduate program)
Most PT programs are now master's or doctoral level graduate programs. Admission to PT programs often requires abnormal psychology, developmental psychology, or other psychology/behavioral science courses. Most require a year of chemistry (with labs), a year of physics (with labs), and a year of biology, but some specify anatomy and physiology, or zoology, or microbiology in addition to general biology. In math, a few programs require calculus, but most require college algebra and trigonometry, plus statistics. Supervised and documented clinical experiences in physical therapy are usually required. Most programs require the GRE as an admissions test. Further information is available from the American Physical Therapy Association web page at https://www.apta.org/.
Medical Technology (an undergraduate program)
The medical technology specialization of the biology major is a bachelor's degree program specially designed to prepare students to become registered medical technologists. The student's preparation must meet the requirements not only of the major, but also the requirements for admission to a School of Medical Technology clinical training program and the NAACLS (ASCP) requirements to sit for the Board of Registry Examination in Medical Technology. The specialization consists of at least three years of academic work followed by a year of clinical training in a hospital-based School of Medical Technology that is affiliated with SIUE. The required course sequences in biology (eight courses) and chemistry (general/inorganic and organic) must be begun as a first semester freshman in order to assure completion in three years. If the chemistry sequence in particular is started later, more than three years will be required. Admission to clinical training is competitive, based on application, grades, recommendations, and an interview. During clinical training, the student is enrolled at SIUE and receives credit toward graduation for the hours earned.
Other Health Professions
Other opportunities in health care include occupational therapy, forensic science, genetic counseling, perfusion technology, diagnostic medical sonography, pharmacy, audiology, and clinical laboratory science. Graduate schools of public health include specialties in epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health, health education, health administration, nutrition, occupational safety and health, maternal and child health, genomics, and health law.
More information is available from Dr. Christina Wilson, Department of Biological Sciences, SIUE (email: cbwilso@siue.edu, web page: http://www.siue.edu/~cbwilso/)