The goal of the pre-health advisory committee is to help students prepare for the admissions process to the very competitive professional schools in the health area.
If you plan to enter a health field, we will help you and track your progress beginning with your freshman year. You will meet periodically with one of the committee members to ensure you are on track academically and are aware of the non-academic qualifications necessary for your chosen field.
The most current source of information is in the pre-health advising manual for students, which includes provides general information and course lists for over 15 professions.
If you need more information after viewing the manual, please contact Dr. Jablonski in the biomedical science program (jablonski@lynchburg.edu).
You should select a major carefully. Non-science majors can be acceptable, as long as you have met the science requirements of the chosen field.
Suggested First Year Schedule
First year schedule for pre-dental, pre-medical, pre-optometry, pre-pharmacy, pre-physical therapy and pre-veterinary students:
| Fall | Spring |
|---|---|
| BIOL 113 or CHEM 111 | BIOL 114 or CHEM 112 |
| ENGL 123W | DELL 100 |
| COMM 101 | |
| MATH 102 or 103 | MATH 103 (if not taken in the fall) |
| General Education Elective | General Education Elective |
Pre-medical, pre-dental, pre-optometry, and pre-pharmacy students must have completed the biology, chemistry, and physics requirements by the end of their third year to be prepared for the MCAT, DAT, OAT, and PCAT tests.
Pre-Dental
Contact faculty: Dr. Jablonski, Dr. Freier, Dr. Blair, Dr. Terry
Pre-dental students normally complete an undergraduate degree and a program similar to pre-medical students before entering dental school. You should be familiar with the individual requirements of the dental schools, but generally, the requirements are similar to medical schools. You must have some experience in the field of dentistry through volunteer work or an internship.
You will apply to dental school between your junior and senior year through a centralized service. The Dental Admission Test is also required.
In addition to the general requirements, if you are pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree, you should complete courses in vertebrate anatomy, microbiology, biochemistry, and cell and molecular biology.
Pre-Medical (MD, DO, PA)
Contact faculty: Dr. Jablonski, Dr. Freier, Dr. Blair, Dr. Terry
Pre-medical students must complete an undergraduate degree before entering medical school. Admission is extremely competitive, so you should use all learning resources necessary to ensure your QPA remains very high. You must have significant volunteer, internship, or paid experience in the health field before applying.
You will apply to allopathic and osteopathic medical school between your junior and senior year through a centralized service. The Medical College Admission Test is also required.
The GRE is required for physician assistant programs.
In addition to the general admission prerequisites listed below, biochemistry is strongly recommended. Other suggested upper-level science electives include cell biology and vertebrate anatomy and physiology. One year of biology, 2 years of chemistry, and one year of physics must be completed by the end of your third year.
| Required Courses | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| BIOL 113, 114 | 8 |
| CHEM 111, 112 | 8 |
| CHEM 221, 222 | 8 |
| ENGL 123W | 3 |
| PHYS 161, 162 OR 141, 142 | 8 |
Pre-Optometry
Contact faculty: Dr. Jablonski, Dr. Freier, Dr. Blair, Dr. Terry
The requirements for admission to the schools and colleges of optometry vary. All optometry schools require at least 3 years of undergraduate coursework that must include the courses listed above for medical school.
The majority of students accepted to optometry schools have earned a bachelor’s degree. You should investigate the program requirements of the schools to which you are interested in applying for additional admissions prerequisites. Additional courses required by some schools include psychology, social science, microbiology, anatomy, and statistics. The Optometry Admission Test is required.
Pre-Pharmacy
Contact faculty: Dr. Jablonski, Dr. Freier, Dr. Blair, Dr. Terry
The amount of undergraduate pre-professional study accepted as transfer credit by a school of pharmacy varies. Many programs are phasing out the bachelor’s degree in pharmacy in favor of a graduate-level program for which an undergraduate degree is required.
You should consult the pharmacy schools of choice in order to plan your undergraduate program. The minimum requirements are similar to medical school. Other requirements often include microbiology, statistics, and economics.
Pre-Physical Therapy
Contact faculty: Dr. Blair
A major in one of the sciences or health and movement science with appropriate chosen electives is normally chosen. The admission prerequisites for physical therapy schools vary, but generally include one year of biology, chemistry, and physics with additional math and science electives, including anatomy and physiology, other biology electives, college algebra, and statistics. Admission is extremely competitive, so you should strive for a high QPA.
Pre-Physician Assistant
Contact faculty: Dr. Jablonski, Dr. Freier, Dr. Terry
Pre-Occupational Therapy
Contact faculty: Dr. Blair
Pre-Veterinary Medicine
Contact faculty: Dr. Jablonski, Dr. Freier, Dr. Blair, Dr. Terry
Due to the keen competitiveness for available positions, the variation in entrance requirements, and the limited choices of schools, careful and early planning must be a part of your preparation for and application to veterinary school. Veterinary schools require at least the number of courses as medical schools, but often include additional upper level biology electives and bio-chemistry.
