Pre Health Programs

Welcome pre-health/pre-med students! This website is designed to provide you with all of the information you need to prepare for graduate programs in health fields. This site contains important information about all of the pre-health pathways (course work related to your desired graduate degrees), sample four year plans, and an overview of the process for applying to graduate programs. In addition you’ll find meeting announcements, volunteer opportunities, and advising times each semester.

The Pre-health Programs Committee is excited to announce a newly established scholarship for WCSU pre-medical students! The Kathleen S. Mauks, M.D. Scholarship will be awarded to a female graduate of WCSU who has been accepted and will attend a 4-year medical school in the United States.  The scholarship amount (TBD) will be spread over 4 years.  Please contact the pre-med advisor (giamancok@wcsu.edu) for information about this amazing opportunity.

Additionally the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities has partnered with the United Health Foundation, the philanthropic foundation of UnitedHealth Group, to offer 110 Diversity in Health Care Scholarships in the amount of $5,000 per year ($2,500 per semester). The deadline is May 1st, 2024. More information here https://www.hacu.net

Dr. Helena Prieto from the Department of Chemistry,  Dr. Kristin Giamanco, from the Department of Biology and Dr. Emily Stevens, from the Department of Health Promotion and Exercise serve as pre-health professions advisors at Western. They can help you prepare for graduate study in any of these health-related fields (and others):

Dr. Giamanco advises students in the pre-med, pre-dental, pre-vet track and pre-optometry tracks.

Dr. Prieto advises students in the pre-PA, pre-pharmacy, pre-genetic counseling, pre-podiatry and pre-chiropractic tracks.

Dr. Stevens advises students in the pre-PT, pre-OT and pre-AT tracks.

 

While this site is designed to be comprehensive, we urge you to see your advisor often. It is a good idea to set up a meeting with your pre-health advisor right away so you can develop your graduate school plans from the start of your undergraduate career.

Click through the Pathway links to get an idea of the course requirements appropriate for your plans. There’s also a list of FAQ to help you understand some of the other steps along the way. There are sample four year plans to help you understand the commitment you must make to prepare for a healthcare career. While these are helpful samples, be sure to talk to your advisor about the best process for you. In some cases, you may wish to take some of your courses during the summer to be sure that you have ample time to study and are able to maintain a strong GPA.

There is no “pre-health” major at WCSU, though students can designate a pre-health pathway upon entering Western. For many students the biology major or the chemistry major with a biology minor or biochemistry option are programs whose requirements include many, if not all, of the courses needed for admission to these schools. For most programs, however, students may major in any subject, provided they complete the pre-requisite coursework.

Admission to all of these programs is competitive. In addition to looking at GPA and performance on standardized tests (MCAT, DAT, GRE, PCAT, OAT) programs are looking for well-rounded students whose extracurricular activities demonstrate a knowledge of and interest in their desired profession

Not sure what health-related field you want to go into?

There are many different fields within the health professions that could provide a satisfying career, some of which you might never have heard of or considered. These could include fields such as speech pathology, public health, occupational therapy, anesthesiology assistant, etc. It is important to fully explore your career options to see what would be an appropriate fit for your strengths and interests. An excellent website is www.explorehealthcareers.org which lists many different professions, describes the average salary, daily working conditions, degree or education requirements, and has links to programs. It is always good to have a few different fields in mind.