Health Science Preparation while in CLA
Preparation for a health science career begins with your undergraduate education. The Pre Med term is only a descriptive label. Students may choose a B.S. or B.A. degree in any area of study and also complete the prerequisite courses required for professional school.
Careers in the health professions demand more than just achievement in the life sciences. Maturity, compassion, leadership, ethical practice, integrity, communication skills, and knowledge of health care policy are essential for the health-care professional.
- Does a health career fit you? Visit the U of MN Twin Cities Health Careers Center for online exploratory course options.
- General guide of pre-requisites for professional school
- Get your bachelor's degree at UMD while preparing for various graduate programs through the U of MN Twin Cities campus.
- Review the U of MN system program application and prerequisite guides when considering professional or allied health programs such as Dentistry, Genetic Counseling, Medicine, Mortuary Science, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, Veterinary Medicine.
- Term by term sample schedule for health science: Philosophy major with biology minor
- Design your own major with the Interdisciplinary Studies BA. Within the major a pre-designed Medical Arts & Sciences plan is available.
Math placement requirement based on ACT score and how students are placed into the appropriate course.
Pre-Medicine
Preparation for medical, pharmacy, dental, optometry, or veterinary medicine school begins with your undergraduate education. Terms such as pre-medicine or pre-dental are only descriptive labels. Students may choose a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts in any area of study and also complete the prerequisite courses required for professional school.
Professional and health science graduate programs/schools usually require a set of prerequisite courses for admission. The prerequisite course requirements vary from profession to profession and from school to school, but most professional schools of medicine, veterinary medicine, pharmacy, optometry, physical therapy, occupational therapy, public health, and dentistry require or recommend a combination of the following courses:
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Professional School Prerequisite |
Possible Courses at UMD |
One year of Biology with lab |
General Biology I & II (BIOL 1011, BIOL 1012) |
One year of General Chemistry with lab |
General Chemistry I & II (CHEM 1153/1154 or 1155/1156) |
One semester or year of Organic Chemistry with lab |
Organic Chemistry I & IIÂ (CHEM 2541/2543) and (CHEM 2542/2544) |
Four semesters Life Sciences (biology, botany, biochemistry, chemistry, genetics, parasitology, physics & zoology) |
Also recommended: (two courses upper division) Biochemistry, ethics, genetics, microbiology/immunology, physics, psychology, seminar-type courses/small group discourse |
College level Math and Statistics |
Calculus I (MATH 1290 or 1296) Statistics (STAT 1411, 2411, 3411, 3611, ECON 2030, PSY 2020, or 3020) |
One year of English |
College Writing (WRIT 1120), Advanced Writing: Science (WRIT 3150) or English courses |
Behavioral Sciences, Humanities, and Social Sciences |
Courses from anthropology, arts, history, philosophy, psychology, sociology, etc. |
Often recommended courses depending upon professional school |
Anatomy, Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, Genetics, Microbiology, Physiology |