...
Clinical Health Program Pre-requisites
Entrance exams
DAT: dental admission exam. Competitive DAT = 20 or higher
MCAT: pre-med and option for physician assistant (PA). Competitive MCAT, med-school = 507 or higher; Osteopathy = 502
GRE: PA and some direct entry MS NURSING programs and most Doctor/Nursing Practice programs
GPA requirement (competitive, vs. minimum). Science grades should all be a B- or better
Pre-med: 3.7 CUM GPA, 3.5 science GPA
Physician assistant: 3.6 CUM GPA, 3.5 science GPA
Dental: 3. 5 CUM GPA, 3.4 science GPA
Osteopathy: 3.5 CUM GPA
Nursing: 3.5 CUM GPA, 3.4 science GPA
Physical Science and Math requirements. Science courses must include a lab. Medical and physician assistant programs want these courses to be taken at a 4-year school and during the academic year (vs. summers)
- Pre-med and dental: General Biology I and II, General Chemistry I and II, Organic Chemistry I and II, General Physics (algebra based is OK) I and II, Biochemistry I; additional BIO is desirable (genetics, cell biology); Statistics I and calculus
- Physician assistant: General Biology I and II, General Chemistry I and II, Organic Chemistry I or Biochemistry I, Anatomy & Physiology I and II, Microbiology I. Some schools require additional BIO (genetics, cell biology); Statistics I ; medical language (some schools allow non-credit courses)
- Nursing: Anatomy & Physiology I and II (at SU, must take general BIO 1st), Microbiology, Lifespan Psychology (SU does not offer), Statistics I; many schools require at least one semester of general chemistry
Minors/double majors: pre-medicine and physician assistant student profiles are enhanced by completing a minor in biology or chemistry or a second major in Biology BA or Neuroscience (with focus on biology course options)
Patient Care experience: highly desirable for pre-med and pre-dental; required for physical asst. Options: summer employment – medical asstassistant, EMT, medical scribe ….
Research experience: highly desirable for pre-med
Leadership experience: highly desirable for pre-med and physician asstassistant
Gap years: the average age of entry to medical school is 24 years. Pre-clinical health students may take 1-2 years post-UG degree to strengthen their admission portfolio. Applicants may gain further clinical health experience, retake science coursework (nursing), completing a graduate degree (biomedical sciences, MPH), participating in research. Post-BACC programs are discouraged – these are expensive, may offer scholarships but no state or federal loan eligibility, award no additional degree, and entrance to medical school rates are low.
...
Syracuse University Health Professions Advising: pre-med and pre-clinical health students should register with this program. The program provides advise on medical and dental school admission potential, ways to strengthen the portfolio, MCAT and DAT preparation, and provides committee letters of recommendation.
Nursing program options
Accelerated BSN and MSN Nursing Programs (information and find a program link). There is no standard nomenclature for naming NUR programs. Searching for programs can be confusing.
- Accelerated, second degree – BSN (scholarships may be avail, but no loan or FA)
- Direct entry MS NURSING program: eligible for RN licensure. Training for nursing general practice and clinical nurse leader. Pathway to DNP: Doctor of Nursing practice – advanced practice degrees (NP, CNA, nurse midwife)
- Direct entry DNP
- Accelerated BSN/MS NURSING programs eligible for RN and advanced practice (ie: NP) licensure. Few programs exist. Examples: Yale GEPN and Simmon’s University NUR Direct entry
...
- Students who choose pre-clinical health later (sophomore year) have a considerable amount of catch-up work
- Study abroad: summer options exist for physician asst and pre-med and full-semester for nursing
- The science sequence should follow as described.
- Fill in with LA requirements and PHP courses. CORE courses ideally should be completed prior to PHP 422 (internship). PHP 219, PHP 221, & PHP 223 should be completed by 2nd semester sophomore year.
- Aim: 16 – 18 credits/semester
- Service learning courses (PHP 221, PHP 309, PHP 310, PHP 304 – if CHE conc): Only 1 course per semester
- MCAT: all science courses must be completed prior
- Health ethics: students should take a HUM health ethics course (for example: PHI 398). The course will meet a HUM requirement vs. elective
Pre-Med/pre-Dental, 4 year plan. Science and Math Sequences
Year 1: BIO 121, BIO 123 + 124, CHE 106 + 107, CHE 116 + 117
Year 2: CHE 275 + 276, CHE 325 + 326. Highly recommended: BIO 326 and 327
Year 3: MAT 121 (fall), MAT 285 (spring), PHY 101, PHY 102, BCM 475 (fall only). Spring: study for MCAT. MCAT: schedule May/June, summer. Apply to med school: summer
Year 4: complete PHP CORE fall. PHP 422: Spring
Pre Med/pre-Dental, 4 year plan with gap year. Science and Math Sequences
Year 1: BIO 121, BIO 123 + 124, CHE 106 + 107, CHE 116 + 117
Year 2: CHE 275 + 276, CHE 325 + 326. Highly recommended: BIO 326 (cell bio) and 327 (genetics)
Year 3: MAT 121 (fall), MAT 285 (spring), PHY 101, PHY 102
Year 4: BCM 475 (fall only). PHP 422: Spring. Spring: study for MCAT. MCAT: schedule May/June, summer. Apply to med school: summer
Gap year: strengthen portfolio (1 year graduate degree in biomedical science or PH, research,
Physician Assistant
Year 1: BIO 121, BIO 123 + 124, CHE 106 + 107, CHE 116 + 117
Year 2: CHE 275 + 276, CHE 325 + 326. Highly recommended: BIO 326 and 327
Year 3: MAT 121 (fall), MAT 122 (spring), BIO 216 (anat/phys 1) , BIO 217 (anat/phys 2)
Year 4: PHP 422 Fall), BIO 409 (micro) Spring. HFS 326 Comm/Medical terminology
Nursing
Year 1: BIO 121, BIO 123 + 124, CHE 106 + 107, CHE 116 + 117
Year 2: BIO 216 (anat/phys 1) and BIO 217 (anat/phys 2)
Year 3: MAT 121 (fall), MAT 122 (spring), BIO 216 (anat/phys 1) , BIO 217 (anat/phys 2)
Year 4: PHP 422 Fall), BIO 409 (micro) Spring
[lifespan psychology in summer year 2 or year 3. Most schools require this course and SU does not offer]
...