Veterinary Degrees Online

The program in Zoology provides a vigorous background in the fundamental aspects of animal biology while allowing flexibility in planning the direction of specialization for student majors. Students plan their program in consultation with a faculty advisor and can select courses from several departments within the college (School of Biology & Ecology, Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology & Molecular Biology, Department of Plant, Soil, and Environmental Sciences, Department of Wildlife Ecology, School of Marine Sciences). The emphasis of student programs can include preparation for the health professions and range from the molecular and cellular levels through development and physiology to the evolutionary and ecological levels.
UMaine offers students many opportunities to participate in research in faculty laboratories. These include student independent research for course credit, research for a capstone or an honors thesis, and paid work. In addition, students can hold a variety of internships off campus. The UMaine Career Center provides many resources to help students find such internships.
Career Opportunities
There are many opportunities for employment of zoologists at the state and national levels in the health professions, and the fields of education, ecology, and agricultural science. Some of these positions require only a bachelors degree, but many require graduate study at a university or professional school. Opportunities are available in the private sector (health care, biotechnology, consulting), federal and state government (research labs, environmental monitoring), and at the local level (education). Opportunities for research positions exist at research universities around the country, e.g., the University of Maine, at private research laboratories, e.g., the Jackson Laboratory, in private industry, and in state and federal laboratories.

Stetson University provides the required curricula for students planning careers in veterinary medicine, dentistry, general medicine and allied health fields. Students may work on any major as long as they include in their curriculum the required science core courses.

Stetson’s pre-health program is administered by the University’s Health Professions Advisory Committee, composed of faculty representatives from Biology, Chemistry, Integrative Health Sciences, and the Social Sciences. This committee oversees the student’s curriculum, advising and preparation for the professional school’s admissions process.

Course Information
The required science core courses may vary slightly from one professional school to another, but the prescribed courses include: Calculus, English, general biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, general physics, among others. Core courses should be completed by the end of the junior year.

In addition to core courses and those required for the student’s major, academic work should be distributed to include humanities, social science and advanced science courses for a broad academic background.

As the Coordinator of Pre-Health Professions Advising at Messiah College, I’d like to welcome you to our website for the Pre-Health Professions Advising Program (PHPAP). This website has been designed to provide resources for students and graduates of Messiah College who are interested in applying to medical school and other health-related professional schools. Our on-campus advising services assist students in all aspects of their preparation and application for further study, including the three major areas considered most important by medical schools and graduate-level healthcare programs: achieving and maintaining a strong academic record; thorough test preparation for career-specific aptitude tests (such as the MCAT); and exposure to, and the opportunity to participate in, meaningful medically related experiences.

At Messiah, we divide our advising services into two categories based on the entrance requirements of the specific programs and this website is arranged in the same manner. Pre-med advising includes allopathic and osteopathic medicine. All other health-related careers are included under pre-health advising, and a partial list of these specialities is included in the navigation column of this PHPAP home page. Advising for our pre-physical therapy, nursing, and dietetics students is handled by their respetive departments, and links to them are included in the navigation portion of this page.

Students desiring to enter this program should follow the recommendation for pre-medical (listed below). Students are urged to contact their school of choice and seek advisement on admissions.

The professional schooling for medical and dental students is four years in duration and begins following four years of preparatory work, including the B.S. degree. Most medical and dental schools prefer students with a broadly based academic background and a strong emphasis in the physical and biological sciences and mathematics. Students must maintain a competitive overall GPA. Students are advised to take the MCAT/DAT exam in April of their junior year.

The TTHP Guide to Health Professions recommends the following math and science courses for students seeking admission to medical schools in Texas:

BIOL 1401 – General Biology I
BIOL 1402 – General Biology II
Including additional background courses from:
BIOL 3402 – Genetics
BIOL 3403 – Developmental Biology
BIOL 3408 – Human Anatomy and Physiology I
BIOL 3409 – Human Anatomy and Physiology II
BIOL 4401 – Microbiology
BIOL 4404 – Parasitology
BIOL 4408 – Cell and Molecular Biology
CHEM 1401 – General Chemistry I
CHEM 1402 – General Chemistry II
CHEM 3403 – Organic Chemistry I
CHEM 3404 – Organic Chemistry II
CHEM 4402 – Biochemistry I
CHEM 4403 – Biochemistry II
MATH 1304 – College Algebra
MATH 1305 – Trigonometry
MATH 2306 – Calculus I
PHYS 1401 – General Physics I
PHYS 1402 – General Physics II

A new admissions pathway into medical school is the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine’s R.O.S.E. (Research, Observation, Service, Education) Program. ROSE is an “admission pathway” program for Ohio residents in which students apply to UCCOM after the fall of their sophomore year of college. High academic standards, both in GPA and MCAT expectations, plus the extensive summer research and physician mentoring that will be a part of ROSE, make this a very desirable program. For more detailed information, please follow this link to the official ROSE Program homepage.

Another special admissions pathway into medical school is the Medical University of Ohio’s MEDStart Program. It is an early admission program designed to accept college students during the JUNIOR year of their undergraduate education. This program allows students to enroll into the Medical College of Ohio’s School of Medicine program for the next academic year following completion of the four-year baccalaureate education. The Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) is not required for acceptance into the MEDStart Program, but certain rigorous undergraduate and high school academic critera are required to qualify for application. Current Xavier freshmen and sophomores who are interested in more detailed information about the Medical College of Ohio’s MEDStart Program, follow this link.

Professional health is a challenging and demanding career path, yet it can be an extremely rewarding one. Admission into these professional health programs is competitive. You must be well-informed, well-prepared, and very personally motivated to work very hard to gain admission. To view important statistical information about the quality of grades students should earn in order be competitive for medical school or for other graduate health professions, follow this link.

All Xavier students have a faculty advisor in their academic major/area of study. To assist you in all phases of your undergraduate experience, and to help you prepare for successful admission to the health profession school of your choice, Xavier also provides you with specific advising through the office of the Director of Pre-Professional Health Advising, Ms. Kara Rettig-Pfingstag.

NAU’s Biomedical Professions Program provides you with an integrated approach to all of the health professions.

We have advisors available to guide you in preparing for a career in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, optometry, podiatry, pharmacy, osteopathy, or any other health profession. Our office can also assist you if you haven’t decided which health profession is most appropriate for you.

In addition, our office has a resource library including information and catalogs from professional schools. Finally, we offer a series of seminars to prepare juniors and seniors for medical and other health professional school application. We also coordinate a committee evaluation and recommendation service as part of your application process.

If you are interested in a health preprofessional plan, refer to the specific academic areas described earlier in this catalog for information about specific majors and emphases. (Please note that NAU does not have a pre-med major.)
Preparation for Professional Programs

Medical, dental, osteopathy, optometry, veterinary, and podiatry schools require that you complete a four-year undergraduate degree and then four years of professional school. These schools have relatively uniform course prerequisites for admission, which include at least one year of college-level work each in general biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, and physics.

A science major is not a prerequisite for admission to any medical or other health profession school. Successful applicants come from all departments. (Although many students are accepted with biology or chemistry degrees, acceptance rates are also high for those with degrees in English, anthropology, and economics, for example.) We therefore encourage you to major in an area of genuine interest to you.

As a first- or second-year student, you can explore several fields—within the limits of the biomedical professions curriculum and NAU’s liberal studies requirements—before settling on a major. If you are not a science major, you should minor in biology or chemistry or take more than the minimum science requirements. No matter which major you select, high grades in the sciences are essential to your successful application to a health professional plan.
Introduction to Biomedical Professions

Every fall, we offer a 1-unit course, USC 108, Introduction to the Health Professions. Health practitioners will discuss careers and health case issues in the United States. Information regarding requirements, preparation and application will be presented.
Biomedical Internships

To further explore a particular profession, you may participate in an open-ended preceptorship with a community practitioner. And, if you are a junior or senior, you may choose a one- or two-unit internship, during which you observe and work with a health professional four or eight hours per week; you then present an oral case study at the end of the term.
Health Careers Fair

Each spring term, we sponsor a health careers fair attended by thirty medical, dental, optometry, and other programs from across the country. The fair provides you with opportunities to meet and visit with admission representatives from many different schools.