Veterinary Degrees Online

Since there are many applicants for a limited number of openings at the professional schools in the health and allied health fields, students are urged to get a strong foundation in the basic sciences in their first two years and work toward a high G.P.A.

A broad background in humanities and social sciences will help students in communicating and relating with people. Students wanting to enter schools of medicine, veterinary science and dentistry need to complete a baccalaureate degree, with a major in biology, chemistry or other appropriate discipline. Students should make choices that meet the requirements of the 2+2 Benedictine University program or the program of study they plan to pursue at the senior college level.

Prerequisites
High school studies should include:
3 years of math, including second year algebra, geometry and trigonometry;
3 years of science, including one each in biology, chemistry and physics;
Other science courses (highly recommended);and
2 years of foreign language (highly recommended)

Students who plan to attend graduate school or professional schools, such as those in human or veterinary medicine, most often choose this program of studies.

Further, the B.S. degree in Biology automatically qualifies a student for a minor in chemistry and thus represents more than adequate preparation for employment opportunities that require expertise in both biology and chemistry.

The program leading to the B.A. degree in Biology is designed to allow greater opportunity for free electives. This freedom could be used to pursue interests in areas outside of biology, allowing for a more broadly based Liberal Arts education. Alternatively, the B.A. degree student would have the flexibility to pursue in depth (to minor in or perhaps even to double major in) another discipline. A Biology major combined with other sciences such as Biochemistry, Computer Science, Chemistry, Physics, Geoscience, Mathematics, or Psychology, or disciplines such as Art, English, Business, or a foreign language can make attractive packages for the student and for potential future employers.

Professional schools (medical, dental, pharmaceutical, veterinary) do not require a degree in the sciences for admission to their programs. These professional schools consider majors in almost any discipline to be acceptable for admission.

The basic “core” requirements for admission to most of these professional schools typically include the following:Chemistry 16-20 credits
Physics 8 credits
Biology 4-8 credits

Most medical schools require a minimum of:
1 year of General Chemistry with lab
1 year of Organic Chemistry with lab
1 year of General Biology with lab
1 year of College Physics with lab

Through coursework and independent research, students learn how to study behavior and address proximate questions of behavior in the laboratory under tightly controlled conditions. Students also learn how ethologists and behavioral ecologists study behavior in field-based experiments to address ultimate questions of behavior.

With new faculty involved, the direction of the AB Program continues to evolve. Still, our collective goals remain consistent and match with the University vision:
To provide an academically challenging interdisciplinary program that engages students’ minds in scientific inquiry;
To create opportunities for 1-on-1 collaborative research that often has a transformative influence on students’ lives and careers;
To expose students’ to the ethical and social issues surrounding the scientific study of animal behavior;
To foster greater communication between students and faculty;
To allow each AB student to present their capstone at a scientific meeting; and
To specifically mentor students in the skills necessary to succeed in professional schools.

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 preparing to go into dentistry, medicine or veterinary medicine take many of the same entry courses. These suggested courses should aid students in preparing for medical fields, but successful completion of these courses does not ensure entry into professional schools. A student usually must earn a bachelor’s degree in any area of interest before being considered by a professional school. Final acceptance by a professional school is based on analysis of previous college work, special entrance examinations and other criteria.

All pre-professional areas in this program guide require two years of chemistry, one year of physics, and one to two years of biology/zoology. A student’s mathematics skills should extend through a minimum of Mathematics 1432, Trigonometry. Students should begin the appropriate course sequences as soon as practical.

The professional fields of dentistry, medicine and veterinary medicine are well known for their social, psychological, economic and essential benefits to both patient and practitioner. Entry into professional schools is very competitive; successful entrants will have superior character and excellent performance in courses and admissions tests.

These professional schools accept students with majors in a variety of fields. Regardless of major, however, a strong science and math background and a high score on the appropriate admission’s test increase the probability of acceptance into the professional school of choice. Most students at NSU who are planning these careers major in biology with minors in chemistry and/or psychology.

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.