Veterinary Degrees Online

Being a Pre-Health student means that you intend to go into one of the health professions, once you have completed your degree. Your undergraduate preparation involves taking the courses required by the graduate-level professional school (medical school, vet school, etc.) that you would attend after obtaining your bachelor’s degree.
Fisher students go on to become:
Physicians (M.D. and D.O.)
Physicians’ Assistants
Veterinarians
Pharmacists
Optometrists
Chiropractors
Podiatrists
Dentists
Physical Therapists
Occupational Therapists
Is there a Pre-Health or Pre-Med major at Fisher?

Fisher does not have a Pre-Health or Pre-Med major. Pre-health students at Fisher can have any academic major. Most Pre-Health students major in Biology or Chemistry, but there are currently Pre-Health students at Fisher majoring in Management, Communication/Journalism, Psychology, and Anthropology.

The undergraduate courses typically required by medical or other health professional graduate schools are:
One year of biology with lab (soon to be two years)
One year of inorganic (or general) chemistry with lab
One year of organic chemistry with lab
One year of physics with lab

NOTE: AP courses are generally not accepted by pharmacy schools and may not be accepted by other health professional schools to satisfy any of these requirements.

Other undergraduate courses that may be required or are strongly recommended:
Biochemistry
Calculus and/or statistics
One or more courses in psychology
One or more courses in English
One or more courses in the humanities or liberal arts
One or more writing-intensive courses
One or more courses in public speaking

NOTE: Fisher students will generally satisfy the English, humanities/liberal arts, writing, and public speaking requirements through completion of Fisher’s college core.

Students interested in a health profession career are urged to make contact with the Health Professions Advisor during, or even prior to, their first semester at Fisher so that they may receive personal assessment and guidance as they pursue their undergraduate studies.

Numerous activities occur each semester that assist pre-health students in selecting schools, understanding the preparation process (beyond Fisher courses), preparing for the interview, and making decisions regarding acceptances and alternatives. The advisor is also able to provide students with the opportunity to meet with and/or observe Fisher graduates who are now health professionals in the Rochester area. These alumni also come to campus to meet with interested students and answer questions about the preparation for and practice of their particular health career.
What can a student interested in the health professions expect at Fisher?
Solid academic preparation in the natural sciences and humanities
Extensive hands-on experience in the laboratory sciences
Individualized attention from faculty
An accessible health professions advisor who knows each student and advocates for students applying to health professional programs
A dynamic Career Services Department that offers workshops and individualized counseling
Independent research opportunities on and off campus
Shadowing experiences
Internship opportunities with professionals in the community
Access to databases providing information on careers in the health professions, health professional schools, internships, and summer job opportunities
Regular seminars and presentations from health care professionals and graduate and professional school admissions representatives
Mentoring with Fisher alumni and professionals in the community
Workshops on preparing for:
graduate and professional schools
preparing for the MCAT, GRE, and other graduate school exams
interviewing techniques
creating a curriculum vitae
achieving academic success
Opportunities to build strong interpersonal, communications, and leadership skills

The University of St. Francis offers excellent undergraduate preparation for veterinary school. USF does not offer a specific “pre-vet” major. Few colleges in the United States do because there is not a specific major required for admission to colleges of veterinary medicine. USF does offer a biology degree with a pre-veterinary track for students interested in pursuing careers in veterinary medicine. Therefore, USF students complete a core of courses which prepare them for entrance into veterinary college and still enjoy the freedom and flexibility to design a curriculum in advanced science course which are appropriate to their interests.

Colleges of veterinary medicine are looking for students who have completed a core of specific course work in biology, chemistry, math and physics and who have performed at a high academic level. Veterinary colleges may also require volunteer work or other specific types of clinical experience outside the classroom. In addition, coursework required in the humanities and social sciences may vary by school.