HEALTH PROFESSIONS PROGRAMS:
Course Requirements for Prehealth Students
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Course Requirements

Most health professions schools require the same undergraduate courses:

Writing/AP Credit Credits
English must include composition. Each science course must include laboratory, and should not be designated “for non-science majors”. Labs can be taken concurrently with the lectures, but it is not necessary to do so. If you have AP credit in any one of these subjects, you must take an additional, advanced course in that field if you do not wish to repeat the material.

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Mathematics
Most schools also require “some college mathematics” and a few require calculus. Several veterinary schools demand statistics, microbiology and biochemistry. Certain optometry schools require particular courses in psychology. While few schools have additional requirements, others recommend strongly upper level work in biology, or a specific number of credits in the humanities or social sciences; many emphasize the necessity for good writing skills. Success in any of these fields requires good reading and analytical skills. Your GER courses ensure that students in The College of Arts and Sciences will have that “well-rounded education” that professional schools seek among applicants.

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Majors
A science major is not essential although it is a natural interest for many pre-health professional students and many choose to major in biology or biochemistry. If you have a strong interest in one of the social sciences or in one of the humanities, choose that area as your major field of study. You should major in a field you enjoy studying. Do not choose a major in an attempt to impress anyone else or because your friends have told you it is easy. Whatever major you choose, you must convince admissions officers at professional or graduate schools that you have the ability to do well in the sciences and you have the ability to cope with the pressures and demands of a science-oriented professional school curriculum. You can best demonstrate this by doing well in all of those courses required by that school and by really learning the material as you progress so that you can excel in the admission test and retain the knowledge for years.

Liberal Arts Core
Pre-professional students, especially those with advanced placement, may be able to accelerate their study of the sciences. This should be done, however, only after consultation with your academic or pre-professional adviser.

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With this in mind, Hunter College considers the following to be the traditional PREMEDICAL CURRICULUM:

* In addition to the above requirements, please note the following:

Mathematics: Since some medical schools require a year of calculus and many require college math, we strongly recommend that premedical students take MATH 150 and 155 (Calculus with Analytic Geometry) or Math 150 and Statistics 213.

Advance Courses:  Successful completion of additional Biology and/or Chemistry courses may help your application.  You should discuss with the Premedical Advisor which additional courses would be best for your application.