W&J: Pre-Health Professions

Welcome pre-health students. Please bookmark this site and check back often for updated schedule information, meeting days and times, visits from schools, and information about local events related to the health professions.

Important ON-campus events for current pre-health students:

The Schedule of Student Meetings for the 2010-2011 academic year is now available under the link to the left. Please note that most of the listed meetings are required meetings. Please get these meetings in your schedule soon!
The Pre-Health Handbook for 2010-2011 is now available under the link to the left. Paper copies are now available in the Pre-Health Library/Lounge space in DP 304.
Congratulations to the new officers for the Pre-Health Professions Society: Leah Herzog (President), Evan Lutton (Vice President), Michael Liebert (Secretary) and Luke Nicholson (Treasurer). The new officers have worked very hard to schedule events for pre-health students, so please show your support by coming to as many of the scheduled events as you can.
BIO/MTH 245, Applied Statistics for the Life Sciences, can now be used as a substitute for MTH 225, Probability and Statistics, in the Pre-Health Curriculum. If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Jason Kilgore (Biology) or Dr. Ryan Higginbottom (Mathematics).
We are lucky enough to have representatives coming from three osteopathic colleges in September and October. If you are interested in Osteopathic Medicine, regardless of whether you are a senior or a freshman, you should make an effort to attend these events to talk to these representative. These events have been scheduled primarily by the Pre-Health Professions Society.
- Wednesday, Sept 29 - Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) - 6:30pm - Dieter-Porter 106 (tentative time/date/room)
- Thursday, Sept 30 - Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) - 6:00pm - Dieter-Porter 106 (tentative time/date/room)
- Monday, Oct 11 - Ohio College of Osteopathic Medicine (OUCOM) - 1:00pm - Dieter-Porter 106

Updated OFF-campus events for current pre-health students:

See the bulletin board outside of Dieter-Porter 300 for opportunities and information about programs, summer opportunities, shadowing opportunities, etc.
Links to information about internship and volunteer opportunities, including summer opportunities, is posted under the Pre-Health Professions Society (including info for students) link on this page.
The Pennsylvania Association of Naturopathic Physicians (PANP) is holding their annual conference on September 11, 2010 at the Radisson Hotel in Pittsburgh. The meeting this year will focus on the topic of treating autism, including work labeled as "the most promising new therapy" by The Autism Research Institute. The conference is from 7:30am - 5:00pm and features 2 MD and 3 ND doctors. Registration is usually $180, but there is a special $60 rate for students, which includes continental breakfast and buffet lunch. You can read more about the conference at the conference website, or by downloading the 2-page brochure and registration form for the conference.

Description of Pre-Health Program at W&J:

Students preparing for admission to graduate schools in the health professions may elect to major in any discipline. If they wish to be recommended to professional schools by the Committee on Health Professions, they should register with the Committee on Health Professions as early as possible, and maintain that registration during their undergraduate preparation. The committee provides recommendations for applicants to health-professional schools in the fields of allopathic medicine, osteopathic medicine, dental medicine, veterinary medicine, podiatric medicine, optometry, physical therapy, occupational therapy, or physician assistant studies.

To secure a recommendation from the committee, in addition to the requirements of a major, a student must successfully complete the 10 to 13 courses in biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics, English, psychology, or sociology as designated for their chosen career goals in the Student Pre-Health Handbook. This document is available from the Committee on Health Professions and electronically on this website.

The College has agreements regarding admission of qualified students to the Temple University School of Medicine; the Drexel University School of Physical Therapy; the Chatham University School of Physical Therapy; the Pennsylvania College of Optometry; the Saint Francis University Department of Physician Assistant Sciences; and the Chatham University Program of Master of Physician Assistant Studies. Details are available in the Student Pre-Health Handbook, and by clicking the "Affiliations" link in the menu to the left.

Please click on the Pre-Health Professions Society (PHPS) link to find information about MCAT examinations, information about internships and volunteer opportunities, and links to other useful resources.