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Home , Medical school

So You’re Thinking About //Nutrition...Q&A!

This document is written to help interested in preparing for medical school or the other health professions, including veterinary school and . The suggested courses for first-year students interested in any of these programs are the same. Students may also want to consult the Drew Health Professions Advising page from the Career Center to help them in their planning. http://www.drew.edu/internships-career-development/about-us/students/consider-gradu ate-or-professional-school/pre-health/

Q: I’m thinking about medical school, the combined degree program in nursing, or the combined degree program in nutrition! What should I major in, and what courses are recommended for students to take in their first semester?

1. EVERYONE: CHEM 150/CHEM 150 L ​ 2. Intended majors: CHEM 150/CHEM 150 L + BIO 150/BIO 150L ​ ​ 3. Intended Neuroscience majors: CHEM 150/CHEM 150 L + NEUR 101 ​ ​ 4. Intended & Molecular Biology majors: CHEM 150/CHEM 150 L + ​ ​ ​ BIO 150/BIO 150L

Q: Do I have to be a major to do the pre-med/nursing/nutrition curriculum? A: No! Many of our students who are planning to go to medical school major in biology, biochemistry, , or neuroscience; those majors often make it easier to complete the pre-med curriculum, but are not required. Students could do any major in the College and still take courses that fulfill the requirements of these programs.

Q: What if I am thinking about pre-med/nursing/nutrition but not sure about a major? A: At the minimum, consider taking CHEM 150/CHEM 150 L. This is a core for ​ ​ all pre-health and pre-med programs. We have a pre-med curriculum that is recommended for students considering medical school regardless of major; many students considering medical school major in one of the , but this is not a requirement. However, science majors often have an easier time fitting in the recommended pre-medical curriculum coursework.

Q: What if I am thinking about pre-med/nutrition/nursing but do not feel confident in my science background? A: You may want to only take CHEM 150/CHEM 150 L as an introduction to the ​ ​ pre-med coursework, regardless of intended major, to increase your likelihood of success in that course.

Alternatively, for pre-med, you might take either BIO 150/150 L or NEUR 101 without ​ ​ ​ CHEM 150/CHEM 150 L, as a way of testing the waters; this would mean you would not ​ have had all the necessary coursework in preparation for the MCATs (the standardized admissions test for medical school) at the end of junior year, which is when students who want to go straight to medical school would take this exam.

If you do not take CHEM 150 in the fall of your first year, this will delay your application to medical school by at least one year. This is not necessarily a bad thing; some ​ ​ students attend medical school immediately upon graduating from college, but that is only one path to medical school. We make this information available only so that you are aware that this course selection choice will alter your options in terms of paths to medical school. Delayed applications are often preferred by medical schools and by students preparing for medical school. You should also realize that many students interested in science or the medical field in high school assume that medical school is the best or only career path; not true! There are numerous careers in the sciences and health professions, and a science major - and other majors - at Drew can set the stage for any of them.

Q: Does Drew have any combined degree programs in the health sciences? A: Yes! Current Drew students may wish to consider our BA/BS combined degree program in Nursing, or our BA/MS combined degree program in Nutrition/Dietetics. In each of these programs, students complete the undergraduate coursework to earn their BA here at Drew , and then complete additional coursework at Drexel University for the joint degree.

Q: What should I take if I am considering the BA/BS joint degree program in Nursing? A: CHEM 150/CHEM 150L is required for the Nursing program, and students should ​ ​ consider taking that in their first semester. BIO 150/BIO 150L is not required; interested ​ ​ students should consider taking BIO 160/BIO 160L in the SPRING semester. Another good course to take is PSYC 101; PSYC 231 is required for Nursing, and PSYC 101 is ​ ​ a prerequisite for that course.

Q: What should I take if I am considering the BA/MS combined degree program in Nutrition/Dietetics? A. CHEM 150/CHEM 150L is required for the Nutrition/Dietetics program, and ​ ​ students should consider taking that in their first semester.