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Pre-health is a course of study that prepares students for entry into professional schools in a variety fields including medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary medicine, osteopathy, optometry, physical therapy, and podiatry. Students applying to those professional schools should present a strong foundation in the natural sciences, as well as a liberal education in the social sciences and humanities.

Pre-health is not a major in and of itself. While the many Pre-health students major in the biological, physical and social sciences, you can create your own undergraduate path to any of the medical careers and any major that interests you. If you major in an area other than science, you will need to take a number of science courses to prepare for the professional school entrance examination.

Most medical, dental, veterinary, optometry and podiatry schools have the same general entry requirements. But it is important to understand that each school sets its own prerequisite course requirements, so there may be differences among the schools in any profession.

The following courses are required for application to most medical schools. They will also prepare you for many other professional program entrance exams:

• 1 year of General Biology with lab
• 1 year of General Chemistry with lab
• 1 year of Organic Chemistry with lab
• 1 year of General Physics with lab
• 1 semester of Biochemistry
• 1 year of Calculus
• Molecular and Cellular Biology with lab
• Genetics with lab
• 1 semester of Introductory Psychology
• 1 semester of Introductory Sociology

Pre-health students are highly encouraged to join student organizations which provide information regarding seminars, workshops, internship/volunteer opportunities and the like. Membership in these organizations allow you to network with others in your fields of interest. Student organizations include: PPHS (Pre-Professional Health Society), CC (Chemistry Club), and Tri-Beta (National Biology Honor Society).

Dyson College can help students who already hold an undergraduate degree, regardless of major, but still need to complete the prerequisite science courses to apply to medical, dental or veterinary schools. Interested students must meet with the pre-health coordinators who will advise them on which courses they need to enroll into in preparation for entrance exams. To begin this process, please submit an online application as a non-matriculated student and then contact the coordinator on your respective campus.

New York City

JaimeLee Rizzo, PhD
Coordinator, Professions in Health Advisory Team
Phone: (212) 346-1761
Email: jrizzo@pace.edu

For inquiries about the NYC Occupational Therapy and NYC Optometry joint degrees, contact the chair of Biology NYC

Pleasantville

Nancy Krucher, PhD
Pre-Health Committee Coordinator
Phone: (914) 773-3770
Email: nkrucher@pace.edu