Pre-Health Professions

Undergraduate Educational Pathways for Health Professional School

Academic preparation for Health Professional School should include a strong background in the natural sciences with complementary coursework in the social sciences and humanities.

Students should familiarize themselves with the prerequisite course requirements within their intended health care discipline and the expectations of the schools to which they intend to apply.

Coursework

While a student may choose any undergraduate major, the following courses, which are minimum requirements for admission to most healthcare professions schools, should be included:

• two courses in English (including composition and literature)
• one to three courses in Psychology (including developmental)
• one to six courses in Chemistry (inorganic, organic, biochemistry)
• one to two courses in General Physics (including labs)
• one to three courses in Mathematics (including statistics and pre-calculus)
• two to six courses in Biology (including labs)

Additional courses in Psychology, Sociology, Ethics, and Literature are recommended for students desiring a breadth of academic preparation for a career in healthcare as well as foundational components for preparation for the MCAT Entrance Exam for Medical School.

Because the number of qualified applicants to healthcare professions school greatly exceeds the number of openings, satisfactory completion of the prerequisite courses does not guarantee acceptance by any health professional school.

Educational Programs in the healthcare professions are seeking the student who has a long record of consistently high-level performance, a deep understanding of their future role in the healthcare field obtained through volunteer or employment experience, and who exceeds in meeting core competencies for health care providers as evidenced in letters of evaluation from academic and professional references.

Students are encouraged to consider nationwide and global healthcare professional school opportunities and highly qualified students have the opportunity to apply to regional Health Professional Schools under specialized Articulation Agreements with our Partner Institutions.

Healthcare Experience Support

The expected type of Health Care Experience varies depending on the intended area of healthcare being pursued and the expected amount of time in healthcare required by the health care professional schools. In all instances, students should seek Direct Patient Care that provides a depth and breadth of understanding within their intended future role in the health care industry.

Our Office of Health Careers provides support for students seeking part-time or per diem employment or volunteer opportunities at healthcare facilities and animal care facilities and our Community Employment Partnership Coordinator is available to discuss local and regional opportunity for clinical experience.

Students seeking healthcare related experience outside the Otsego County region can also meet with the staff in the Office of Health Careers for support in navigating clinical experience in other regions for during academic breaks and post-graduation.

We have a healthcare workforce development partnership at Bassett Healthcare Network to support Alumni working full-time at AO Fox Hospital in Oneonta, NY and Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown, NY through the Bassett CARES initiative and an education and training partnership with Springbrook through the Springbrook Scholars program.