Pre-Health Professions Advising

The mission of Pre-Health Professions Advising at the University of San Francisco is to guide, motivate, and support students and alumni who are preparing for health professional careers. These careers may include:  dentistry, medicine, optometry, pharmacy, physical therapy, physician assistant, and veterinary medicine among others. 

 

COMMON PREREQUISITES
  • General Biology (1 year with labs): Biology 105 and Biology 106
  • General Chemistry (1 year with labs): Chem 111/112 and Chem 113/114
  • Organic Chemistry (1 year with labs): Chem 230/232 and Chem 231/234
  • Biochemistry (1 semester)*: Chem 356
  • Physics (1 year with labs):  Physics 100 and Physics 101

*Most common for medical school
Note: Prerequisites do vary by health professional areas so it is important you meet with pre-health professions advising to plan your course schedule accordingly.

CHOOSING A MAJOR

It is not necessary or advantageous to major in Biology if you are seeking to pursue pre-health graduate studies. You should choose a major that reflects your particular interests, abilities and strengths. Applicants are evaluated upon the successful completion of prerequisite coursework, among other factors.

CLINICAL EXPOSURE

Having experience in clinical settings is considered a must for pre-health students, in part to confirm interest in your health career. These experiences also show health professional schools that you have an understanding- and commitment- to your future profession. Luckily, you have many opportunities at USF, being in the heart of San Francisco! Some examples of where USF pre-health students spend their time: 

  • UCSF Hospitals, including Benioff Children’s Hospital in Mission Bay
  • Zuckerberg SF General Hospital
  • Mission Health Center
  • Corpus Clinic
  • Community Dental Clinic at UCSF
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

While not a specific requirement for health professional admissions, many accepted applicants may have some form of research experience. There is absolutely no preference for one type of research over another, so it is highly recommended that pre-health students engage in research they are interested in- whether biological or not. There are many opportunities to get involved in research at USF and also off-campus at UCSF.

APPLICATION TIMELINE

Deciding when to apply to health professional school is one of the most important decisions a future applicant can make. The national trend has evolved towards applicants taking time off - commonly known as a “gap year.” This allows applicants to gain more experiences, enhance their academic record and show maturity on their application. This is also essential in some areas like, Physician Assistant, that require paid work-experience

For more information and advising, contact: MARIE DUTTON, Pre-Health Advisor, mdutton2@usfca.edu