Pre-Health Studies
Pre-health studies are a roadmap through the liberal arts that begins with your admission to college and ends with your admission to a health professional school (such as a medical school). At St. Olaf College, this route intersects with our commitment (as stated in the Mission Statement) to an education that fosters critical thinking, heightens moral sensitivity, promotes lives of unselfish service to others and challenges you to become responsible, knowledgeable citizens of the world. Pre-health studies are supported by the dedication and efforts of the faculty of the Health Professions Committee (HPC) and the staff of The Piper Center for Vocation and Career; the Chair of the HPC, Professor Kevin Crisp, serves as the academic advisor for all pre-health students while coaches at the Piper Center support pre-health student professional development and experiential learning.
Overview of Pre-Health Studies
The following information is intended for St. Olaf students who are in the process of deciding what path their future career will take in the health professions. There are many health careers in addition to human and veterinary medicine, dentistry, and nursing. Some of these areas are listed below, along with the advising specialist in that area:
| Health Careers | Advising Specialist |
|---|---|
| Audiology | Jeremy Loebach |
| Genetic Counseling | Laura Listenberger |
| Health Administration | Ashley Hodgson |
| Mental Health | Donna McMillan |
| Nursing | Susan Huehn (nursing majors), Kevin Crisp (non-nursing majors) |
| Occupational Therapy | Cindy Book |
| Optometry | Jay Demas |
| Pharmacy | Doug Beussman |
| Physical Therapy | Cindy Book |
| Physician Assistant | Kevin Crisp |
| Podiatry | Kevin Crisp |
| Public Health | Andrea Conger |
| Speech Language Pathology | Jeremy Loebach |
| Veterinary Medicine | Diane Angell |
Preparing for any health science profession requires careful planning, as prerequisites vary by field and even by school or program. More information concerning professional preparation for these areas can be found on the Piper Center website. Students should seek advice from their academic advisor, the Piper Center staff, and the HPC as they plan and prepare for health science professions.
Pre-Nursing Students Not Majoring in Nursing
For specific details about the undergraduate nursing program at St. Olaf, please see the nursing major catalog page. Students who are not nursing majors interested in pursuing a Nurse Practitioner degree or a Master of Science in nursing most often will need to complete the following pre-requisites:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Two semesters of anatomy and physiology: | 2.00 | |
| Human Anatomy and Physiology: Cells and Tissues (Not Recommended for Biology Majors) | ||
| Human Anatomy and Physiology: Organs and Organ Systems | ||
| Animal Physiology | ||
| Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy | ||
| BIO 231 | Microbiology | 1.00 |
| NURS 110 | Nutrition and Wellness | 1.00 |
| PSYCH 125 | Principles of Psychology | 1.00 |
| PSYCH 241 | Developmental Psychology | 1.00 |
| SDS 172 | Statistics 1 | 1.00 |
Prerequisites for Pre-Medical, Pre-Dental, Pre-Physician Assistant, and Pre-Podiatry Students
Each medical school (whether MD or DO), dental school, and physician assistant program differs somewhat in their exact list of courses required for admission. However, St. Olaf's OLE Core curriculum provides students with most of the non-science prerequisites typical of these programs. The following courses are recommended for all students planning on entering medical schools (either MD or DO) or dental schools.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Recommended Coursework (for MCAT preparation and medical school admissions) | ||
| MATH 119 | Introduction to Calculus | 1.00 |
| or MATH 120 | Calculus I | |
| Two semesters of general biology (typically BIO 150 and BIO 227) | 2.00 | |
| Select one of the following: | 2.00-3.00 | |
| Introductory Chemistry and Energies and Rates of Chemical Reactions 1 | ||
| Structural Chemistry and Equilibrium and Energies and Rates of Chemical Reactions 1 | ||
| CHEM 247 & CHEM 248 | Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry II | 2.00 |
| CHEM 379 | Biochemistry I (organic chemistry is a prerequisite; required at some medical schools) | 1.00 |
| PHYS 124 & PHYS 125 | Principles of Physics I and Principles of Physics II | 2.00 |
| BIO 243 | Human Anatomy and Physiology: Organs and Organ Systems (one semester of physiology, human or animal) | 1.00 |
| or BIO 247 | Animal Physiology | |
| PSYCH 125 | Principles of Psychology | 1.00 |
| One sociology course (SOAN 121 is open to first-year students only) | 1.00 | |
| One statistics course (typically SDS 172) | 1.00 | |
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MATH 119 or MATH 120 is a prerequisite for CHEM 126
Pre-medical students should note that there is much more to being a competitive candidate for medical school than course planning. A competitive candidate to medical school might have a GPA of 3.7 or above, an MCAT score of greater than 510, significant experience with patients in a medical setting, and long-term volunteer experience (especially working with the underserved).
Pre-dental students should note that many dental schools recommend that students take a semester of introductory psychology, a semester of statistics, and coursework in studio art and English (e.g., composition) in addition to the recommended natural science and mathematics coursework above.
Prerequisites for podiatry programs are similar to those for medical school, and some podiatry schools may accept the MCAT, DAT, or GRE. A student who will use the MCAT when applying to podiatry school should take courses in psychology, sociology, and statistics in addition to the natural science and mathematics courses recommended for pre-medical students.
Prerequisites for physician assistant programs are similar, but students should note that these programs may not require organic chemistry, biochemistry, or physics. However, these students are also recommended to take:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PSYCH 125 & PSYCH 241 | Principles of Psychology and Developmental Psychology | 2.00 |
| Medical terminology (typically as BIO 291) | 0.25 | |
| One course emphasizing speech and communication | 1.00 | |
| BIO 143 & BIO 243 | Human Anatomy and Physiology: Cells and Tissues and Human Anatomy and Physiology: Organs and Organ Systems | 2.00 |
| One statistics course | 1.00 | |
Recommendations for Graduate Study
Health professions graduate schools (such as medical schools) are looking for well-rounded individuals who are interested in a wide variety of areas and have demonstrated their interest in both medicine and people. Students should take advantage of the many opportunities to obtain patient contact and observe practitioners at work in their field of expertise. Medically related experience is essential to successful application to many health profession programs; medical schools strongly recommend potential applicants obtain medically related work or other contact with patients, and successful candidates to physician assistant programs often have as many as 1500-2000 hours of paid, hands-on work with patients before the student submits an application. The Piper Center's coaches and peer advisors can assist students in finding shadowing opportunities with physicians in their hometown, with alumni, or with healthcare professionals in the Twin Cities. Internships during the January term and summer of the student's sophomore or junior year work well. Students may also shadow healthcare professionals during the summer, or work in a hospital, clinic, or nursing home (e.g., as a CNA); note that formal registration for credit is not required.
Some medical schools highly value research experience, whether in the laboratory, the field, or internships (such as the Innovation Scholars or the Norway Innovation Scholars Program, or the Rockswold or Mayo Health Scholars Program). Students should also maintain a high level of involvement in extra-curricular activities. They should select and involve themselves in activities of genuine interest. Extensive involvement in a few activities ranging from music to athletics to clubs (such as the pre-health professionals club, AMSA, Alpha Epsilon Delta, etc.) can demonstrate and develop valued traits such as dedication, commitment, leadership, perseverance, and professionalism. However, extracurricular commitments should not be permitted to negatively influence academic performance.
Health professions schools are also interested in students who have demonstrated compassion and empathy through volunteer activities. Examples of volunteer activity include hospice programs, home health aide, crisis-line counseling, working with individuals with physical disabilities or individuals with developmental delays, working with survivors of abuse, or with disadvantaged youth. Long periods of service involvement are preferred to brief stints in many activities. Note that some medical schools require non-medical volunteer experience, and some physician assistant programs specify that volunteer activity should be unpaid and emphasize working with the underserved.
Special Internships and Opportunities
The Physician in Clinical and Hospital Health Care
This program occurs during the St. Olaf January term at the clinics and hospitals of the Fairview Health System in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. Students at the Fairview locations shadow designated physicians through their daily activities in pertinent clinical and hospital settings. The student experience involves exposure to primary and specialty care area settings involving patients from all age groups. Students may experience emergency care and will become acquainted with many providers in discussions about the field of medicine. If appropriate and possible, students will be invited to attend lectures and grand rounds that are held during the student observation period. Students are observers only; they will not participate in the delivery of medical care unless cleared to do so in an emergency. The Fairview Clinics involved may include but are not limited to: M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Medical Center - East Bank, M Health Fairview University of Minnesota - West Bank, Cedar Ridge, Eden Center, Hiawatha, and Lakes Regional Medical Center. Students are responsible for their own transportation to the assigned clinic site either from their home or from campus. Contact Professor Kevin Crisp (crisp@stolaf.edu) or Dana Rechtzigel (rechtz1@stolaf.edu) in the Piper Center for further information.
Innovation Scholars Program
Innovation Scholars at St. Olaf College offers a high-impact experiential learning opportunity during January term and involves selected students working on cross-disciplinary teams on real-world challenges in technology transfer and entrepreneurship. Innovation Scholars programming utilizes a hybrid format and offers multidisciplinary teams the opportunity to engage in the business development of new innovations in real time by working on projects drawn from Mayo Clinic, Medical Alley companies, NASA, Medtronic, and other institutions. This program is an initiative between a select group of Minnesota Private Colleges and medical companies, with funding through the Medtronic Foundation. A team of four students will represent St. Olaf College each January and summer in the Innovation Scholars Program. The project team will be composed of students representing a variety of science and economics backgrounds who demonstrate strong analytical and communication skills and success as an effective team member. Kevin Crisp, Biology and Neuroscience, will serve as the faculty advisor. The team may also be mentored by an MBA graduate student. Students apply through Handshake (Piper Center).
Norway Innovation Scholars Program
Norway Innovation Scholars Program offers an opportunity for selected undergraduate science, nursing, and business majors to complete research projects submitted by Norway Health Tech, a Norwegian Biotech cluster facilitating the country's growth of new and innovative healthcare solutions. A team of four students will represent St. Olaf College each January, and typically have the unique opportunity of spending four weeks in Norway in January performing market analysis, evaluating intellectual property issues, and creating a strategic plan. The project team will be composed of students representing a variety of science and business backgrounds who demonstrate strong analytical and communication skills and success as an effective team member. Kevin Crisp, Biology and Neuroscience, will serve as the faculty advisor. Students apply through Handshake (Piper Center).
Rockswold Health Scholars
This clinical and research internship program provides current St. Olaf students an unparalleled hands-on experience at the Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, MN. HCMC is known for its dedication to providing care to vulnerable, diverse, and underserved populations regardless of their ability to pay for medical services. Students will expand their professional network and improve their knowledge regarding potential paths within the healthcare field. Selected participants live in apartments together in the spirit of support and mutuality. Students apply through Handshake (Piper Center).
Health Scholars at Mayo Clinic
St. Olaf alumni at Mayo Clinic have established a research internship program that provides current St. Olaf students an unparalleled hands-on experience at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Healthcare is undergoing transformative changes. Understanding how the healthcare team interacts and collaborates to serve the needs of the patient is critical in order to provide the best quality of care. Students will be exposed to how Mayo Clinic provides comprehensive integrated care through weekly seminars and exposure to healthcare innovation/administration. In addition, students will conduct directed research projects. Selected participants live in a house together in the spirit of support and mutuality. Students apply through Handshake (Piper Center).
Human Gross Anatomy (Cadaver Dissection)
Offered for more than 20 years, the Human Gross Anatomy course presents a unique opportunity for eight undergraduate students to dissect two human cadavers. Dissection is completed during the fall with the expectation that dissectors will also participate as teaching assistants for the lab component of the Human Anatomy and Physiology II course. Students apply through the Biology Department. Note that this course is now offered as a section of BIO 299.