Health Professions Advising helps guide students in choosing appropriate courses to meet the requirements of a wide range of health professional graduate schools including medical (MD and DO), dental, veterinary, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, physical therapy, and others. Different health professional programs have different requirements, so it is important to research requirements of target schools. The College’s health professions advisors are also happy to help you to formulate an academic plan.
The requirements for medical and dental school are similar. Each require one year of the following laboratory courses: introductory biology (BIOL 161 and 162), general chemistry (CHEM 181 and CHEM 231), organic chemistry (CHEM 221 and CHEM 222), and physics (PHYS 115 and PHYS 116), in addition to one year of English. Physics, some chemistry and some statistics courses require calculus 1 (MATH 133 or 135 as appropriate). Medical schools also require a semester each of psychology, sociology, statistics and biochemistry. Most other health professional programs require a semester of statistics and at least a year of chemistry and biology, but vary widely in other requirements. Students should be encouraged to explore any major that appeals to them - they need not be a science major.
Students seeking admission to health professional schools should consider taking at least one of the introductory laboratory courses below in the first semester, and should try to take introductory psychology and sociology in the first two years. Students should consider taking a Montserrat sequence outside of the natural and social sciences and instead seek to meet another common requirement. Students should take statistics only after declaring a major, as many departments offer statistics courses. Students should be cautious about taking more than one laboratory course in the first semester unless they have a strong science background and are considering a major in the sciences.
If you have any questions, review our video introduction for incoming students, or contact the health professions advising office at 508-793-2533 to set up an appointment to meet with an advisor.
Courses
CHEM 181
Atoms & Molecules
Common Area: Natural Science
This introductory general chemistry course leads students to explore in-depth the scientific method through the formulation and testing of hypotheses in the laboratory. Laboratory experiments lead students to discover basic principles, i.e., stoichiometric relationships, electronic configuration and molecular structure. Lectures will explain and expand upon laboratory results. This is first course in the Discovery Chemistry Core sequence for science majors and students interested in health professions. This course includes both lecture and a weekly "Discovery Lab" session.
BIOL 161
Introduction to Cellular and Molecular Biology
Common Area: Natural Science
Fundamental principles of biology studied at the molecular and cellular levels of organization. Intended for all potential biology majors and pre-health students regardless of major. Includes laboratory.
MATH 135
Calculus 1
Common Area: Mathematical Science
This is the standard version of Calculus at the College. Considers the calculus of real-valued functions of one variable for students who are planning further course work in Mathematics, a major in the social or physical sciences, or the premedical program. Emphasis is placed on a conceptual understanding of calculus, presenting material from symbolic, numerical, and graphical points of view. The concepts of limit, continuity, and derivative are developed and applied to algebraic, logarithmic, exponential and trigonometric functions.
Applications of the derivative are explored. This course meets three hours per week.
MATH 133
Calculus 1 with Fundamentals
Common Area: Mathematical Science
A version of Mathematical 135 that is designed for students who require more class time to make the transition to college-level Mathematics. See the description of Introductory Courses before choosing this course. See the description of Mathematics 135 for the course content. This course meets five hours per week.
PHYS 115
Introductory Physics 1
Common Area: Natural Science
First semester course of a two-semester, calculus-based sequence, suitable for majors of physics, chemistry, or biology, as well as for those participating in the Health Professions Advisory Program (premedical, predental, etc.), the 3-2 Engineering Program, or in ROTC. Covers the theory of Newtonian mechanics and methods for solving quantitative and quaLiteratureative problems. Specific topics include motion in one and two dimensions; vectors, Newton's laws of motion, work and energy, linear momentum and collisions, rotational motion, static equilibrium, oscillatory motion, gravitation, fluid mechanics, and mechanical waves. There is an emphasis on applications of physics to natural phenomena and aspects of everyday life. The course meets four days per week and each class is a mixture of lecture and laboratory exercises; there is no separate lab meeting.