University College-Newark does not offer a premedicine major. Students interested in
attending medical school (allopathic or osteopathic), as well as those
interested in attending dentistry, podiatry, optometry, or veterinary schools,
instead are able to major in any subject offered by the college, including nonsciences,
with the provision that the core courses listed below are completed
successfully.
Schools for the health
professions typically expect applicants to have superior scholastic records.
Competition for admission is intense. Schools weigh not only grades, but also
scores on the appropriate standardized entrance examination, the college letter
of recommendation, records of extracurricular activities, and seriousness of
intent. Students who do not achieve a
minimum of a 3.0 cumulative grade-point average by the conclusion of the first
year should seriously consider changing their career goals.
Core Curriculum
Health professional
schools require the successful completion of specific science courses in
addition to basic undergraduate coursework. The core curriculum should be
completed by the end of the third year, with at least a 3.0 cumulative
grade-point average, and in advance of the nationwide standardized examinations
for the health professions. Schools generally require, at minimum, the
following subjects:
21:120:200 Concepts of
Biology (4)
21:120:201-202
Foundations of Biology: Cell and Molecular with laboratory (4)
21:120:205-206 Foundations
of Biology: Ecology and Evolution with laboratory (4)
21:160-113-114 General
Chemistry Laboratory (1,1)
21:160:115-116 General
Chemistry (4,4)
21:160:331 Organic
Chemistry Laboratory (2)
21:160:335-336 Organic
Chemistry (4,4)
21:750:203-204 General
Physics (3,3) or 21:750:213-214 Elements of Physics (3,3)
21:750:205-206
Introductory Physics Laboratory (1,1)
21:640:114 Precalculus
(3)
Since professional
school requirements are subject to change, students should consult individual
schools for information. Psychology/sociology, ethics, logic, or other specific
courses are sometimes required, and upper-level courses in the sciences are
strongly encouraged (i.e., biochemistry). Students intending to apply to the
most competitive medical schools may wish to complete 21:640:135 Calculus I (4)
as well.
All students interested
in pursuing a prehealth preparatory track should plan to complete General
Biology, Precalculus, and perhaps Calculus during their first year and should
complete General Physics or University Physics by the end of their third year.
Those entering with a strong background in mathematics and the natural sciences
may want to take General Chemistry also during their first year and Organic
Chemistry during their second. Those with an average background in mathematics and
the natural sciences should take General Chemistry during their second year and
Organic Chemistry in the third year.
Standardized Tests
Schools in the health
professions require applicants to submit scores from nationwide standardized
examinations. Interested students should plan to take the examination
appropriate for their career goals prior to their senior year and are advised
to complete the core curriculum outlined above prior to standing for
examination. Different examinations are required for application to different
kinds of schools:
Dental Schools: Dental Admissions Test (DAT)
Optometry Schools: Optometry Admissions Test
(OAT)
Veterinary Schools: Veterinary College Admission
Test (VCAT), Graduate Record Exam (GRE), or Medical College Admissions Test
(MCAT)
Advising
For more information on premedicine, how to open
a Health Professions File, and the contact information for the prehealth
adviser, please visit http://www.ncas.rutgers.edu/oas/pre-health-programs.
