Very few schools, Wheaton College included, offer pre-med/pre-health majors. Students are encouraged to pursue a major in an area of study that is of personal interest to them. Along with the major courses, students will also take pre-requisite courses to apply to the professional area (Medicine, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, etc.) of their choosing. In many cases, there is a common core of pre-requisite courses. Additional courses may be required in addition to those listed. Students are responsible to ensure they take all the necessary courses to apply and demonstrate readiness for the program and entrance exams (MCAT, DAT, GRE etc.). Specific information about various programs, core requirements and resources are provided below.
Core Requirements for most dental schools:
Introductory Biology (BIOL 241, 242)
General Chemistry (CHEM 231, 232)
Organic Chemistry (CHEM 341, 342)
General Physics (PHYS 221–222)
Additional courses often recommended or required for admission include:
English Composition
Upper-level science courses such as Anatomy & Physiology (AHS 351 & 361 or BIOL 331 & 332), Microbiology (BIOL 324)
Social and Behavioral Science courses and the Arts
Dental Admissions Test (DAT) is the required entrance exam for all dental schools in the US. The exam is broken up into four sections. For more information on the various test sections and their content, see the ADEA website.
Core Requirements for most medical schools:
Introductory Biology (BIOL 241, 242)
General Chemistry (CHEM 231, 232)
Organic Chemistry (CHEM 341, 342)
General Physics (PHYS 221–222)
Biochemistry (CHEM 461)
Additionally, school–specific admissions requirements (or recommendations) may be:
English courses (written composition, advanced or intensive writing courses)
Semester or year of mathematics (Statistics, MATH 231 – Calculus I, MATH 232 – Calculus II; AP credit can usually apply)
About 15 percent of the MCAT questions cover psychology topics, strong preparation is recommended. MCAT preparation does not have to come from an actual course, a number of medical schools require or recommend at least one course in the behavioral sciences.
Medical School Admissions Requirements – students can purchase a subscription to access information, pre-requisites, mission information, selection factors, average GPA & MCAT scores and much more. A free version is available however the released information is very limited. The director of Health Professions has access to the resource if you have specific questions about an individual school or would like to see the full site.
Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) is the required entrance exam for all medical schools in the US. The exam is broken up into four sections. For more information on the various test sections and their content, see the AAMC web site.
American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine (AACPM) represents the nine colleges of podiatric medicine and over 200 hospitals and organizations conducting graduate training in the field
The MCAT is the required entrance exam for podiatry programs. For more information on the various test sections and their content, see the AAMC web site. Additional courses beyond those required for admission may be necessary to adequately prepare for the exam.
There are many ways in which one can pursue a career in nursing. One path is the Liberal Arts Nursing major. If not pursuing the major, many Wheaton College students pursue a non-nursing undergraduate major and then enter nursing education after graduation. Applying to an accelerated BSN (second Bachelor’s degree) program or a Graduate Entry Master’s program are the two most popular Wheaton College options for students preparing to enter the nursing field. Some programs are intended for individuals seeking to become nurse practitioners.
Core Requirements for many nursing programs:
Introductory Biology (BIOL 241)*
Chemistry (CHEM 231, 232)**
Microbiology (BIOL 324)
Anatomy & Physiology (AHS 351 & 361)
General Psychology (PSYC 101)
Developmental Psychology (PSYC 317)
Statistics course
*Required to take Anatomy & Physiology and Microbiology **Required to take Microbiology
Beyond the courses listed above, school–specific requirements may include courses such as:
English courses (written composition, advanced or intensive writing courses)
Social & Behavioral Sciences (additional Psychology, Sociology, etc.)
Nutrition (AHS 368)
Oral Communication
CPR and/or medical terminology*
*Medical terminology is not offered at Wheaton College, many programs allow online courses
Students are encouraged to consult the nursing program web sites for a list of the pre-requisite requirements.
NursingCAS is the centralized application service for many nursing programs. The service opens in late August each year. If a program is not a part of NursingCAS, the application can be found on the school’s web site.
The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is often required for master’s programs. In some cases, the requirement is waived with a certain cumulative GPA.
Core Requirements for most physician assistant schools:
Chemistry course (significant variability in chemistry requirements)
Statistics
*Prerequisite courses: BIOL 241, CHEM 231 & 232
PA programs tend to have the greatest variability from program to program of the health profession tracks. Students are wise to investigate required classes early.
The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is often required for master's programs in PA studies.
There are ten common areas of study/work within the discipline of Public Health: Biostatistics/Informatics, Community Health, Epidemiology, Environmental Health, Global Health, Health Policy, Health Promotion and Communication, Maternal and Child Health, Minority Health and Health Disparities, and Social/Behavioral Health.
The type of graduate program being pursued determines if any pre-requisite courses would be required. The GRE is frequently required for MPH or MSPH programs. Over 19,000 individuals applied for public health programs in 2016-2017 and over 13,000 were accepted.
Council on Education for Public Health accredited program list
A child life specialist is an expert in child development. The individual works to ensure that life remains as normal as possible for children in various health care settings and other challenging environments. Child Life Specialists promote effective coping through play environments, self-expression activities, and age-appropriate medical preparation and education. Individuals work with the families and in partnership with doctors, nurses, social workers and others professionals to meet the unique developmental, social, emotional and cultural needs of the child and family.
Abnormal and/or Developmental Psychology (PSYC 348 and 317)
Statistics course
*Prerequisite courses are required
Helpful Resources:
OTCAS is the centralized application service for occupational therapy programs. The application opens in mid-July each year for the next application cycle.
Wheaton College students interested in becoming a speech-language pathologist can pursue professional studies in the field after graduation. In many cases, pre-requisite courses would be needed to apply. Some pre-requisite courses include: Introduction to Communication Sciences & Disorders, Introduction to Audiology, Phonetics, Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech and Hearing Mechanism.
The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is often required for master’s programs in SLP.
Wheaton College students interested in becoming a pharmacist can pursue professional studies in the field after graduation. In many cases, pre-requisite courses would be needed to apply. Some pre-requisite courses include:
