For advisor information, please go to www.pdx.edu/advising/health-science-and-the-earth-pathway.
Professional advisors in the Health, Science, and the Earth advising pathway administer programs designed to support students’ efforts to prepare for and apply to professional health programs. Pre-professional health programs at Portland State University are not majors. Rather, they are programs in which students take advantage of advising, coursework and resources all designed to support and guide students’ efforts to apply to undergraduate and graduate health programs offered at other institutions. There are two types of pre-professional health programs at Portland State – 1) transfer programs, and 2) bachelor’s degree programs.
Transfer programs are those in which students complete a set of prerequisite courses at Portland State and then transfer to undergraduate professional health sciences programs at other institutions to complete their bachelor’s degrees. The students’ focus at Portland State is on fulfilling the admissions requirements of receiving institutions. Transfer programs include the following:
Medical Laboratory Science
Dental Hygiene
Nursing
Radiation Therapy
Students choosing to continue at PSU, rather than pursue a pre-professional transfer program should meet with their assigned advisor within the Health, Science, & the Earth advising pathway to determine PSU graduation requirements.
Bachelor’s degree programs are those designed to prepare students for masters and doctoral programs in the health sciences that require or recommend completion of a bachelor’s degree prior to entry. However, pre-professional bachelor’s degree programs at Portland State are not majors. Thus, students must a) select a major and fulfill Portland State’s graduation requirements, and b) fulfill the prerequisite coursework required by the professional graduate programs to which they plan to apply. Majors commonly selected by pre-professional health students include biology, chemistry, public health studies, science, social science and psychology. However, a student can select any major offered at Portland State, as long as they complete both Portland State’s graduation requirements and those of the receiving professional institutions. Professional schools do not prefer one major over another. They do look for students who perform well in prerequisite coursework and who are broadly educated; this can be accomplished with any major.
Professional health sciences programs that require or recommend that applicants earn a bachelor’s degree before matriculating include the following:
Allopathic and Osteopathic Medicine
Chiropractic Medicine
Dentistry
Naturopathic Medicine
Occupational Therapy
Optometry
Pharmacy
Physical Therapy
Physician Assistant
Veterinary Medicine
A typical pre-professional health program, whether it is a transfer or a bachelor’s degree program, includes but is not limited to coursework in mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, English composition, and social science. However, coursework varies, depending on the admissions requirements of the institutions granting the professional degrees. It is essential that a student’s academic program be planned with an advisor in the Health, Science, and the Earth pathway.
PSU's pathway advisors work closely with students to facilitate their ability to plan coursework and activities strategically; to integrate personal, academic, and career goals; to develop the ability to evaluate options and make decisions; and to be aware of the available resources across campus that can support their efforts to gain admission to professional health sciences programs. Advisors also provide students with guidance on selecting a major, preparing for graduate admissions tests such as the MCAT and GRE, organizing letters of evaluation, and writing the personal statement for admissions applications.
Postbaccalaureate Pre-Medical Program
For students who already have a bachelor’s degree but are lacking the specific science prerequisites for medical school, PSU offers a loosely structured postbaccalaureate program. The timeline for completion varies based on the individual student’s previous preparation. At least two years is a common timeline for those without significant prior coursework in the sciences. The two year timeline allows for a balanced (though still challenging) schedule as well as more time to gain clinical exposure, demonstrate long-term service in the field, and include study time for the MCAT. Coursework may include year-long sequences in general chemistry, biology, organic chemistry, and physics, as well as single term courses in genetics and biochemistry. It is possible to further expedite the completion of pre-med courses with previous math coursework or utilizing summer accelerated sequences. Postbac students will work with their Health, Science, & the Earth pathway advisor to determine a course plan that works best with their goals.
The postbaccalaureate pre-medical program is not a certificate program. Many postbaccalaureate pre-medical students do, however, complete a degree in science (science is an interdisciplinary major at Portland State) while completing prerequisite coursework for medical school. Most students need only add two to three classes to the pre-medical coursework in order to finish the degree. Pursuing a second degree while working on pre-professional coursework often enables postbaccalaureate students to receive financial aid for a longer period of time. For more information, contact an advisor in the Health, Science, and Earth advising pathway.