Pre-Health Program: The science of success

What makes a health care professional truly exceptional? It's not just the depth of knowledge or the ability to perform well academically. It's the gift of personally connecting with patients, feeling passionate about a career and living with the understanding that a day's work will change lives.

Of course students pursuing pre-health studies at Dickinson will take the prerequisites for medical, dental or veterinary programs. But alongside every lab and lecture there's an opportunity to explore your passion. Study a new treatment for Alzheimer's disease, intern with a physician at a nearby medical center or conduct field research while studying abroad-the door is open to a world of hands-on, meaningful experiences.

Ashley Lakin ’06, American studies major and pre-health student, gained extraordinary field experience by studying health issues in Cameroon, West Africa.

Just ask Ashley Lakin '06, an American studies major and pre-health student. During her coursework at Dickinson , she's taken part in the Medical Shadowing Rotation Program with various specialists, studied health issues in New Orleans and Cameroon , explored health challenges for aboriginal people in rural Australia and embarked upon eye-opening research in breast cancer.

"The Pre-Health Program certainly gives you all the academic and research opportunities to get into medical school," Lakin says of Dickinson's unique program, which encourages study abroad while pursing pre-health studies. "But what the program, and Dickinson as a whole, gives you is the cultural perspective and the ability to personally experience the field. That's invaluable."

In the "This is Your Life" biology lab, from left, Monica Melville '06, Susannah Rowe '08 and Meredith Rauhut, adjunct faculty member in biology, work on the chemical manipulation of heart rate, as Stephani Puszka '07 looks on.

The Dickinson difference

If you're looking for a "pre-med" factory, then Dickinson is not the right choice. Our Pre-Health Program works with a small number of students-generally eight to 15 students per class year. Because of the intimate size of the program, the Pre-Health Program takes each student's interest into account and creates an individualized path for a career in health care, not just the skills to get into medical school.

• Benefit from an intensive pre-health advising program matching you with a dedicated professor who will assess your goals and help you plan your future.
• Explore the latest developments in science with professors noted for their cutting-edge research.
• Perform your research in state-of-the-art laboratories featuring new bioinformatics tools, instrumentation for the study of nanotechnology, neuroscience facilities, a surgical suite for physiology work and a molecular-modeling lab.
• Participate in top-notch research programs funded by government and institutional grants from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and private foundations.
• Take advantage of the college's innovative science-based study-abroad programs in England and Australia.
• Learn in an environment encouraging flexibility, innovation and teamwork-skills essential in today's health care system.

The bottom line: At Dickinson, our pre-health students gain the skills to become more than good medical practitioners. They become leaders.

Faculty Profile: An Open-Door Approach

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