Career
Center Resources
Overview of the Program | Student
responsibilities | Dickinson Committee for
the Health Professions Policies | Admission
requirements for Health Professions The Pre-Health Professions Program helps prepare Dickinson College
students who plan to enter graduate study for the health professions.
The foundation of the Program is the Committee for the Health Professions.
The Committee has two main functions: to set policies for the Pre-Health
Program, and to act as advisors to the Pre-Health students. If you have an interest in a health career, enter the Pre-Health
Program, even if that interest is not yet strong. A major part of
the Program is to develop a file of faculty evaluations for each
student, and this file will be stronger if the process begins in
the first year. The Pre-Health Committee members will use this file
to prepare a letter of evaluation as part of the student's application
to professional school. A student planning to apply to a school
in the health professions is strongly encouraged to be part of the
Program. Most medical, dental and veterinary schools require committee
letters from colleges that have such a program. The freshman year is spent getting started in the required science
courses. Speak with your Pre-Health advisor when making up your
class schedule. Be frank about your strengths, weaknesses, and goals.
Your advisor will help you to make sure that you meet both college
and professional school requirements. In the final analysis, however,
it is you who will have to decide each semester what is best for
you. As noted before, these courses are required by all medical schools
and therefore represent the required courses within the Pre-Health
Program: •Chemistry: 4 semesters •Biology: 2 semesters •Physics: 2 semesters •Mathematics: 2 semesters •English: 2 semesters The bulk of the first three years at Dickinson will be spent taking
general college requirements, getting started on your major, and
completing those courses necessary for professional school. Your
primary goal during this period is to maintain an exceptional academic
record. While you can choose any major you like, you must take and do well
in the science courses listed above. Doing well in the sciences
means grades of B+ or better. Needless to say, you should also do
well in your other courses. We have found that students with an
overall GPA of 3.4 or better stand the best chance of getting into
medical school. An academically bad term or year does not necessarily mean the
end of your dreams. At some time during your college years, personal,
family, financial or health problems may affect your studies. These
situations are not permanent barriers if you prove you can surmount
your problems and if your subsequent record is good. Admission committees
like to see an upward trend in your academic performance. Remember
that one strong semester will not counteract several years of mediocre
work. You are encouraged to get involved in extracurricular activities
to balance your academic preparation. For example, you can take
part in the Carlisle Hospital Rotation Program, an activity in which
you shadow doctors working at Carlisle Hospital. While experience
working in a hospital or other health or research setting is not
required, it is often valuable. Such opportunities can serve to
solidify your career choice and can demonstrate to admission committees
that you are familiar with the field and sincerely motivated. Maintaining regular contact with your Pre-Health advisor also works
to your advantage during these years. Your Pre-Health advisor can
assist you in devising your schedule, offer advice if you get into
academic difficulty, help you find research or summer program opportunities,
and generally serve as a "sounding board." When you apply
to professional school, your advisor will write the Committee letter
of evaluation, which will be more effective if he/she gets to know
you well. After you are assigned a Pre-Health advisor in the fall of your
first year, visit your advisor to introduce yourself. Make sure
you visit your Pre-Health advisor early in the fall of each year
to discuss your schedule of courses. Although your Pre-Health advisor
does not approve your schedule, you should check with him/her to
be sure that you are taking the correct sequence of courses. Attend
all workshops provided by the Pre-Health Committee. At the end of
each semester, you will receive an e-mail from the Career Center
that asks for a list of courses you want to be evaluated. Attend meetings of the Pre-Health Society. Explore the health professions
generally, and the ones in which you have an interest in particular.
This is especially important if you are not sure of your plans. Establish your credentials regarding your abilities as a student
(especially in the sciences), your abilities to interact and communicate
with others, your interest and participation in non-academic activities,
and your experience and knowledge in the profession that interests
you. Remember, not all students are accepted to professional school.
Be thinking of what you will do if you are not accepted. The normal requirements for the Committee for the Health Professions
(CHP) to write a letter of evaluation for any Dickinson student
are: 1. The student has taken three of the four
required laboratory courses on campus (or an affiliated Dickinson
International Program). 2. The student makes regular contact with his/her
advisor during all four years at Dickinson College. 3. The student requests a letter from his/her
Pre-Health advisor prior to October 1 of the year in which he/she
is applying to professional school, or before he or she graduates
(if that student plans to attend a professional school in the
future). 4. A student requesting a letter of evaluation
has the option of seeing a draft of the letter or waiving his/her
right to see the letter. If the student waives right of access
to the letter, this information will be transmitted to the professional
schools to which the student is applying. If the student chooses
the option of seeing the letter, the student may make comments
or point out omissions, but the substance of the letter will reflect
the Committee's consensus evaluation. CHP files are available
for the student's inspection in the Career Center. 5. The CHP will attempt to establish a broad
basis for evaluation. The CHP will send evaluation forms to as
many individuals as feasible. 6. The letter of evaluation will reflect the
student's work at Dickinson College. Letters from sources outside
the college will be added to the student's file. These letters
may be considered with the Committee's own evaluation and, at
the discretion of the Committee, be either used in the letter
of evaluation or be copied and attached to the Committee letter.
Letters from persons who have had professional contact with the
student will be accepted, but letters from friends, family, pastors,
etc. are not well received by admissions committees. 8. Although the student’s academic record
represents a significant factor in the screening process, the
Committee recommendation also considers a number of additional
interrelated factors such as initiative, motivation, interest,
personality, and the quality of classroom and laboratory work. Although all schools have the following basic set of requirements,
many have additional components that are necessary for admission.
Therefore, at the time of your application, check the individual
requirements of the schools to which you plan to apply. Chemistry: 4 semesters Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) Letter of Evaluation Grade Point Average As with medical schools, all dental schools require a basic
set of courses and an entrance exam. All dental schools require
the same English and laboratory science course as those listed
above for medical schools. However, only a few schools require
any mathematics. Dental Admission Test (DAT) Letter of Evaluation Grade Point Average Allied health professional schools may have the same basic requirements
as medical and dental schools, and they may also require additional
courses. Check with your advisor and with the schools to which
you intend to apply to find out about specific course requirements. Entrance Exams Letter of Evaluation Grade Point AverageDickinson College Pre-Health Professions Program
Overview of the Program
Getting started: First-Year Science Courses
141 - Foundations of Chemistry
142 - Synthesis and Reactivity I
242 - Synthesis and Reactivity II
243 - Modern Chemical Analysis OR 244 – Equilibrium Systems
Any two semesters of 120 level Biology
(We strongly recommend taking 313, 317 & 333 in addition
to 100 levels)
131, 132 - General Physics or
141, 142 - Physics for the Life Sciences
151, 152 Introduction to Calculus or
161- Calculus I
Additional Course (Math 162 or 121)
One of these may be the Freshman Seminar.
The Middle YearsSophomore and junior years
Student Responsibilities
Committee for the Health Professions Policies
7. The Committee will meet after final spring
semester grades in the student’s junior year to consider
the potential applicants who seek evaluations. Each student will
be either approved or not approved for a Committee letter. Admission Requirements for Health Professions
Medical School (allopathic and osteopathic) Requirements:
Biology: 2 semesters
Physics: 2 semesters
Mathematics: 2 semesters
English/Humanities: 2 semesters
The MCAT should be taken in the spring of the junior year. The
test covers the eight basic chemistry, biology, and physics courses,
so those courses should be completed by the time of the test.
The test is also given in August, but this will delay your application.
During the summer between the junior and senior year, the Pre-Health
advisor will prepare a draft of a letter of evaluation for the
student. This letter will be based on the information in the student's
file, information supplied by the student, and the personal knowledge
of the advisor and the Committee.
An average of 3.4 or better is needed to have a good chance of
acceptance. Dental School Requirements
The DAT should be taken during the spring of the junior year.
The test covers the material in the two chemistry courses and
in the biology course. It does not cover the material in the physics
course. The test is also given in the fall, but to avoid application
delays, take the spring test.
As with medical school applicants, the CHP will prepare a letter
of evaluation for you. See the corresponding statement above for
medical schools.
Students with a 3.0 or higher average have a strong chance of
acceptance.Allied Health Professions
Most of the other health-related schools require a specific entrance
exam (VCAT, PCAT, OAT, GRE, etc.) Check with the catalogs of the
schools to which you intend to apply or the Career Center to find
out which exam is required.
Your advisor will prepare a letter of evaluation for you if you
have enough faculty evaluation forms in your file at the Career
Center. The CHP will not assign a ranking. You may choose to use
this letter when applying to schools, use three individual letters,
or use both.
Students with a 3.0 or higher average have a strong chance of
acceptance for many of the programs.
