Health Professions: Information for Pre-Medical and Pre-Dental Students

Many undergraduates at Northwestern consider careers in the health professions, including medicine, dentistry, physical therapy, public health, pharmacy, optometry, and others. Among the more popular choices is medicine. For students interested in this field, the challenges begin some years before entrance to medical school. Competition for admission to medical school is keen, and many factors are considered, including not only the grades you earn in your courses and your scores on the Medical College Admissions Test, but also your extracurricular activities, your personal statement, and the recommendations you receive from your professors. Medical schools strongly advise students to have clinical experience of some kind, as well as a background in research methodology (in any field, not necessarily the sciences). In addition, they seek candidates who have a good understanding of the medical profession, of themselves, and of the reasons why they are a "good fit" for medicine. You should seek experiences as an undergraduate that will help you acquire these understandings – or learn that some other career path, perhaps in another of the health professions, might be a better choice for you.

Students at Northwestern successfully gain admission to medical and dental schools from many different majors, both within and outside of the sciences. You don't need to have a particular major to follow this path; WCAS departments offer courses on topics such as public health, bioethics, economics of health care, medical anthropology, and the history of western science and medicine, which may be of interest. You should be aware, however, that admission to these professional schools requires successful completion of particular courses; details vary among the professions and may vary as well among specific schools.

Because a pre-medical or pre-dental path can be challenging and can involve many difficult decisions, you should take full advantage of the resources available to you:

For Freshmen and Sophomores : At this stage in your academic career, pre-health advising is connected to general advising (choosing a major, course selection, evaluating your academic strengths, studying abroad, and so forth). Your primary resource for individual advising is your Freshman Adviser or your College Adviser, who can help guide you toward fields of study and specific academic plans that will help you achieve your goal. The University Academic Advising Center (UAAC), which coordinates Northwestern's pre-medical/pre-health advising, offers group advising sessions throughout each quarter that are specifically geared toward freshman and sophomore concerns, as well as individual advising sessions. It is highly recommended that you attend a group session by the end of your freshman year.

For Juniors and Seniors : Your WCAS Adviser can continue to help you conceive of your goals within the context of your academic plan (completing coursework, timing your application, combining an interest in health care with other interests, etc.). The UAAC offers group advising sessions on topics geared toward students applying to medical school, including choosing schools, writing the personal statement, and organizing letters of recommendation, and preparing for interviews. The UAAC also offers one-on-one meetings with pre-medical advisers during which you can personalize your plan. You are strongly encouraged to attend one of the group sessions before you schedule an individual appointment.

For more information about preparing for a career in medicine, including recommended courses and the application process, see the Weinberg College Pre-Medical Brochure. You should also take a look at the WCAS list of premed web resources, and the UAAC's extensive collection of web resources on the health professions, which includes information about topics such as clinical experience, applications, and overall strategies. You can also find a schedule of the UAAC's workshops. Pre-dental students can find lots of useful information in the Weinberg College Pre-Dental Brochure and in the UAAC's dentistry resources.