Program Overview

Overview of Pre-Health Professions Program

The University of Tulsa has provided a first-class pre-professional program for more than 60 years. The curriculum has the flexibility, breadth, and depth to provide the necessary preparation to enter and succeed in a professional degree program in allopathic or osteopathic medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, optometry, pharmacy, or physician assistant. Pre-professional education at TU is distinguished by faculty dedication to undergraduate teaching and research, exemplified in small class sizes and more individualized instruction in both lectures and laboratories.

Program Features

• Through coursework and advising that begin during the freshman year, students can meet the requirements for admission to any medical school in the United States and Canada.
• The faculty provides a rigorous and personal approach to the pre-professional program in medicine.
• Health professions advisors work closely with students to help them reach their goals.
• A Pre-Health Professions Evaluation Committee is responsible for providing evaluations for those students seeking acceptance to medical school or dental school.

Basic Coursework

Students on the pre-medicine or pre-dentistry track can major in any discipline. In fact, numerous medical and dental school admissions committees have indicated that they are particularly interested in students who have a diverse background and training—a clear strength of the TU experience. Nonetheless, a majority of medical and dental school applicants have majored in one (or more) of the sciences. The reason is that the vast majority of medical schools have a substantive set of pre-requisite coursework in the sciences. Most medical and dental schools in the United States have similar requirements—8 semester hours in each of these areas: biology, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, and physics. Most also require two semesters of English and general humanities courses. TU advisors recommend the following science courses as a minimum for pre-health professions students, regardless of their major:

• BIOL 1703 Introduction to Molecular and Cellular Biology
• BIOL 1603 Introduction to Organismal and Evolutionary Biology
• CHEM 1013 General Chemistry I
• CHEM 1023 General Chemistry II
• CHEM 3013 Organic Chemistry I
• CHEM 3023 Organic Chemistry II
• PHYS 1013 Introductory Physics I or PHYS 2053 General Physics I
• PHYS 1023 Introductory Physics II or PHYS 2063 General Physics II

Pre-med students should plan on taking CHEM 4133 Biochemistry I, an introductory course in psychology, and an introductory course in sociology. Some dental schools also require biochemistry. Most professional schools require or recommend BIOL 2123 Genetics. Math requirements vary from none to a year of calculus (MATH 2014 Calculus I and MATH 2024 Calculus II).

Programs of Study

Students may be interested in the following programs of study which offer pre-health professions tracks:

• Biology, Pre-Med Option, B.S.B.S.
• Chemical Engineering, B.S.Ch.E.
• Exercise and Sports Science, Pre-medicine Emphasis, B.S.E.S.S.

Health Professions Advisers

• Jeffrey Alderman, M.D., M.S., Associate Professor of Community Medicine
• Akhtar Ali, Ph.D., Professor of Biological Science
• Samantha Beams, M.Ed., NBCT, Clinical Associate Professor of Exercise and Sports Science
• Miriam Belmaker, Ph.D., Chapman Associate Professor of Anthropology
• Ron Bonett, Ph.D., Professor of Biological Science
• Mark Buchheim, Ph.D., Professor of Biological Science and Chief Health Professions Adviser
• Mohamed Fakhr, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biological Science
• Ty Johannes, Ph.D., Wayne B. Rumley Chair of Chemical Engineering
• Angus Lamar, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry
• Robert Sheaff, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Colleges

• Arts & Sciences
• Business
• Engineering & Computer Science
• Health & Natural Sciences
• Graduate School
• Law

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