Saint Vincent College has a long history of preparing students for entrance to health profession schools.
Pre-health profession students may choose any major and are guided by the Preprofessional Health Committee. The Committee consists of approximately eight SVC faculty and a physician. It advises students about coursework, clinical exposure, service activities, leadership roles, entrance examinations, applications and interviews. The Committee also conducts a comprehensive freshmen orientation program, maintains an extensive system of electronic resources for students and hosts speakers. Shortly before students submit their applications to health profession schools, the Committee assesses the candidacy of each prospective applicant and prepares detailed recommendation letters. The overall goal is to enable each student to put his or her best foot forward.
You'll need a strong foundation in mathematics and the sciences that relate most to medicine: biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, and physics. Entrance requirements at most medical schools include completion of course work in biology, mathematics, chemistry, physics, and English.
But a liberal arts education is a key ingredient to becoming a physician, so it's important for your college experience to be well-rounded. Taking courses in the humanities and the social sciences will help you prepare for the "people" side of medicine. The ideal physician understands how society works and can communicate and write well.
Extracurricular activities also are important. You may want to volunteer at a local hospital or clinic to gain practical health care experience.
Every student interested in the health professions must complete one year of General Biology with lab (BL 150-153), one year of General Chemistry with lab (CH 101-104), one semester of Calculus (MA 109), one year of Organic Chemistry with lab (CH 221-224) and one year of General Physics with lab (PH 111-114). Individual health profession schools may have additional requirements. More specific information about prerequisite coursework is available from:
In addition to preparing students for matriculation to health professions schools, SVC offers programs in some allied health professions. For more information about those programs, click on the links to the right.
| HEALTH PROFESSION | #MATRICULANTS/#APPLICANTS | % ACCEPTED |
|---|---|---|
| Human Medicine | 46/56 | 82% |
| Dental Medicine | 5/6 | 83% |
| Veterinary Medicine | 3/3 | 100% |
| Optometry | 6/6 | 100% |
| *Other (e.g. PT, PA Pharm, Chiro, Podiat) |
26/29 | 90% |
Gregory Bisignani, M.D., and Carl Hasselman, M.D., clinical professors at Saint Vincent College, describe their teaching laboratory periods in the Liberatore Human Anatomy Laboratory, a gift of Ralph and Donna LIberatore. The laboratory is used by undergraduate students for the study of human anatomy and physiology, facilitated by cadaveric dissection. The lab is also used by external clients for surgical training and demonstrations. Students observe and assist with demonstration surgeries, an opportunity Hasselman has described as a “huge step forward in preparing undergraduates for medical school.”