Where Do I Begin?
Pre-Health at Illinois
Do you have a question you don't see answered here?
Use our Virtual Advising Discussion Board to ask your pre-health questions, and search our archive of answered questions.
My friend and I were talking and she is premed- how can I be premed?
Prehealth at the University of Illinois is not a major, degree or a curriculum through which you will receive a degree. Any student at UIUC regardless of college affiliation can pursue and complete course requirements necessary to apply to any of the health professional schools.
I need an advisor –who do I see?
Academic Advising
Upon declaring your major in your desired college, you will be assigned an academic advisor who will help you choose your classes and explain to you the necessary requirements for graduation…remember you are meeting degree requirements within your college to graduate. Your academic advisor/faculty mentor is your first resource in course selection due to their familiarity of specific courses, sequencing of coursework as well as availability. These professionals may also serve as excellent references when gathering your letters of evaluation, needed for application to the health professional school.
Health Career Counseling:
The Career Center counseling staff are happy to talk with you regarding general course requirements for the many health professions; explain the application process; set up a credential file to house letters of recommendation ; and direct you to additional resources and campus personnel.
Is a career in the Health Professions the right choice for me?
Your choice to pursue a professional degree in a healthcare field will provide you with a career that is both rewarding and extremely challenging. In your search for the right health professional field, you must ask yourself, “'Am I entering the profession for the right reasons?” You must seriously reflect upon this question and realize your own motivations and what the life long commitment will involve. The reality is:
- You will have many years of professional school and additional years of specialized training
- Your daily exposure will be to people who are ill and are in need of your services
- You will have to make time management choices between family and work
- You will need a strong commitment to life long learning
- You will need to be aware of the numerous changes occurring in the health care field, and will likely be an employee instead of an employer due to the major movement toward managed health care systems
- You will not only need the skills of a qualified health care provider, but must acquire sound business practices and counseling strategies
- These are only a few of the many issues you need to deeply consider.
Do I have to be a biology major to get into medical school? What should I major in?
You should choose an area of study that you like and have a strong interest in. There is nothing worse than to be in an area of study that you dread attending classes only with the “hope” this major will get you into medical/dental school. “You should choose the major that will provide the lifestyle you would like to become accustomed to IF you don’t get admitted!
Traditionally students who were in the chemical and life sciences entered the health professions primarily because of their early interest in these subjects during their high school years. Today these same majors are still competitive, however admissions are also offered to students who may have followed a "non-traditional medical major." In other words, there is no magic major that is better than any other to get you into a health school. It should be noted that schools do put a premium on students who not only have a solid background in the sciences, but also a breadth of a program. Exposure and command of writing and speaking skills (interpersonal skills) is also highly desired.
Is it too late for me to take classes to apply for a graduate health program? What kinds of classes should I take?
Each health professional school expects their prospective students to acquire a strong academic background in the basic sciences as chemistry, biology, physics, and organic chemistry. These courses are also vital in your preparation for and taking the MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test), DAT (Dental Admissions Test), OAT (Optometry Admission Test), and the PCAT (Pharmacy College Admission Test). Medical schools in particular, and many dental schools, will include in their minimum requirements or highly suggest that the candidate complete a biochemistry course before matriculation. Those schools with strong training in academic medicine will also require a course in calculus/statistics. It is your responsibility to check with specific admission requirements so that you can make educated choices in your class schedule during your undergraduate/graduate education.
In addition to acquiring competency in the basic sciences, you should explore subject areas that will give you a breadth of knowledge, known as getting a "well rounded education." Courses in the arts, humanities, human behavior, nutrition, and the social sciences are all beneficial to expanding your knowledge base, appreciating the diversity of your "soon to be patients," and the world around you. If you are in a restrictive curriculum you might consider choosing your limited electives to reflect this diversity of knowledge.
In order to meet the minimum requirements of medical, dentistry, optometry, podiatry, and pharmacy schools, you need to complete one year of general chemistry/lab, biology/lab, physics/lab, and organic chemistry/lab, and English/rhetoric.
You should note that each school may have additional requirements beyond the minimums and you will need to keep informed of additional criteria. It is your responsibility to stay informed and leave options open so that you are in a position to be the one who is making choices and not the prospective schools.
As you review the chart you can certainly see that all of the health professional schools have the same basic core requirements. This is in your favor. If you decide not to pursue a pre-determined field of health, you have left yourself the option to pursue alternative health career paths. Keeping your options open, and being in a position to make choices is an important key which will serve you well during the "waiting period" of the application/admission process.
Staying informed and following a timeline will help you achieve a stronger “résumé ” in applying to a health profession. Activities during your academic career, whether it is in a leadership capacity, volunteer experience or research opportunity will enforce your personal desire to pursue a professional life of service and life long learning.
If you choose the major you enjoy, all aspects of your undergraduate education will be affected: your grades will reflect your interest and commitment, you will become involved in activities that will enhance your undergraduate experience, and you will pursue a depth of knowledge with a sense of personal accomplishment.
