Preparation for Pre-Health Studies

Preparing for a career in the health professions is not just about learning facts.

It is about learning and mastering skills and about abilities and values that help you throughout your life. While there are many resources to learn about the process for preparing and applying to health professions programs, it’s important that you consult with OPPAF professional staff who have extensive experience guiding students as they prepare for graduate/professional school. It is the student’s responsibility, however, to initiate relationships with staff and faculty, staff who are important resources. Relationships with faculty should be established early in your undergraduate career.

Register with the Office of Pre-Professional Advising and Fellowships early in your college career. Join the pre-health mailing list.

Science graduates interested in becoming health professionals may also participate in this program or may benefit by enrolling in the MS in Biology to improve their pre-medical credentials.

Starting the Process

Important tips are you begin your pre-health studies.

Exploring Health Careers

According to Explore Health Careers, there are over 120+ defined health careers. Below are the most common.

Dentists are highly skilled health professionals who provide a wide range of oral health care that includes the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of problems associated with the hard and soft tissues of the mouth. They examine the teeth, mouth, and associated tissues, diagnose and treat diseases, restore defective teeth and tissue, and replace missing teeth. Dentists are instrumental in the early detection of oral cancer and systemic conditions that manifest in the mouth. Today’s dentists are at the forefront of a range of new developments in dental implants, computer-generated imaging and cosmetic and aesthetic procedures. Eighty percent of practicing dentists are engaged in general practice. The remainder specialize in one of nine areas, including orthodontics, oral and maxillofacial surgery, endodontics, periodontics, pediatric dentistry, prosthodontics, oral and maxillofacial pathology, dental public health, and oral and maxillofacial radiology. There are over 70 accredited dental schools in the United States that grant Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.) or Doctor of Dental Medicine (D.M.D) degrees. Education includes a bachelor’s degree and four years of dental school and additional training for specialties.

Resources:

Informational Video:

ADEA Dental School: Can I get in and What is holistic admissions?

Allopathic (M.D.) and osteopathic (D.O.) medicine include diagnosis of disease and other medical problems and all provide for treatment through surgery and the prescription of medications. While individual modes of diagnosis and treatment may be similar, there are also distinct differences outlined below.

Allopathic (M.D.) medicine

Allopathic medicine is based on the concept that the biology of diseases can be understood by reducing the body to its parts, organs, tissues, and systems. Medications and treatments are developed and prescribed based on biomedical research and systematic clinical trials.

The allopathic physician’s responsibilities cover a wide range of functions in the maintenance of health and the treatment of disease, including both acute and chronic care and preventive approaches involving substantial patient education. These include diagnosing disease, supervising the care of patients, prescribing medications and other treatments, and participating in the delivery of health care. Although most physicians provide direct patient care, some concentrate on basic or applied research, become teachers and/or administrators, or combine various elements of these activities.

After completion of four years of medical school physicians are required to complete a residency program in order to focus their medical training. Areas of specialties include anesthesiology, family and general medicine, general internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry, surgery and vary in length. There are 155 allopathic medical schools in the United States that grant the Medical Doctor (M.D.) degree. Education generally includes a bachelor’s degree, four years of medical school, and from 3-8 years of medical residency training.

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Osteopathic (D.O.) medicine

Osteopathic physicians diagnose illness and injury, prescribe, and administer treatment, and advise patients about how to prevent and manage diseases. A major distinction between the M.D. and the D.O is that the D.O. has a strongly holistic philosophy and practices osteopathic manipulative medicine, a distinctive system of hands-on diagnosis and treatment which focuses specifically on the musculoskeletal system.

Approximately 57% of the 141,000 osteopathic physicians in the United State practice general or family medicine, general internal medicine, or general pediatrics. The rest specialize in a wide range of practice areas, including emergency medicine, anesthesiology, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry, and surgery. Like M.D.s, osteopathic physicians are fully licensed to diagnose, treat, prescribe, and perform surgery in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

There are over 38 accredited osteopathic medical schools in the United States that grant the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree. Education includes a bachelor’s degree, 4 years of osteopathic medical school, and from 3-8 years of medical residency training.

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Informational Videos:

Occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants help people across the lifespan participate in the things they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of everyday activities (occupations). Common occupational therapy interventions include helping children with disabilities to participate fully in school and social situations, helping people recovering from an injury to regain skills, and providing supports for older adults experiencing physical and cognitive changes.

In order to acquire an occupational therapy license, students must obtain either a Masters in Occupational Therapy (MOT) or a Clinical Doctorate of Occupational Therapy (DOT) from an accredited institution.

Resources:

Informational Video:

Day in the Life: Occupational Therapy

Optometry is a comprehensive healthcare field for eyes and vision, including examination, diagnosis, and treatment of the eyes and surrounding structures, and the treatment of vision problems. Optometrists (O.D.s) work with ophthalmologists (M.D.s or D.O.s) who are physicians specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of eye diseases and defects and who perform surgery. Optometrists also work with opticians who fit, supply and adjust eyewear according to prescriptions written by optometrists for ophthalmologists. More than 75% of practicing optometrists are in solo practice.

There are currently 24 accredited Optometry schools in the U.S. that grant the Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) degree. Education includes a bachelor’s degree and four years of optometry school.

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Pharmacy is a doctoral level health profession in which licensed professionals provide information about medication to consumers and other health care professionals. Pharmacists dispense drugs prescribed by physicians and other health practitioners and monitor patient health. They advise physicians and other health practitioners on the selection, dosages, interactions, and side effects of medications. Pharmacists must understand the use; clinical effects; and composition of drugs, including their chemical, biological, and physical properties. They protect the public by ensuring drug purity and strength. The goal of pharmacy care is to maximize positive health care outcomes and improve patients’ quality of life with minimum risk. Most pharmacists work in a community setting, such as a retail drug store, or in a hospital or clinic.

There are around 142 accredited pharmacy schools (as of December 2022) in the United States that grant the Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree. Education includes at least two years of college and 4 years of pharmacy school. A Bachelor’s Degree prior to admission to pharmacy school is strongly recommended and often required.

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Physical therapists (PTs) are experts in movement and function of the body. Physical therapy uses physical methods (e.g., manipulation, traction, exercise, massage, hot/cold therapy, etc.) to assess, diagnose, and treat injury, disability or disease. PTs work closely with patients of all ages to help them recover from and/or manage a wide variety of physical challenges and to help restore function, improve mobility, relieve pain, and prevent or limit permanent physical disabilities of patients with injuries or disease. PTs work closely with patients to restore, maintain, and promote their overall fitness and health.

PTs examine patients’ medical histories, then test and measure their strength, range of motion, balance and coordination, posture, muscle performance, respiration, and motor function. They also determine the patient’s ability to be independent and reintegrate into the community or workplace after injury or illness. Additionally, they develop treatment plans describing a treatment strategy, its purpose, and the anticipated outcome.

There are nearly 230 accredited physical therapy schools in the United States which grant a Master’s of Physical Therapy or Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.) degree. Education generally includes a bachelor’s degree and 3-4 years of physical therapy school.

For more information, see:

Informational Video:

Physical Therapist Careers

Physician assistants (PAs) provide healthcare services under the supervision of physicians. PAs should not be confused with medical assistants, who perform routine clinical and clerical tasks. PAs are formally trained to provide diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive healthcare services, as delegated by a physician. Working as members of the healthcare team, they take medical histories, examine and treat patients, order and interpret laboratory tests and X-rays, make diagnoses, and prescribe medications. They also treat minor injuries by suturing, splinting, and casting. PAs record progress notes, instruct and counsel patients, and order or carry out therapy.

Although physician assistants work under the supervision of a physician, PAs may be the principal care providers in rural or inner-city clinics, where a physician is present for only 1 or 2 days each week. In such cases, the PA confers with the supervising physician and other medical professionals as needed or as required by law. PAs also may make house calls or go to hospitals and nursing homes to check on patients and report back to the physician. In 47 States and the District of Columbia, PAs may prescribe medications.

There are currently about 300 accredited physician assistant programs in the United States. Education generally includes a bachelor’s degree and 2-3 additional years to obtain a master’s degree.

For more information, see:

Podiatric medicine is a branch of the medical sciences devoted to the study of human movement, with the medical care of the lower leg, foot, and ankle as its primary focus. A doctor of podiatric medicine has undergone lengthy, thorough study to become uniquely well-qualified to treat this specific part of the body. Many practitioners can focus on a particular area of podiatric medicine. These options can include surgery, sports medicine, biomechanics, geriatrics, pediatrics, orthopedics, and primary care. The skills of podiatric physicians are in increasing demand because disorders of the foot and ankle are among the most widespread and neglected health problems.

There are currently 10 accredited podiatric schools in the United States that grant the Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (D.P.M.) degree. Education includes a bachelor’s degree, 4 years of podiatric school, and 1-3 years of residency training.

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In addition to caring for pets and sports animals, veterinarians have traditionally maintained healthy and productive commercial food animals and livestock, secured the public health of humans and commercial animals, and treated illness and disease in livestock. Today, however, the breadth of veterinary medicine encompasses much more. While the majority of veterinarians (75%) are still in private small, large or mixed animal clinical practice, county, state, and federal governments, universities, private industry, zoos, the U.S. military, wildlife organizations, racetracks, and circuses are also some of the diverse settings that employ veterinarians.

There are currently 32 accredited veterinary schools in the United States that grant the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M. or V.M.D.) degrees. Education generally includes a bachelor’s degree and 4 years of veterinary school.

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Health Career Resources

Explore Health Careers – Offers information on a wide variety of health professions, including education and financial aid resources and current issues and trends in health care.

AspiringDocs – Encouraging diversity in medicine, AspiringDocs.org offers information and stories from practitioners in various fields. Learn more about public policy and issues related to diversity in the health care field.

Occupational Outlook Handbook – The Bureau of Labor and Statistics puts out the Occupational Outlook Handbook to inform job seekers of the trends in employment, expected salaries, and job conditions.

MyVeterinaryJobBoard – Source for Veterinary Jobs and Veterinary Resumes

Pre-Health Dreamers – Pre-Health Dreamers (PHD) promotes a culture of inclusion in higher education and healthcare by working with institutions to establish equitable holistic support and processes for undocumented communities. PHD empowers and equips students to skillfully use their voices to create a meaningful connection with higher education and professional programs.

Extra-Curricular Activities

The Center for Student and Community Engagement offers more than 90 different college clubs and organizations to help Adelphi students get involved with campus life activities. Here are the list of pre-health related clubs/organizations:

Getting health-related experience is your evidence to the admissions committee that you are motivated, caring, compassionate, and sure of your career goal. Your experience can come in several ways but should include some patient interaction. It is best to think of your health-related experience in terms of semesters and years. The length of time you spend gaining health-related experience is a sign of your dedication.

Volunteers are always needed, and hospitals will try to place you in a setting that will be mutually beneficial. If necessary, call or visit several facilities to find the one that best meets your needs.

You can shadow a health-care professional to see what a typical day is like for them. Start with your own health-care professional and ask for referrals of other doctors who may allow you to shadow them as well. Exposure to a broad range of opportunities is important; if you choose to shadow a health-care professional, it should be considered only one of your many experiences.

Other Health Related Experience

Residential Support Counselors: You can also get paid for getting health-related experience. Some students work as residential support counselors at places like:

Long Island Head Injury Association
DDI (Developmental Disabilities Institute)
Maryhaven Center for Hope

EMT/Paramedic training: Becoming an EMT or a paramedic is a great way to gain exposure to the medical field as well as get hands on experience and patient care. There are many places where you can get experience and training to become an EMT. Look into Stony Brook University’s SBVAC program as well as the EMT/Paramedic training program at Stony Brook University Health Science Center. You can also contact local ambulance companies and local fire departments for volunteer opportunities.

Phlebotomist training: A phlebotomy training program provides students with a working knowledge of blood collection procedures, techniques, specimen requirements, and equipment. Learn more information about the phlebotomist training program at Stony Brook University Health Science Center. You may also want to check out local community colleges and BOCES programs for other phlebotomist training programs.