Review the appropriate list of required courses for your desired pre-health program:

1. Medical school (MD, DO & MD/PhD)
2. Dental school
3. Veterinary school
4. PA school
5. Pharmacy school
6. Physical therapy school
7. Optometry school
8. For programs not listed, please contact the HPP office.

1. What labs are required?
   • Most health professions programs require applicants to complete laboratory courses in 4 major disciplines: Biology, Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and Physics. Some programs, such as optometry, PA, and PT even require labs in Anatomy, Physiology, and Microbiology. 
   • For detailed requirements for specific health professions programs, please check the "Required Coursework" link above
     
     
2. How many credits do I need to complete for each lab?
   • The minimum number of credits that schools require is typically 2 credits of each lab.
     
     
   • At CMU, 1 credit = 3 units
     
     
   • For each discipline, you must complete 2 credits or 6 units of lab
     
     
     • ex: 33-100 is a 6-unit physics lab - this single lab course satisfies the physics lab requirement
       
       
     • ex: 03-343 is a 12-unit bio lab - this single lab course more than satisfies the biology lab requirement. 03-124, 03-206 and 02-261 also more than satisfy the requirement.
       
       
     • ex: 09-207 & 09-208 are each 9-unit labs - these single lab courses more than satisfy the chem & o-chem lab requirement, respectively
       
       
3. Do I need to take two labs in each discipline?
   • NO - at CMU, labs in bio, chem, o-chem and physics are single, stand-alone lab courses that each satisfy the minimum credit requirement for each discipline.
     
     
4. What if I take a lab course at a different institution?
   • CMU pre-healths students need to be careful about taking pre-reqs outside CMU and thus should talk with the pre-health advisor about the implications before scheduling.

FIRST: add the "Undergraduate Prehealth" non-degree audit to your Stellic

SECOND: Using Stellic, add the pre-reqs to your 4-yr plan. Here are a few tips/things to keep in mind when planning your course sequence:

1. You must complete inorganic chemistry before organic chemistry
2. You must complete Modern Biology before taking a bio lab
3. You can take 33-100 Physics lab before or after completing the Physics I & II lectures
4. Before taking the MCAT, it is strongly recommended that you complete Biochemistry plus TWO lectures for Biology, Chemistry, O-Chem, and Physics. It is also recommended that you complete either Intro Psych or Social Psych.
5. Be mindful of which version of pre-req courses are required for your degree. For example:
   • 09-219 O-Chem I and 09-220 O-Chem II are required for Chem majors, whereas 09-217 O-Chem I and 09-218 O-Chem II are typically completed by all other majors.
   • 03-343 Bio lab is required for Bio, Bio-Psych, and Neurobiology majors, whereas 03-124 suffices for all other majors. BME students take 03-206. Comp Bio majors take 03-261.
   • 03-231 Honors Biochemistry is typically taken by Biology majors, whereas 03-232 satisfies for all other majors. However, HPP students now can take either Biochemistry course, regardless.

CMU offers numerous courses that will challenge you to think about important social, psychological, historical and rhetorical elements of medicine, health care, public health and social justice.

You are STRONGLY encouraged to review the course offerings in the Additional Major in Health Humanities. This program is grounded in a scientific, social scientific and humanistic approach that recognizes the fact that study of the human experience includes essential empirical, as well as interpretive and analytical elements. The program integrates life science coursework with consideration of social, ethical and cognitive factors of health. A nuanced understanding of health as part of the human experience requires a complex and focused course of study, equally informed by scientific understanding, quantitative skills, communication skills and the ability to reflect and interpret health issues on one’s own with a goal of relating compassionately to others.

MD

Traditional allopathic degree is a four-year pre-professional training that typically involves two years of class work and two years of clinical rotations, plus applying for residency. More and more MD programs are offering 5-year degree tracks that involve a year of research to help medical students enhance their medical school training and residency application. Recently, more and more programs have updated their two year classroom curriculum to be 12 to 18 months in length, enabling greater flexibility in the medical school experience. As well, numerous MD programs have shifted to some degree of Pass/Fail: some use P/F for the first two years while some have shifted to a fully P/F four-year experience.

Osteopathic Medicine

While earning an MD or DO are two similar paths toward a career providing medical care for patients, Osteopathic Medicine (DO) differs primarily in the philosophy of how that care is provided, with an emphasis on providing primary care for patients in diverse and underserved communities.

Why should I consider a career as an osteopathic physician?

How can I learn about Osteopathic Medical Education and Accreditation?

What can I do as an undergrad to prepare for applying to DO schools?

Dentistry

Dental school is traditionally a four year pre-professional training program that prepares graduates to become general dentists. Residency programs exist to specialize in areas of dental medicine such as orthodontics, periodontics, pediatrics, prosthodontist, and oral and maxillofacial surgery.

Dental school training is as rigorous as medical school training, requiring the same pre-req courses for admission. The Dental Admissions Test (DAT) exams an applicants knowledge in the life sciences, excluding physics.

MD/PhD

According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, "Graduates of MD-PhD programs often go on to become faculty members at medical schools, universities and research institutes. Regardless of where they eventually work, MD-PhD candidates are being prepared for careers in which they will spend most of their time doing research, in addition to caring for patients. The MD-PhD dual career is busy, challenging, rewarding, and offers opportunities to do good for many people by advancing knowledge, developing new treatments for diseases, and pushing back the boundaries of the unknown."

If you are intellectually drawn to research while also passionate about caring for patients, you should consider the dual physician-scientist training program (MD/PhD or DO/PhD).

• A typical MD/PhD program lasts about 7-9 years.
• Years 1-2 are spent completing the didactic part of medical school
• Years 3-6 are spent in the research laboratory conducting doctoral research (time in lab will vary depending on nature of one's research, program type, and luck)
• Years 7-8 are spent completing the clinical rotations and electives in the last two years of medical school

Some great resources to learn more about physician-scientist training programs:

• AAMC website on physician-scientist training
• University of Pittsburgh American Physician Scientists Association chapter
• Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR)

Veterinary Medicine

More details coming soon

• While there is no set minimum, students are strongly encouraged to obtain at least 200 hours for medical and dental school. These hours can consist of shadowing as well as volunteering.
• For PA school, plan to acquire at least 1000 hours of experience before applying. While shadowing is acceptable, experiences should focus on patient contact.
• Quality is more important than quantity so focus on a diverse set of experiences that broadly educate you about a career in health care.

• Shadowing physicians, nurses, PAs, pharmacists, dentists, Veterinarians, clinical psychologists, PTs, OTs, speech therapists, clinical social workers...
• Volunteering at a hospital, cancer center, hospice center, children’s center, out-patient center, urgent care center, free health care clinics.
• Employment such as EMT, phlebotomist, nurses aid, clinical researcher.
• Medical Scribe
• Experiences that involve patient contact are ideal.

• As early as the freshman year, perhaps over winter break is an ideal time to start shadowing.
• The key is to pursue exposures consistently over your time in college.

• Teaching assistant, EXCEL / SI Leader
• Volunteering: Outreach, Donut Dash, Greek life, fund raising, 1000Plus…
• Leadership in student organizations
• Mentoring on campus or in the community
• Volunteering at your local church, food bank, community center, charity.

• Shadowing is when a student follows a clinician to observe the daily interactions between patient and clinician. These can be in primary care, internal medicine, surgery, or any sub-specialty.
• Volunteering places one in an active role, providing a service that contributes the mission of that organization. Volunteerism can consist of clinical and non-clinical experiences.

• Most anything and everything in which you are passionate, curious, interested.
• Athletics, student organizations, teaching, Resident Assistant, Community Advisor, Orientation Counselor, Camp Counselor, EXCEL /SI Leader, school newspaper, abroad service experiences, emergency medical services, student government…

• YES. Art, music, writing, singing…any creative outlet or passion you engage is something that tells about your life story.
• These endeavors speak to your personality and your intellectual diversity, as well as your sense of creativity and your ability to find balance in life.

• College can be very stressful, and graduate school will be also.
• Being able to find balance and maintain your health in college establishes healthy habits for adapting to the new stresses of medical and dental school, and helps prevent fatigue and burnout.

• Engaging in a research project under the mentorship of a faculty member offers you a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience performing experiments, the chance to apply your classroom knowledge in a real research setting, and the opportunity to network with scientists and graduate students.
• Engaging in research will enhance your understanding of the scientific method, your problem-solving skills, as well as your communication skills. It will make you a better student of the sciences, more capable of engaging the research element of modern medical training and practice.

• Research of all types is/can be valuable.
• The type will/should depend on your interests – if you are not interested in the research of a particular lab, look elsewhere. Consider your academic interests as a starting point.
• Wet lab, behavioral, engineering, public health…most any area is worth considering because the experience of doing research is often more important than the research itself.

• Biology
• Biomedical Science
• Biochemistry
• Bioinformatics (CS)
• Chemistry
• Psychology & Behavioral Science
• Social and Decision Science
• Public Health
• Biomedical Engineering
• Chemical Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Material Science Engineering
• Physics / Biophysics
• Clinical data analysis

• CMU
• Pitt
• UPMC
• National Institutes of Health
• Major research centers across the US
• Biotech and Pharma
• The CDC
• Research centers abroad

• Are you a Freshman or Sophomore?
• Do you have little to no research experience, and have secured a faculty research advisor to do research with this summer?
• SURA is an entry-level summer research experience where students work closely with faculty to learn how to do research
  
  
• SURA is a great way to earn tuition-free credit in the summer for the research hours you complete (up to 9 units possible)
• SURA is an opportunity to learn more about research design and proposal development, along with getting to know a faculty mentor

• Medical: Traditionally, students apply in June at the end of the junior year; however, there has been a noticeable shift in students delaying their application until June at the end of their senior year. This results in a gap (bridge) year between undergrad and medical school. Some have opted for more than one gap year.
• Dental:  Students most often apply in June/July at the end of their junior year. Some have decided to apply at the end of the senior year, resulting in a gap year.
• Veterinary: Students most often apply in June/July at the end of their junior year. Some have decided to apply at the end of the senior year, resulting in a gap year.

• By the January before the upcoming application cycle, students start preparing their personal statements, meeting with professors/mentors/employers for letter of recommendation, and researching schools.
• The CMU HPP conducts a two-part application seminar in late January / early February to provide potential applicants with a broad review of how to assess the strength of your application, how to request letters of recommendation, how to draft personal statements, to learn aboit the CMU Comittee Process, and what to expect when completing and submitting primary and secondary applications. We also talk about strategies for interviewing and post-interview communication.
• The CMU HPP coordinates a panel discussion in April that engages future applicants with applicants who have been successful in the current cycle.
• HPP Committee Interviews start in April and end in June (medical) or July (dental).

• Yes, the HPP Director meets with each applicant to discuss content and design of the personal statement. Applicants are strongly encouraged to meet with a writing tutor at the Global Communications Center (GCC) if you need assistance with writing.
• Once the personal statement is written, applicants can seek assistance from the HPP office as well the GCC for feedback and critique.

1. What is the CMU HPP?
   • The CMU HPP is an advising resource center that assists CMU students and alumni with nearly every aspect of pursuing a career in health care, as well as biomedical research.
2. How does the CMU HPP assist with applying to health professions schools?
   • The HPP advises students from the moment they arrive.
   • Assistance is provided with four-year planning, course selection, as well as obtaining clinical, research, and volunteering experiences.
   • The HPP provides information sessions to assist with the application process.
   • The HPP provides a committee interview and committee letter writing.
3. Am I eligible for HPP advising and other resources?
   • If you are currently enrolled or have graduated from CMU, yes.
   • Please contact the HPP office to learn more or to make an appointment?
4. What major should I pursue to be competitive for medical / dental school?
   • Schools today are looking for competitive GPAs as well as entrance exam scores that convey competency. However, they also place large emphasis on life experience that tells a story about your commitment to service to others. Leadership, teamwork, athletics, research, volunteerism, employment…are all experiences that are considered when reviewing an application. These types of experiences enhance applicants’ intra- and interpersonal skills, communications skills, analytical and critical thinking skills, competence in the scientific method, and cultural awareness, as well as personal traits such as maturity, reliability, resilience, dependability, commitment, and integrity.
5. Do I need a minor or additional major to be competitive for medical / dental school?
   • No. The goal is to study what you are intellectually curious or interested in; however, pursuing an additional major or minor can enhance one’s preparation for post-graduate training in health care.
6. Do I need to take additional courses outside the natural sciences?
   • No; however, it is strongly recommended that you do.
   • Courses in philosophy, ethics, history, economics, psychology, social decision sciences, foreign languages, statistics, anthropology, public health…are ideal options for future health care providers.
   • Additional coursework in the Biological Sciences, such as Cell Biology, Genetics and Immunology will only enhance your preparation for medical, dental and Vet schools.
7. What is the difference between osteopathic and allopathic medical school?
   • Allopathic medical school trains medical students to diagnose and treat patients based on the cellular and molecular aspects of biology, chemistry, pharmacology and biochemistry.  Please see AAMC.
   • Osteopathic medical schools (AACOM) provide the same curricular experience as allopathic medical schools with the addition of OMM (osteopathic manipulative medicine). OMM consists of hands-on training in order to enhance medical student understanding of human anatomy and how the neuro skeletal muscular systems coordinate with one another. This additional training speaks to the fundamental philosophical difference between DO and MD programs, such that DO programs have traditionally emphasized holistic approaches to patient interaction, diagnosis and treatment. DO programs often emphasize service to underserved or more rural areas; however, the lines between DO and MD continue to blur as the state of health care evolves and the demand for holistic care increases.
8. What is the difference between a DMD and a DDS degree in dentistry?
   • In practice, they are the same. There are more DDS awarding schools than DMD.
   • Historically, dental practitioners earned a DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery degree); however, Harvard University created the DMD (Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry or Doctor of Dental Medicine) degree due to issues translating DDS into Latin.

If you are a first-generation college student, under-represented in medicine, or if you are under-resourced and unfamiliar with the health professions, there are many resources, with useful information and assistance, to help you learn more about careers in health care. Below are some resources that can assist with learning about being a pre-health student at CMU, financial planning, academic support, as well as emotional support.

Being a prehealth student, whether you are premed, predental, preVet, prePA, etc, is stressful for many reasons. For one, the academic pre-requisites, which often represent additional coursework beyond your degree requirements, are demanding. Second, there is a lot of pressure to get good grades while also building a resume of compelling lived experiences that demonstrate your readiness to attend medical school. Third, there often is a sense of competition among prehealth students, a sense that you are competing against your peers rather than collaborating with them.

At CMU, the HPP is here to help each prehealth student plan to complete the required courses in a manner that maximizes your success. While having good grades is important, there is more to a good GPA than the number. Course selection, exploring topics outside one's major, taking upper division courses, and challenging oneself is also important to consider. When it comes to competition, know that at CMU, the prehealth community is unique in that most students share the sentiment that while they feel the pressures of "competition," but is more of a feeling that they are competing against the rigor of the CMU academic experience. Often, students convey that they indeed collaborate with one another toward excelling in their courses, not working to excel beyond their peers. Recognizing this will help all prehealth students continue to build a strong prehealth community that seeks to support everyone.

As alluded to above, getting good grades is important for gaining acceptance to medical school - this is because to be successful in med school, one needs to be able to succeed on rigorous courses such as Biochemistry, Chemistry, Biology, O-Chem and Physics. If you need assistance, whether it be in developing a 4-year plan, finding a mentor, finding tutors, connecting with peers to create study groups, know that there are several resources at CMU to help:

• The CMU Student Academic Success Center exists to provide individualized and group help with tutoring and academic assistance.
• The CMU Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion exists to provides students with unique resources as well as a physical location that is a safe space for students to engage and learn.
• Your professors can not only help with your studies, but they can also serve as mentors and sources of information about post-graduation careers. Don't be afraid or intimidated to approach professors to ask for help - they are here because they chose a career aimed at educating and inspiring the next generation of community leaders (i.e., YOU!)
• Your peers, in particular more senior students, are extremely valuable sources of help, information, and inspiration. RAs, OCs, tutors, and SI Leaders are a few examples of students who have made a commitment to the campus community founded on a desire to help and serve those in need. Take advantage of the opportunity to engage these student leaders - they are excited to help you!

Are you a first-gen student? Are you the first person in your family to pursue a career in health care? If yes, this means that you likely don't know what you don't know about being prehealth. Making the decision to attend medical school or dental school takes a lot of self-awareness and self-refection that stem from being exposed to the clinical setting. It takes time, experience, maturity, and confidence to know 1) that you can excel in med school, and 2) that you possess the requisite sense of compassion and dedication to serve one's community as a health care provider. To find this sense of purpose, you are encouraged to find a mentor (or mentors) who will motivate, inspire and help you maintain your focus and dedication. Mentors can challenge you to periodically examine and therefore refine your motivations and reasons for wanting a career in health care. Mentors can also be a source of personal and emotional support that helps you get through those tough times.

College, let alone being prehealth, is stressful. Add to the mix you have to excel in really hard classes every semester can make for an overwhelming experience. If you need emotional support, look to these very helpful resources:

• Your peers, your professors, your advisors, your mentors
• The CMU Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion
• COMPASS - COaching Minority Progress and Academic Success in Science
• The HPP office - we are here to listen to you
• Family
• CaPS

It is important to have a sense of how you are going to pay for medical or dental school. Attending these types of graduate training programs is expensive. Below are a few resources available to you where you can find answers to questions about paying for med school.

• CMU Student Financial Services is a great place to start learning about financing your education.
• The AAMC Tools and Resources for First-Generation Medical School Students provides a lot of information about grant eligibility, types of loans, and services to help you plan your finances.