PREPROFESSIONAL PROGRAM

Dr. Michael L. Gleason, Interim Director

GENERAL SCOPE

Preprofessional programs are those in which a student completes two to four years of college as a prerequisite for admission to a school where the professional studies will begin. . Preprofessional programs are career choices, not majors. Since admission to professional schools is highly competitive, all students must choose a department major at GCSU and work toward its completion along with preprofessional requirements.

Preprofessional programs are divided into two categories: prebaccalaureate and baccalaureate. Prebaccalaureate programs require two to three years of preprofessional courses. Upon successful completion of the preprofessional curriculum for a specific area and acceptance by a professional school, students transfer to that school to complete the baccalaureate or higher degree in the professional major. Georgia College & State University has prebaccalaureate transfer programs in engineering, forestry/natural resources, occupational therapy, medical technology, pharmacy, and physician assistant. However, it is increasingly common for a student to have completed his or her Baccalaureate degree prior being successfully admitted to the latter three programs. Baccalaureate programs involve the completion of an undergraduate degree before matriculation into professional school. These programs include dentistry, law, medicine, optometry, physical therapy, and veterinary medicine.

Most preprofessional course requirements can be met at any accredited college or university. However, preprofessional advising at Georgia College & State University is one of the strengths of the Preprofessional Program. The University maintains a strong advising program for preprofessional students. The preprofessional advising program is designed to enhance professional school admission opportunities and facilitate a student's transfer into a professional school. The advisement structure includes a director of preprofessional advising and at least one faculty adviser for each preprofessional program area as described on the following pages.

MISSION STATEMENT

The Preprofessional Program implements structured curricula and specialized advising for numerous career areas. Each curriculum incorporates the courses required by the professional schools into the strong Georgia College & State University liberal arts core curriculum. These courses facilitate development of reading, writing, and critical thinking skills that provide the key to successful performance in professional schools and life-long learning. Sound preprofessional advising, the accessibility of the individual advisers, and frequent contact with professional school representatives keep students well informed about the admission requirements and the application process for each program.

PROGRAM GOALS

• Prepare students for admission and successful performance in professional schools.
• Provide academic challenges necessary for the development of the discipline, study skills, and knowledge base necessary to achieve success in professional programs.
• Assist students in the professional school admission process and provide recommendations.
• Assist students in their career exploration through internships, service learning, and volunteer or shadow experiences with professionals.

PREPROFESSIONAL ADVISORS

Director

Biology and Environmental Science

Chemistry and Physics

Kinesiology

Government and Sociology

Mathematics

Psychology

Each preprofessional adviser works with the student to plan a curriculum designed to meet the requirements for professional school admission. The preprofessional adviser is frequently a student's academic adviser, but this will vary depending upon the student's major. Preprofessional advisers should be consulted during the professional school application process. Since preprofessional requirements will vary, it is important to refer to catalogs of specific professional schools and to consult with their admissions counselors. Also, keep in mind professional schools in many states do not accept out-of-state students.

PLANNING FOR CAREER FLEXIBILITY

All preprofessional students must declare a major. Students who are enrolled in a preprofessional program must, from the beginning, face the reality that admission to professional schools is a highly competitive process. Often by their junior year, preprofessional students find that they clearly do not have the grades to seriously consider professional school or they may have decided on another career. Of those who do apply, many are not accepted. Collectively, these realities demonstrate the need for students to consider paths to other careers. A foremost consideration of the preprofessional adviser is counseling students into a curriculum that provides career options. Advisers work closely with students to select a major that leaves alternate career choices open should they not be accepted into professional school.

CHOOSING A MAJOR

Preprofessional programs are career choices, not majors. The majors that successful professional school applicants select are as diverse as the students themselves. Very few professional schools require, or even necessarily prefer, that applicants come from any particular undergraduate major. However, the liberal arts education that students receive at Georgia College & State University is an asset to any professional school applicant.

Preprofessional students should major in a subject that they enjoy and are thus more likely to perform well academically. A wise choice of major should take into account (1) what field holds the most interesting career prospects in the event that professional school plans do not materialize, and (2) the fact that majoring in something one enjoys, rather than feels compelled to pursue, is likely to stimulate the superior academic performance that is of utmost importance in professional school admission.

CURRICULA

The typical undergraduate preprofessional courses required for professional school application varies by student, major, professional school interest. The preprofessional advisor can help the student outline a schedule of course. Since admission requirements vary slightly for each professional school, it is the student's responsibility and not that of the preprofessional adviser at GCSU to contact the professional school's admission counselors.

CURRICULUM PLANNING AND PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL APPLICATION DEADLINES

Preprofessional students must be aware that many professional schools require receipt of applications a full year, if not more, in advance of the intended date of admission. Furthermore, many preprofessional students must schedule their professional school admission test even earlier. These tests are required for dental, law, medical, optometry, pharmacy, and veterinary schools. By overlooking a deadline, even by a few days, some students delay their admission to professional school by a full year. Most professional schools admit new students in the fall. Thus, deadlines for completing the application process must be carefully observed. In four-year programs students must plan their curriculum well in advance, since they have only three years of college to meet admission criteria and prepare for admission examinations. The major requirements can be completed during the senior year.

A professional school often evaluates the student on the academic average earned predominantly during all the years of college. It is therefore important in being a successful professional school applicant that students achieve good grades from the beginning of their college experience. Such considerations make it imperative that the preprofessional student be assigned an adviser immediately upon entering the University. Students who do not have a preprofessional adviser should contact the Preprofessional Office. Early contact with advisers will help students stay on track and complete the preprofessional requirements in the most expedient manner.

PREDENTISTRY

Suggested major: Biology or Chemistry

Dentistry is devoted not only to the repair of teeth but also to the treatment and health maintenance of all the oral tissues. Most dentists engage in general practice. However, about 10% take additional training beyond the D.D.S. or D.M.D. degree to enter one of the eight recognized specialties: dental public health, endodontics, oral pathology, oral surgery, orthodontics, pedodontics, periodontics, or prosthodontics. A few enter the field of dental education or research. The Medical College of Georgia has Georgia's only school of dentistry.

APPLICATION TO DENTAL SCHOOL

A candidate must take the Dental Aptitude Test (DAT) the spring or fall before the year of prospective dental school admission. The DAT covers one's knowledge of biology, general chemistry, and organic chemistry. Therefore, these courses must be completed before the senior year. Quantitative reasoning ability and two- and three-dimensional spatial perception are also included on the DAT. Applications to dental school should be submitted during the summer before the senior year and should be in by early fall. The student should see the preprofessional adviser and other appropriate individuals early in the fall semester of the senior year to arrange letters of recommendation.

PREENGINEERING

Suggested major: Mathematics

Although Georgia College & State University students may transfer to any of several engineering schools, the majority enroll in the Dual Degree Program established between Georgia College & State University and the Georgia Institute of Technology (GIT). In this program the candidate completes 90 semester hours (about three years) at Georgia College & State University. If students compile a good record in the Dual Degree courses, with particular emphasis on calculus and physics, and receive a recommendation from the Dual Degree coordinator, they will be admitted to GIT. However, the following point should be noted: At times, the enrollments in certain engineering majors at GIT reach a critical level, and GIT reserves the right to place very high entrance requirements in those majors for its own students as well as for transfers. The Dual Degree Program is not recommended for international students since GIT rarely accepts undergraduates on student visas. Upon completion of the engineering major requirements at GIT, a Dual Degree student receives both an undesignated (no major) Bachelor of Science degree from Georgia College & State University and a Bachelor of Science degree from GIT in the engineering major. The engineering majors offered by GIT include aerospace, ceramic, chemical, civil, electrical, industrial, mechanical and nuclear, or textile engineering.

PREFORESTRY/NATURAL RESOURCES

Suggested major: Biology

The profession of forestry has as its primary function the active management of forestlands and resources through the application of sound economic and ecological principles. In Georgia's school of forestry at The University of Georgia, students may concentrate in forest management, fish and wildlife biology, forest water resources or forestry sciences. Upon graduation from forestry school, possibilities for employment can be found with federal, state, or local agencies as well as with private consulting firms, industry and conservation organizations. Job opportunities depend on the training focus for the specific graduate and the geographic area of the job search.

APPLICATION TO THE SCHOOL OF FORESTRY AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Students are admitted to the School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Georgia in the fall semester. Separate applications must be made for admission to the University of Georgia and to the School of Forestry and Natural Resources. Both applications may be obtained from the School of Forest Resources at UGA. Because of limited enrollment, admission to this school is competitive and not all qualified applicants may be accepted. Therefore, careful thought should be given to alternate career plans and completion of an undergraduate degree such as biology or another area of interest. Students will be evaluated for admission on: (1) Grade point average in the required preprofessional courses, (2) Personal interview with the admissions committee, and (3) Letters of recommendation.

PRELAW

Suggested : any undergraduate major is acceptable, political science and history are popular.

Many law school graduates enter private practice, while others work for corporations and in branches of civil service from the local to federal level. Beginning pre-law students are advised to obtain a copy of the Pre-law Handbook from the Educational Testing Service (P.O. Box 944, Princeton, NJ 08540) and to consult it regularly throughout their college career.

Law schools require that applicants have a college degree as a prerequisite for admission. However, legal educators agree that the development of habits and skills conducive to legal reasoning are more important than the choice of major and subject matter. Undergraduate courses should be geared to the development of (1) verbal skills, (2) habits of thoroughness, intellectual curiosity, and scholarship, (3) the ability to organize and communicate information, and (4) a diverse cultural background. Law school educators recommend that pre-law students take courses that offer opportunities for (1) a variety of reading assignments selected from well-directed class discussion, (2) ample preparation and criticism of written and oral reports, and (3) independent research projects and essay examinations. The liberal arts curriculum at Georgia College & State University has been designed to promote development in these areas. Pre-law students who are eligible to participate in the Honors and Scholars Program should take advantage of the small group settings of honors seminars and other honors activities. These will prove invaluable in furthering the development of the previously noted skills. Leaders of the bench and bar have been asked in questionnaires which pre-law subjects they consider most valuable. In order of preference they listed English, government, economics, American history, mathematics, and philosophy. Accounting and public speaking are also recommended.

APPLICATION TO LAW SCHOOL

A pre-law student should take the Law School Aptitude Test (LSAT) during the fall semester of the senior year. Undergraduate grades and LSAT scores are the most important criteria in law school admissions. Application to law school is made through a centralized Law School Data Assembling Service the summer following the junior year. Most law schools admit new students only in the fall semester.

In addition to their major adviser students in pre-law will have a pre-law adviser. This faculty member should be consulted for assistance in selecting electives and be advised on progress in the major. Prearranged appointments will enable the pre-law adviser to review progress and suggest additional strategies.

PREMEDICINE

Suggested major: Any major is acceptable, Biology or Chemistry are popular

Medicine is a diverse profession, requiring both technical and interpersonal skills. Medical schools encourage applications not only from physical and biological science majors but also from students in the social sciences and the humanities. Medical schools even urge science majors not to over specialize in science but to get a broad, liberal arts education thus developing the skills of intellectual inquiry and critical thinking that are essential for successful performance in medical school.

The ability to communicate well is becoming increasingly important to medical school admissions, and essay writing is now a significant factor in one's MCAT scores. Students are therefore strongly advised to take science, interdisciplinary courses, seminars, literature, and other courses that involve writing formal papers and speaking in class.

APPLICATION TO MEDICAL SCHOOL

A candidate for medical school should file applications the summer after the junior year. Most medical schools require applications to be submitted electronically through the central processing service, the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS). The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) should be taken in the spring of the junior year. Before taking the MCAT, students should complete the science courses that it covers: a year each of biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, and physics. The MCAT evaluates reading, writing, and quantitative skills with a strong emphasis on writing ability, scientific problem-solving, and analytical thinking. Students should consult a premedical adviser in the spring semester of the junior year to arrange letters of recommendation and to obtain help in submitting applications to the most appropriate medical schools.

PREMEDICAL TECHNOLOGY

Suggested preprofessional major: Biology or Chemistry

Medical laboratory technology provides physicians with information for patient diagnosis and treatment. These professionals utilize laboratory techniques based on knowledge in chemistry, immunology, microbiology and biology. Most of these professionals work in hospital laboratories or in physicians' offices, but other positions exist with veterinarians, toxicologists, pharmaceutical companies, and research centers.

APPLICATION TO MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS

Students should apply to a medical technology program about one year in advance. The principal criteria for admission are college grades and letters of recommendation from preprofessional advisers and other college faculty or community professionals.

PREOCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

Suggested major: Exercise Science and Psychology

Occupational Therapists are concerned with helping people whose lives have been disrupted by physical injury or illness, birth defects, aging, psychological, emotional or developmental problems. These professionals help individuals to regain the skills needed to function in their daily activities of self-care, work, school, play and leisure. The preprofessional curriculum must include specific courses in psychology as well as in chemistry and physics. This career requires at least two years of preprofessional courses. Upon completion of these courses, students apply to an occupational therapy program to complete the professional training. The degree awarded is a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy. Students who do not get accepted for transfer to an occupational therapy program are encouraged to pursue an undergraduate degree in a related area and to reapply to professional school.

PREOPTOMETRY

Suggested major: Biology

The optometrist is licensed to examine, diagnose, and treat conditions of the visual system, and to prescribe corrective lenses or vision therapy. Optometrists also often detect other diseases, including glaucoma, cataract, diabetes, hypertension, and arteriosclerosis, and refer patients to appropriate specialists for treatment. Most optometrists engage in private practice, but careers also exist in government service, teaching, and research in optics, physiology, and public health.

APPLICATION TO OPTOMETRY SCHOOL

There are no optometry schools in Georgia, and only a few out-of-state schools admit non-resident students. The preoptometry student should obtain information from individual optometry schools and also consult the adviser for this area before preparing applications. Most optometry schools require the Optometry Admission Test (OAT), which should be taken the spring of the junior year or fall of the senior year. The OAT includes biology, chemistry, physics, verbal ability, quantitative skill, and reading comprehension. Application to optometry school should be made the summer preceding the senior year.

PREPHARMACY

Suggested major: Chemistry or Biology

Community pharmacists are the most common representatives of their profession, but careers in pharmacy are also available in hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes; in teaching and research; and in pharmaceutical sales. The degree offered in pharmacy is the Doctor of Pharmacy, Pharm.D.

Many students complete an undergraduate degree in biology or chemistry before entering pharmacy school. However, the pre-pharmacy requirements can be completed in 2-3 years. The three schools of pharmacy in Georgia are the University of Georgia School of Pharmacy, Mercer University Southern School of Pharmacy, and South University School of Pharmacy. The pre-pharmacy curriculum varies slightly among pharmacy schools. Therefore, it is important that students consult with admissions counselors at the individual schools.

APPLICATION TO PHARMACY SCHOOL

A year in advance of pharmacy school admission, a student must complete the application and take the Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT), given three times a year. The PCAT tests knowledge of biology, chemistry, mathematics, reading comprehension, and general academic ability.

PREPHYSICIAN ASSISTANT

Suggested major: Biology, Chemistry or a Health Sciences major

The physician assistant, working with physicians and other health professionals, performs many clinical functions that enable the physician to devote more time to duties requiring his particular knowledge and skill. This professional performs duties based on guidelines established by the state granting certification. In most settings the physician assistant obtains medical histories, performs physical examinations, orders and interprets laboratory results and other information and assess and treats common illnesses, including writing prescriptions. Successful completion of the National Certifying Examination is required to practice as a physician assistant in Georgia.

APPLICATION TO PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT PROGRAM

A year in advance of PA admission, a student must complete the application and take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).

PREVETERINARY MEDICINE

Suggested major: Biology

Veterinary medicine frequently deals with the recognition, treatment, control, and prevention of disease among animals. The traditional functions, including treatment of companion, sport, food, and fiber animals have continued to be a major concern of veterinarians, but new areas are rapidly emerging. To name a few: cancer research, immunology, genetics, public health, and legal and environmental medicine. Jobs for veterinarians are found in both private and public sectors, including federal and state government, universities, and various cooperatives.

APPLICATION TO VETERINARY SCHOOL

A year before matriculation, pre-veterinary students must take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), and the Advanced Biology GRE. Candidates who have some acquaintance with the veterinary profession and large and small animal care are preferred. This may be accomplished through having a farm background or through work with a community veterinarian. Undergraduates should seek opportunities to cultivate such experience and knowledge before applying.