UW-W Pre-Professional Programs

UW-Whitewater offers opportunities for you to obtain pre-professional work in areas related to the health professions listed below. While at UW-Whitewater you will be obtaining a well-rounded liberal education recommended by professional schools, as well as introductory courses related to your professional area. In addition, there are many opportunities at UW-W to work closely with faculty on research and independent study projects.

As a student in a pre-professional curriculum you will be assigned to a faculty adviser who is familiar with the requirements for admission to professional schools in your area of interest. Contact information for faculty advisers in each area is given below. If you have chosen a specific professional school, your adviser will help you to develop a program which meets the requirements of the institution to which you plan to apply. If you have not decided on a professional school, your adviser will help you develop a flexible program while aiding you in the search for a school to meet your needs.

Pre-professional programs:

Engineering
Law
Medicine
Optometry
Chiropractic
Dentistry
Cytotechnology
Pharmacy
Veterinary medicine

Links to information about other health care professions

Another useful link:

UW System Transfer Information System -- for information about transferring course credits between UW institutions, and between Wisconsin Technical College System and UW institutions.

Pre-medicine

Detailed information found here

Links of interest:
American Medical Association
Association of American Medical Colleges
National Prehealth Student Organization
UW-Madison Medical School
Medical College of Wisconsin

Pre-medicine advisor:
Dr. Pete Mesner, Biology Dept., 319 Upham Hall, 472-5139, mesnerp@mail.uww.edu

Pre-optometry

Typical College of Optometry Admissions Requirements

The pre-optometry program requires a lot of math and science:

English, two semesters (680-101 and 680-102)
Psychology (840-211)
General zoology with lab, one semester (630-142)
General chemistry with lab, two semesters (640-102 and 640-104)
Organic chemistry with lab, one semester (640-251 and 640-261)
Calculus and analytic geometry I (760-253)
General physics with lab, two semesters (800-160 and 161, 162 and 163)

See Dr. Sahyun for more specific pre-optometry advising information.

Majors: There is no specific "pre-optometry" major. At UW-W, you will earn a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in a major of your choice. Optometry schools do not require a particular major, so you should choose your major based on your own interests and aptitudes. This will enable you to make alternate career choices in case a career in optometry doesn't work out, for whatever reason.

Here is a list of required or recommended courses for several schools of optometry.

Timetable: Regardless of what major you choose, the required courses listed above should be completed by the end of your junior year. The Optometry Admission Test (OAT) is usually taken near the end of the junior year or just before the senior year begins. The OAT covers quantitative reasoning, reading comprehension, physics, biology, general chemistry, and organic chemistry. The exam is required for admission to any optometry program.

Grade point average: For serious consideration by medical schools, your GPA must be well above 3.0. The mean GPA for all students accepted to medical school is around 3.2.

Optometry School: Admission into optometry school is very competitive. Here is a chart of student profiles showing the admissions statistics for the major optometry schools in the nation.

Links of interest:
American Optometric Association
American Optometric Student Association
Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry
Worldwide optometry schools

Here are links to the 17 accredited schools of optometry:

Indiana University School of Optometry	Southern College of Optometry	Illinois College of Optometry
Ohio State University	Michigan College of Optometry	University of Missouri - St. Louis
Pennsylvania College of Optometry	New England College of Optometry	State University of New York
Nova Southeastern University	Northeastern State University	University of Alabama - Birmingham
Sothern California Collge of Optometry	University of California - Berkeley	Pacific University
University of Houston	InterAmerican Univ. of Puerto Rico

Pre-optometry advisor:
Dr. Steven Sahyun, Physics Dept., 157 Upham Hall, 472-5113, sahyuns@uww.edu

Pre-dentistry

Links of interest:
American Dental Association
American Association of Dental Schools
Marquette University School of Dentistry

Pre-dentistry advisor:
Dr. Michael Woller, Biology Dept., 316 Upham Hall, 472-5137, wollerm@uww.edu

Cytotechnology

Description

Cytotechnologists are trained to perform microscopic examinations of body cells in order to detect the subtle differences that differentiate normal from neoplastic (cancerous) cells. Physicians rely on the diagnostic abilities of cytotechnologists to detect cancers in their early stages; greatly improving the potential for success in subsequent cancer treatment. Cytotechnologists are employed in hospitals, clinics, and medical laboratories. Experienced cytotechnologists have the opportunity to advance into supervisory positions and into research and teaching.

Training

Cytotechnologist training generally involves an intensive 12 month program consisting of lectures, discussions, and practical instruction in microscopy, microscopic pathology, cytogenetics, quality assurance, and laboratory procedures.

Typical Cytotechnology Program Admissions Requirements

A baccalureate degree including a minimum of 20 semester hours in biological sciences, eight semester hours in chemistry, and three semester hours in mathematics. A minimum GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale is required. Favorable consideration will be given to applicants with above average academic record and recommendations. The School of Cytotechnology at the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene offers a "3+1" program under which a student may be accepted into the school after completing three years of undergraduate course work. The course work must include the minimum requirements listed above and must be completed at an affiliated college or university such as UW-Whitewater.