Pre-Health Advising
At The University of Kansas, being Pre-Health indicates your intent to be admitted to a healthcare-focused educational program that culminates in licensure in a career with opportunities that are often in a clinical setting. Pre-Health pathways include undergraduate programs as well as graduate-level healthcare and medical programs. During your time as a Pre-Health student, you will work toward completing admission requirements - such as pre-requisite courses and completing entrance exams like the MCAT or the DAT - and receive support from dedicated Pre-Health advisors.
If you are pursuing one of the following undergraduate pathways it indicates that you are planning to earn a bachelor’s degree in the designated major once admitted. A few current undergraduate pathways include:
- Pre-Clinical Laboratory Sciences
- Pre-Diagnostic Science
- Pre-Health Information Management
- Pre-Nursing
- Pre-Pharmacy *
- Pre-Respiratory Care
Graduate pathways indicate that upon earning a bachelor’s degree of some kind, you plan to pursue graduate-level education. If you have an interest in a program that is not currently offered while you're a student, Pre-Health Academic Advisors will be available to help you explore programs and support your application plans. A few current graduate-level pathways include:
- Pre-Athletic Training
- Pre-Dentistry
- Pre-Medicine
- Pre-Occupational Therapy
- Pre-Optometry
- Pre-Pharmacy*
- Pre-Physical Therapy
- Pre-Physician Assistant
- Pre-Veterinary
*The Pre-Pharmacy pathway uniquely straddles both undergraduate and graduate level education. If you are interested in becoming a pharmacist, you will typically be admitted and start in the School of Pharmacy as an undergraduate student and will earn both a Bachelor’s in Pharmaceutical Studies and a Doctor of Pharmacy when you complete the program.
Whether you are interested in an undergraduate program or in graduate-level program, KU offers a team of full-time Pre-Health Academic Advisors to help you learn about your options, program admissions, and working in clinical vs. non-clinical settings. For more information on the many possible pathways, visit Jayhawk Pre-Health Advising or email prehealth@ku.edu.
Pre-Dentistry
Pre-Dentistry is a career interest, usually developed together with completing a bachelor's degree and major. Students prepare by taking courses to meet dental school entry requirements, studying to learn concepts and perform well academically, shadowing or working in dental practices, and volunteering to serve people in need. They take the Dental Admission Test (DAT) and apply for admission to dental schools, usually in the summer between the junior and senior year.
Dental schooling is four years of graduate-level, professional education and training. There is no dental school in Kansas, however, there is an agreement for some seats to be allocated for Kansas residents at the University of Missouri—Kansas City (UMKC) School of Dentistry.
Dental schools require extensive preparation in biology, chemistry and other topics. Some dental schools require additional mathematics, psychology, and/or biology courses. For more information, visit the website.
Pre-Medicine
Pre-Medicine is a career interest, usually developed together with completing a bachelor's degree and major. Students prepare by taking courses to meet medical school entry requirements, studying to learn concepts and perform well academically, volunteering or working in health care settings, and serving people in need. They take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and apply for admission to medical schools, usually in the summer between the junior and senior year.
Medical schooling is four years of graduate-level, professional education and training, followed by a three- to six-year residency program. The only medical school in Kansas is the KU School of Medicine.
Medical schools have a variety of requirements, most requiring a strong foundation in biology and chemistry with other requirements varying by program. The MCAT also has its own required base of knowledge that is additional to the required courses for admission. For more information on admissions and MCAT requirements, visit the pre-health website here: website.
Pre-Optometry
Pre-Optometry is a career interest, usually developed together with completing a bachelor's degree and major. Students prepare by taking courses to meet optometry school admission requirements, studying to learn concepts and perform well academically, shadowing or working in optometry practices, and volunteering to serve people in need. They take the Optometry Admission Test (OAT) and apply for admission to optometry schools, usually in the summer between the junior and senior year.
Optometry schooling is four years of graduate-level, professional education and training. There is no optometry school in Kansas, however, there are agreements for some seats for Kansas residents at the University of Missouri - St. Louis School of Optometry, Northeastern State University of Oklahoma College of Optometry, and the Southern College of Optometry in Tennessee.
Like other pre-health programs, coursework in biology and chemistry are required and some programs require additional mathematics, psychology, and/or other courses.
For more information, visit the website.
Pre-Veterinary Medicine
Pre-Veterinary medicine is a career interest, usually developed together with completing a bachelor's degree and major. Students prepare by taking courses to meet veterinary school admission requirements, studying to learn concepts and perform well academically, shadowing or working in veterinary practices, and volunteering to help people and other animals in need. They take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and apply for admission to veterinary schools, usually in the summer between the junior and senior year.
Veterinary schooling is four years of graduate-level, professional education and training. The only veterinary school in Kansas is the Kansas State College of Veterinary Medicine. For more information on the requirements for pre-veterinary school, visit the website.
