At St. John’s University, pre-health students gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed for success in medical or graduate school. You can choose from a range of exciting and challenging majors, any of which will allow you flexibility to complete the necessary academic and extracurricular requirements for graduate study in a health-related field.
Health professions encompass a wide range of careers that offer both challenging and rewarding service.
These fields include:
| Allopathic Medicine | Chiropractice Medicine |
| Dentistry | Nursing |
| Optometry | Osteopathic Medicine |
| Physical Therapy | Physician Assistant |
| Podiatry | Veterinary Medicine |
Consult the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook for an overview of healthcare occupations. You can also find more information at ExploreHealthCareers.org.
Professional organizations are also an excellent information resource. The American Medical Association, American Osteopathic Association, American Dental Association, American Veterinary Medical Association, American Chiropractic Association, American Optometric Association, American Podiatric Medical Association, etc., all have valuable information if you are interested in a related career.
Contact Information
For more information and to register for the Pre-Health Professions Advisory Committee, please contact:
Gregory Gades
Senior Assistant Dean and Chair of Pre-Health Professions Advisory Committee
St. John Hall, Room 145
718-990-1631
[email protected]
Additional Information
The Pre-Health Professions Advisory Committee (PHPAC) will help you find your path into the healthcare profession of your choice. When you register with the committee, you will be assigned an advisor experienced in guiding students through the complex process of gaining admission to a health profession graduate school. Your advisor will help you prepare applications to medical and health-related professional schools, select an appropriate curriculum to fulfill pre-requisites for these schools, and stay abreast of their admission requirements. The committee will also prepare the letters of evaluation required by professional schools.
If you’ve decided to pursue a career in healthcare, it’s important to begin preparing as soon as possible.
Year One |
|
Year Two |
|
Year Three |
|
Year Four |
|
St. John’s University offers two types of accelerated programs that may be of interest to students preparing for careers in healthcare.
- Combined Bachelor of Science (B.S.) / Master of Science (M.S.) programs in Biology and Chemistry allow you to complete both degrees in just four years, saving time and a year of graduate tuition.
- The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) / Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) program, offered in conjunction with SUNY College of Optometry, will allow you to complete both degrees in seven years.
The following centralized application services allow students to use one application for multiple schools. Some schools require the use of these application services.
- American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS)
- American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine Application Service (AACPMAS)
- American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS)
- Associated American Dental Schools Application Service (AADSAS)
- The Centralized Application Service for Nursing Programs (NursingCAS)
- The Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA)
- Chiropractic College Application Service (ChiroCAS)
- Optometry Centralized Application Service (OptomCAS)
- Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS)
- Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS)
Getting involved in student organizations and honor societies will help you build your resume and make connections. Some organizations that may be of interest to students preparing for health-related careers include:
- The Biology Students Organization
- Future Healthcare Leaders of St. John's University
- Global Medical Brigades
- Phi Sigma (Biology Honor Society)
- Roger Bacon Scientific Honors Society
- Watson Pre-Health Honor Society
Volunteering is a great way to gain experience for professional school in a healthcare-related field. You can find service opportunities through Campus Ministry or with the following organizations:
- American Red Cross
- AmeriCorps
- Community-Campus Partnerships for Health
- Doctors Without Borders
- Health Volunteers Overseas
- HealthSTAT
- Humane Society Veterinarian Medical Association
- Idealist.org
- InterAction
- International Health Institute
- National AHEC Organization
- National Association of Advisors from the Health Professions
- National Association of Community Health Centers
- National Health Service Corps
- National Rural Health Association
- Operation Smile
- Peace Corps
- Project Hope
- ReSurge International
- Premedical Opportunities Database (Columbia University)
- VolunteerMatch.org
- World Vets International Aid for Animals
The United States has a critical need for doctors from underrepresented populations, and medical schools increasingly look to recruit individuals committed to serving communities with high minority populations. These programs consider an applicant’s medically-related opportunities, life experiences, personal essay, and interview in addition to GPA and MCAT scores.
The following medically-related and research-focused opportunities allow underrepresented students to increase their exposure to the health professions and thereby increase their chances of acceptance into medical school: