Health Professions (pre-med)
Health Professions
W&L supports the undergraduate education of students who wish to enter medical, dental and veterinary schools, as well as other health professions. W&L has an excellent record of placing these students into professional schools, in fact, over the past ten years, over 91% of students who applied to medical schools from W&L secured placement. In addition, education at a liberal arts university along pre-health preparation allows candidates a wide range of post-graduate options.
The Health Professions Advisory Committee provides advice to guide students to be prepared to take the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT), Dental Admission Testing Program (DAT) and the GRE. Competition for acceptance to health professional graduate schools is fierce, so individualized planning, attention and preparation is at the core of this program. Planning can begin in a student's first year with the advice of a faculty member experienced in advising health career students. Follow up counseling includes appropriate choice of major, scheduling of courses required for admission and available summer opportunities.
The Liberal Arts at Work
"Coming into college I knew I wanted to be pre-med... The neuroscience major allowed me the freedom to choose the area that most interested me and take courses that aligned with those interests."
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Genetics
A study of the three main branches of modern genetics: Mendelian genetics, the study of the transmission of traits from one generation to the next; molecular genetics, a study of the chemical structure of genes and how they operate at the molecular level; and population genetics, the study of the variation of genes between and within populations.
Biochemistry
A study of the structure, function, biosynthesis and breakdown of biomolecules, including amino acids, carbohydrates, and lipids. Further study of enzymes, biological membranes and membrane transport, signal transduction, and regulation of metabolism.
Medical Ethics
An examination of the issues arising out of the human impact of modern biomedical research and practice. Specific issues are selected from among the following: abortion, contraception, death and dying, experimentation/research, genetics, in vitro fertilization, intellectual and developmental disabilities, public health/community medicine, science/technology, transplantation and patients' rights.
Statistics for Biology and Medicine
This course examines the principles of statistics and experimental design for biological and medical research. The focus is on the practical and conceptual aspects of statistics, rather than mathematical derivations. Students completing this class will be able to read and understand research papers, to design realistic experiments, and to carry out their own statistical analyses using computer packages.
Poverty and Human Capability
An exploration of the nature, scope, causes, effects and possible remedies for poverty as a social, moral, political and policy, economic, legal, psychological, religious, and biological problem. The course focuses on domestic poverty but also considers poverty as a global problem.