pre-health programs
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Pre-health at K-State
What’s your prescription?
Destined for med school? Want to be a veterinarian? Don’t know a respiratory therapist from a chiropractor? No matter what your health career plans, K-State is a great place to start. Here’s a quick guide to how K-State can prepare you for the health-care career you want.
Up for a challenge?
Becoming a health professional is no easy task. The classes are advanced, the requirements are high, and the field is extremely competitive.
Your studies at K-State will begin with core courses in math, science, social sciences, communications, and humanities. You must maintain a 2.75 GPA in your first two semesters to remain in the pre-health program.
No matter which program you are in, you will work closely with the Health Professions Advising Office. You will be assigned a pre-health advisor who will help you understand what you need to do to become a competitive applicant to professional schools. You and your advisor will discuss:
- Your health career goals.
- Required courses for application to professional schools.
- Your academic performance and how to make your application more competitive.
- Professional school application processes, timelines, and requirements.
Pre-health options
Some programs require you to complete a bachelor’s degree while others require only the completion of certain prerequisites. Here are the programs offered at K-State and what each involves:
Bachelor’s degree required
For the following programs, you must complete a bachelor’s degree before you apply to a professional school. You are not required to choose a specific major as long as you complete all of the prerequisite classes for your field.
- Pre-dentistry
- Pre-medicine
- Pre-optometry
- Pre-physical therapy
- Pre-physician assistant
No degree required
For the following programs, you are not required to complete a degree at K-State to apply to professional school. You can stay and finish a degree—many students do—but you are eligible to apply for professional school once your prerequisites are complete, which usually takes two or three years.
- Pre-chiropractic medicine
- Clinical laboratory science (medical technology)
- Pre-health information management
- Pre-nursing
- Pre-occupational therapy
- Pre-pharmacy
- Pre-respiratory care
- Pre-veterinary medicine (a degree in veterinary medicine can also be attained at K-State)
Other programs
Advising for the following programs is not handled by the Health Professions Advising Office. You will be advised through other offices on campus.
- Athletic training
- Communication sciences disorders (speech pathology)
- Dietetics
- Horticultural therapy
- Nutrition and exercise sciences
- Pre-art therapy
- Social work
Apply to a professional school
Because the health-care field is so competitive, you’ll need more than just core requirements to make your application stand out. That’s why K-State is such a good idea. Taking advantage of our strong academic reputation, leadership opportunities, health-related organizations, research and volunteer opportunities, and more will all strengthen your application.
Advising
You’ll work one-on-one with a pre-health advisor from the start. Your advisor can help you sort out the steps you need to take to get into a professional school.
- Taking the courses that prepare you for the next level.
- Finding activities to build up your application.
- Suggesting other ways to make your application shine.
Learn more about pre-health advising
Organizations
Leadership and involvement outside the classroom are not always requirements to get into a professional school, but they go a long way to strengthen your application. K-State’s more than 400 campus clubs feature several focused on health care fields:
- Alpha Epsilon Delta pre-medical honorary
- Pre-dental club
- Pre-nursing club
- Pre-occupational therapy club
- Pre-pharmacy club
- Pre-physical therapy club
- Pre-physician assistant club
- Pre-veterinary medicine club
- Student dietetic association
Check out K-State's student organizations
Course work
K-State’s strong academic reputation means you’ll have the educational background to do well in a professional school:
- General education courses: the foundation in math, science, social sciences, communications, and humanities to move into specialized fields.
- Focus: your advisors will help you choose classes that meet your professional goals and take you where you want to go
Exposure to health care
Shadowing and hands-on, health-related experience will strengthen your application. Some programs require these activities.
Visit Career and Employment Services
Service opportunities
Health careeres are service careers. Professional programs seek students who make community service an important part of their lives. K-State offers service opportunities through campus clubs, local businesses, and national service organizations.
Check out K-State service opportunities
Research opportunities
K-State is a major research university, so you’ll have even more opportunities to gain health-related experience. Our faculty and students are working on projects as diverse as atomic physics, biotechnology, cancer research, and cloning. While here you can:
- Tackle a project in psychology, food science, or another field.
- Fund your own project with a research grant.
- Get a work-study job as a lab technician on campus.
- Work alongside professors on their research projects.
- Present your paper at a professional conference.
Check out research opportunities
Career outlook
The health-care field is one of the fastest-growing in America.
With the baby boomers aging and the nation already facing shortages, the health-care system becomes more strained every day. In fact, of the 20 occupations projected to grow the fastest in coming years, eight are in health care, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
America is also facing a shortage of qualified nurses. Experts say that the shortage is evident in 45 states, and according to the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, more than 126,000 hospital nursing jobs are unfilled.
So if you’ve ever considered a career in health care, now is a good time to get started!
What are professional schools looking for?
High GPA
The range is between 3.0 and 4.0, depending on the program. You’ll want strong grades, particularly in mathematics, biology, and other required subjects.
Good entrance exams
Required for some programs, but not all.
Strong academic preparation
Did you take the right classes? Are you ready for the specialized courses in your field?
Service and volunteer work
Are you active outside the classroom? Do you look for opportunities to serve people?
Check out service opportunities
Leadership
Have you shown initiative in campus and community groups?
Internships and research experience
Have you done any internships or lab work? Do you know what your career will involve?
FAQs
What are the best majors for getting into professional school?
Most professional schools don’t require a specific major. Instead, they have a set of required classes you have to pass before you apply.
K-Staters majoring in music, English lit, and nutritional sciences have gone on to careers in health care. So choose a major that interests you, then work with your advisor to choose the right courses.
Check out K-State's 250 majors and programs
When do I start applying to professional schools?
Deadlines vary. Nursing school deadlines are typically at the beginning of your sophomore year, while medical school applications aren’t due until your senior year.
Your best bet is to start thinking about your application the moment you step on campus. Check the requirements for the professional schools of your choice, work closely with your advisor, and plan your classes and activities accordingly.
Is it better to get my bachelor’s degree from the professional school I want to attend?
No. In fact, most professional schools take pride in recruiting good students from all over the country. Few give special consideration to the applicants who come up through their own undergraduate programs. What matters most is the strength of your application, not where you got your undergraduate training. Your K-State advisor will work with you to develop your best application strategy, taking into account the odds of being accepted at various in-state and out-of-state schools.
Are K-State students successful at getting accepted into professional schools?
Professional schools have good things to say about K-Staters, pointing to strong academic preparation, leadership skills, and experience in research and internships.
K-State students from all health fields have been accepted to professional schools. And while most go to a professional school in the Midwest, our students have been accepted at schools all across the country.
If you work hard and take advantage of the resources we have to offer, your application from K-State will be as strong as any in the country.