Undergraduate-Focused Faculty

Unlike many larger institutions, we have no graduate students teaching classes or labs or grading papers. So you have the benefit of unfettered access to expert faculty members. Outside of the classroom, science faculty members devote time and energy to mentoring students, and helping them refine research techniques, prepare for tests and successfully apply to graduate school.

Internships

Internships enable you to gain experience and learn more about careers that interest you. Our students intern and job shadow at regional healthcare providers including Evangelical Community Hospital, Ronald McDonald House and Geisinger’s Weis Center for Research.

Health Care Studies Minor

This program can add value to your degree. Fundamental biological and medical principles as well as ethical, social and business issues associated with health care are central to this minor.

As you prepare to continue your health care studies after graduation, you’ll be able to take advantage of dedicated, one-on-one pre-health advising.

Our pre-health adviser is an expert in her field, serving on the board of directors of the National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions (NAAHP) and president of the Northeast Association of the Advisors of the Health Professions (NEAAHP).

They will help you:

• Understand the steps to apply to an advanced program in a health profession
• Meet all the necessary pre-requisites for your desired profession
• Prepare for standardized tests, such as the MCAT, DAT, OAT, PCAT and others
• Put together the most competitive application possible
• Write and edit personal statements and secondary essays, no matter how many drafts you need
• Prepare for interviews, from attire to travel arrangements

The advisor also brings representatives of professional programs to campus to meet students and holds two group advising sessions a year.

And advising doesn’t end with graduation. We also offer help to alumni who decide to apply to a health care advanced programs after graduation from Susquehanna.

Our students go on to medical school at:

Thomas Jefferson University
Penn State College of Medicine
Temple University
University of Buffalo
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Commonwealth Medical College
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Rowan University
West Virginia University Osteopathic
Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
University of Virginia
Ohio State University

Our students go on to dental school at:

Temple University
University of New England

Our students go on to veterinary school at:

University of California at Davis
University of Pennsylvania
Virginia Tech University
University of Oklahoma
University of Minnesota

Our students go on to study optometry at:

Salus University
Southern College of Optometry
Boston University

Our students go on to study podiatry at:

Barry University

Our students are accepted to biomedical science graduate programs at:

University of Pittsburgh (interdisciplinary biomedical graduate program)
Duke University (cell and molecular biology)
Vanderbilt University (immunology)
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill (microbiology and immunology)
Cornell University (biochemistry, molecular and cell biology)
Dartmouth University (molecular and cellular biology)

Our students find jobs right out of school at:

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
University of Pennsylvania
Duke University
West-Ward Pharmaceutical Corp.

Do I have to major in pre-med or pre-dental or pre-something?

You must have an academic major to graduate from Susquehanna, but professional schools do not give preference to any specific major. Follow your interests and explore new areas to discover what you are passionate about and would enjoy doing for a career.

Should I be a science major?

You do not have to major in a science to prepare for a career in the health professions, but many of our prehealth professional students will major in biology or another science. The health care studies minor will require you to take the right set of courses for preparation to enter optometry, pharmacy, physical therapy, or physician assistant programs.

What does it take to get into professional school?

• A GPA of usually 3.5 or higher overall, and a GPA of at least a 3.5 in your science and math courses
• Good scores on the appropriate standardized test, e.g. MCAT, DAT, OAT, PCAT, GRE
• Experience in the field that demonstrates you know what you are getting into
• Demonstration of genuinely wanting to serve others

Should I prepare for the standardized tests?

Susquehanna supports a commercial prep course for the MCAT and DAT. The Susquehanna Prep Course Reimbursement Program helps defray the costs by reimbursing a student for half. These test scores are important, because they affect your application and other students from Susquehanna. Some medical and dental schools evaluate the quality of a college based upon the average MCAT score of its students.

What else will I need?

• A glowing recommendation from the Health Professions Advising Committee at Susquehanna
• Evidence that you can function well as part of a team
• Demonstration of leadership and good communication skills
• Demonstration of a real interest in helping people by having been involved in some type of service

When you enroll at Susquehanna, you’ll be paired with an advisor and application tool to guide you in your course planning and scheduling. The following is an excerpt from the complete course catalog. Enrolled students follow the requirements of the course catalog for the academic year in which they declare each major and/or minor, consult with their advisor(s) and the Academic Planning Tool.

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Prehealth Professions, Including Premedicine, Predental, Preveterinary and Others

Susquehanna graduates successfully pursue advanced degrees in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, optometry, chiropractic medicine, podiatry, physician assistant, doctor of physical therapy and doctor of pharmacy programs. In addition, Susquehanna graduates pursue advanced training in allied health fields, including occupational therapy and accelerated nursing programs. The Health Professions Advising Committee, chaired by Associate Professor of Health Care Studies and Biology Jan Reichard-Brown, coordinates the preparation of students for professional schools in these areas. Students receive career-specific advising, as well as assistance with arranging internship opportunities, professional test preparation, application preparation and school selection.

Demonstration of a strong level of competence in the natural sciences is a requirement for successful admission to medical school, dental school and other health professions programs. Most students pursue science majors such as biology, biomedical sciences, chemistry, biochemistry or psychology. However, students can pursue any major, provided they complete the science prerequisites, which commonly include at least two semesters of biology and one year each of general chemistry, organic chemistry, and physics. Most programs also require at least one semester of biochemistry and once semester of a higher-level math. Students should be cognizant that some health professional programs may require additional coursework, such as human anatomy and human physiology. Students need to consult the catalog descriptions pertaining to major or intended major to determine the recommended sequence of courses and how the required prehealth professions courses may fit into their program. Students are strongly encouraged to work with their academic advisor and to consult with the health professions advisor as they plan schedules and progress through their major. Candidates for professional schools must maintain a high grade point average and score well on profession-specific standardized tests. Susquehanna students most often take the MCAT, DAT, OAT and PCAT after they have completed the course work pertinent to the specific exam. Additional test-specific preparation and practice exams are highly recommended. A formal test preparation course is one method students choose to prepare for the MCAT and DAT, since these computer-based standardized examinations encompass content areas from the sciences, social science, mathematics and English language skills. In response to the intense nature of these exams and the level of preparation that is required, Susquehanna University developed an innovative program to reimburse students for half the cost of taking an MCAT or DAT preparation course as part of their preparation for the application process. Students wishing to take advantage of this program should complete all prerequisite courses by the end of the academic year in which they plan to take the MCAT or DAT.

The third component of a successful application to a program in the health professions entails experience in the field and community service. Susquehanna students are encouraged to pursue internships and volunteer opportunities during the academic year, as well as during vacations and breaks. Most students design their own experience by working jointly with the health professions advisor and the Career Development Center, or they take advantage of service-learning and travel options focusing on medicine offered through the university or other programs that have been screened by the health professions advisor. Sophomore and junior years are the ideal times for these internship experiences.