Pre-Health Information

The Citadel provides extensive support and resources to pre-health students who are preparing to apply to medical, dental, veterinary, PA or PT school, or any other health-related program. Some resources include pre-professional clubs, service opportunities, personal advising, access to enrichment activities, a summer study abroad trip, and a mentorship program. Dr. Kathy Zanin, Dr. Patrice Capers,  Dr. Sarah Imam and Dr. Kimbo Yee are the pre-health advisors at The Citadel.  Drs. Zanin and Capers are the faculty advisors for the  “Pre-Health Society” club and Drs. Imam and Yee are the advisors for the AED club.  Please email us if you have any questions or if you would like to be added to our Canvas resource courses. The Citadel offers many majors that prepare students well, and our students enjoy a very high acceptance rate to medical school, as compared with the national average.

Accelerated Entry to MUSC (3+4) Program: The Citadel Biology Department is excited to announce that we have officially entered into an agreement with MUSC for accelerated entry for Biology majors into medical or dental school.  

Pre-Health Mentoring Program

Pre-Health Advisors

Dr. Kathy Zanin
Dr. Kathy Zanin
Dr. Patrice Capers
Dr. Patrice Capers
Dr. Sarah Imam
Dr. Sarah Imam
Dr. Kimbo Yee  
Dr. Kimbo Yee  

Please scroll down, or choose the following links if you need information concerning becoming an MD physician, becoming a DO physician, veterinary, dental, physician assistant, nursing, optometry, pharmacy, public health, or other health-related professional schools.

Please scroll down, or choose the following links if you need information concerning pre-requisites, applications, choosing a profession, interviews, personal statements, letters of recommendation, volunteer and enrichment opportunities, scholarship opportunities, programs for disadvantaged students, and other resources.

Useful resources:

Learn Which Profession is Right for You

Science and Math Pre-Requisites to Take Before Applying

Table of common pre-requisite courses for various pre-health programs.
Pre-Vet Pre-Reqs
Recommended Pre-Med Curriculum for Biology Majors
Most medical schools require or recommend the following undergraduate science and math courses: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Organic Chemistry, Calculus, and Biochemistry. Some additional coursework may be required for some medical schools; check with each school to get its exact list of prerequisites.

Some medical schools now require another test, in addition to the MCAT, called a judgement test.  There are two popular options: CASPer and PREview.  You can learn more at these links: Information about Situational Judgement Exams ; Which MD medical schools require judgement exams? ; Explore Admissions Requirements for DO medical schools: search “CASPer”

Pre-Requisites for the Four SC Medical Schools
MUSC
USC SOM (Columbia)
USC SOM-Greenville
VCOM-Carolinas (This is a DO school in Spartanburg)
–
Prerequisites for other MD Schools

Applications

Centralized Application Services for Various Health Professional Schools 
You have done great things; make sure to describe your activities well when you apply.  The selection committee needs to know what your awards and positions entailed.  Take time to explain your leadership roles.  Polish all written responses the way you polished your brass as a knob; make them shine.  If you are applying to Uniformed Services University, be sure to emphasize your military experience here at The Citadel, and wear your uniform when you interview there.
Medical School, MD: AMCAS Application Instructions
Medical School, DO: AACOMAS Application Instructions
Medical or Dental School, Texas Schools Only: TMDSAS Instructions
Dental School: Application Manual and AADSAS Instructions
PA School: CASPA Quick Start Guide
Veterinary School: VMCAS
Optometry School: OptomCAS

Applying In-State vs. Out-of-State

Most private schools give no preference to in-state students, but many public schools accept very few from out-of-state. Criteria for in-state classification vary by institution, sometimes even within the same state. If you are not sure what is required by a particular college to be designated with in-state residency, you must consult their web site or contact their “Residency Officer.” Having an in-state driver’s license and voter registration card is a good start.

Additional information is provided in two locations on campus: The third floor corridor of Duckett Hall houses a bookcase full of Pre-Health Information, and the third floor corridor of Bond Hall houses a bulletin board posted with important notifications and information. Apply early; many schools use rolling admissions, meaning that the earlier you apply, the better your chance of being accepted.

Applying to medical or dental school can be overwhelming.  White Coat Strategists is a consulting firm that will mentor you through the entire process, so that you can put your best foot forward.  Learn more here.

For Re-Applicants

  • If you need to boost your science GPA or improve your MCAT scores, many schools now offer one-year Masters in Biomedical Science programs that are designed to help students transition into medical/dental/veterinary school. Just search “masters biomedical science” to find a program suited to you.
  • Post-baccalaureate Programs to take missing prereqs and/or improve GPA
    • Post-Baccalaureate Programs offer students who were able to complete all prerequisites in college the opportunity to take the required science courses prior to applying to medical school or to other Pre-Health Graduate Programs. Graduates of Post-Baccalaureate Programs typically enjoy high success in Medical School admissions. You can search available programs by various criteria at this AAMC web site: Search Postbac Programs. Be sure to use the drop-down menu to select the correct “Special Program Focus.” Also, if you want to be enlisted in the military, this is a good option: Enlisted to Medical Degree Preparatory Program (EMDP2)

Prepare for Interviews

Writing a Personal Statement

Letters of Recommendation

How To Choose Your Referees Wisely
What is a Committee Letter of Recommendation?  Is it required?
Pre-Health Professions Committee (PHPC): Requesting Committee Letters from The Citadel PHPC or from other Referees
How to complete a folder for a committee letter of recommendation from The Citadel
Pre-Dental Letters of Recommendation:
—Info for you from ADEA
–Info for your letter writers: Info from ADEA
Pre-Medical Letters of Recommendation:
—Info from AMCAS
–Info from AACOMAS 
—Using Interfolio to Submit Letters to TMDSAS
—AAMC Guidelines for Letter Writers
Pre-Optometry Letters of Recommendation
—OptomCAS Recommendation Information

Volunteer and Enrichment Opportunities for now or for a “Gap” year after graduation

Enrichment Opportunities Abroad

Please read the guidelines below before participating in mission trips and health outreach abroad. Pre-Health students are not licensed practitioners, and it is unethical and unsafe for them to practice medicine in another country, even if that country does not restrict medical practice.

Reading for Enrichment

Scholarship Opportunities

Scholarship Opportunities for Citadel Pre-Health Students: The Citadel offers several scholarships for pre-health students, please contact The Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships for details.

Programs for Disadvantaged Students

For Native Americans

MD-PhD or DO-PhD Programs

Information on MD-PhD Programs from AAMC

To find the various DO-PhD Programs, simple search the web with the keywords “Do PhD Program”

The Gateways to the Laboratory Program is highlighted by the NIH as one of the top ten summer programs for underrepresented and disadvantaged students interested in MD-PhD dual degrees.  Applications and more information for the Gateways to the Laboratory Summer Program for Pre-MD-PhD students may be found here.

Pre-Medical Information

The AAMC’s “Pre-med Navigator” is a monthly e-newsletter that includes information, resources, tips, and important dates for pre-meds.
The AAMC’s expectations for medical school applicants are posted here: The Premed Competencies for Entering Medical Students
Average GPA and MCAT scores for MD School Matriculants (accepted students)
The Cost of Applying
Compare the Four SC Medical Schools (compiled Nov. 2018)
Prerequisites for Medical School

Some medical schools now require another test, in addition to the MCAT, called a judgement test.  There are two popular options: CASPer and PREview.  You can learn more at these links: Information about Situational Judgement Exams ; Which MD medical schools require judgement exams?; Explore Admissions Requirements for DO medical schools: search “CASPer”

Medical School to become an MD physician (Allopathic Medicine)

Good news for Citadel Cadets: The MUSC College Of Medicine Admissions committee uses the Barron’s Profiles of American Colleges competitiveness rankings of undergraduate schools to adjust applicants’ undergraduate GPA. The Citadel is ranked as a ‘competitive school’ so graduates receive a GPA boost of .19. Graduates of The Citadel Honors College receive a GPA ‘boost’ of .34 to their overall GPA.

Medical School to become a DO physician (Osteopathic Medicine)

International Medical Schools

Generally we do not recommend students attend medical school abroad; however, there are a few International Medical Schools that qualify for Federal Student Aid and have fairly good records for students passing board exams and getting residency placements.  When it comes to these schools our advice is “buyer beware.” Do your homework before you apply.  A few of the better options are listed below.

Other Medical School Information

Medical School Application guidebook (MSAR)
Mentorship Program for Pre-Med Minority Students and Women
Medical University of South Carolina
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences; USUHS presentation; USUHS Programs and Degrees
University of South Carolina Medical School
University of South Carolina School of Medicine – Greenville

MCAT Preparation

Pre-Dental Information

MUSC, Student National Dental Association’s Impressions Program is held each summer. Participants will learn about Dental School and the application process; they also participate in dental labs. For more information call Jami Cokley at 843-792-6874 or visit the SNDA Facebook Page.

Veterinary Medicine

Physician Assistants

Nursing

The Citadel offers a 4-year BSN for cadets and an evening 2+2 BSN Program for non-cadets.

Paying for Nursing School

The NURSE Corps Scholarship Program – a selective program of the U.S. Government that helps alleviate the critical shortage of nurses currently experienced by certain types of health care facilities located in Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs). Upon graduation, NURSE Corps Scholarship recipients work at these facilities for at least two years, earning the same competitive salary and benefits as any new hire.
ACTIVE NURSE CORPS PROGRAM

American Association of Colleges of Nursing look under the “Students” tab for helpful information
How to become a nurse from Marcia Boynton, Adrian College, Michigan

Standardized Test to enter Nursing School: Here is info about the TEAS V test: http://www.testprepreview.com/teas_practice.htm and http://www.atitesting.com/Solutions/pre-program/TEAS/study-guide.aspx

How to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree after graduating from The Citadel: Accelerated baccalaureate programs offer the quickest route to licensure as a registered nurse (RN) for adults who have already completed a bachelor’s or graduate degree in a non-nursing discipline. Fast-track/accelerated baccalaureate programs take between 11 and 18 months to complete, including prerequisites.

Master’s Level Entry to become a nurse after graduating with a non-nursing degree from The Citadel

Optometry School

For information about Optometry School, you may visit the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO).
Optometry Programs Admissions Directory
OptomCAS Recommendation Information
Review the admissions requirements for each school or college of optometry to which you are interested in applying to determine if you have fulfilled, or are in the process to fulfill, their prerequisite requirements
Review the recommendation requirements for each school or college of optometry to which you are interested in applying
OptomCAS instructions

Pharmacy

Other Health-Related Professions