A
career in the health professions is a rewarding
and challenging opportunity. If you are considering
a career as a physician, dentist, or other health
care professional, you should be aware of the
competitive nature of admissions and the demanding
curriculum both at the undergraduate and professional
level. Medical and dental students must be committed
to rigorous academic preparation. Intellectual
curiosity and motivation for learning are necessary
attributes for students entering the health
care field. Medical and dental schools are also
looking for students with a commitment to service
and demonstrated integrity and leadership abilities.
Volunteering at a clinic, hospital, or any health
care setting during high school and college
is an excellent opportunity for students to
help determine if a career in medicine/dentistry
is for them |
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It
is recommended that high school students take
as many math and science courses as possible.
The study and practice of medicine and dentistry
is based on concepts of biology, chemistry and
physics. Mastery of these basic scientific principles
is viewed as necessary to succeed in medical
and dental school. Students should take all
courses offered in these areas at their high
school as a preparation for college level science
courses. Mathematics is also recognized as a
necessary foundation for understanding the basic
sciences. Students should seek to develop a
strong mathematics background by taking advanced
math courses in high school. English and writing
courses are also considered crucial to the overall
performance both at the undergraduate and professional
school level. Reading is perhaps the best activity
for preparing for college study, but also for
standardized admissions tests to medical and
dental school. Developing leadership and communication
skills through participation in extracurricular
activities while in high school and college
is also recommended.
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Premedical-Pre-dental
Studies at LSU
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Students
at LSU are provided with many opportunities
to prepare for medical and dental school admissions.
In addition to challenging courses that provide
a strong foundation for the health professions,
students are given an opportunity to develop
clinical skills through hands-on experiences
as undergraduate laboratory and research assistants
for world-renowned experts in the sciences.
Counselors in the College of Basic Sciences
are members of the National Association of Advisors
for the Heath Professions and receive up to
date training on the latest information regarding
medical and dental school statistics and application
procedures. These counselors also present informational
meetings each semester aimed at giving freshmen
and sophomores guidance on developing a four-year
plan for gaining admission to medical and dental
schools. The LSU Premedical/Pre-dental Review
Committee, sponsored by the College of Basic
Sciences, assists students applying to medical
and dental school with collecting and submitting
letters of evaluations. In addition, several
student organizations focusing on the health
professions provide an opportunity to meet admissions
deans, visit medical/dental schools and gain
valuable information and experiences. The acceptance
rate for LSU students to medical and dental
schools is nationally competitive. More than
40% of the accepted classes each year at the
LSU medical schools in New Orleans and Shreveport
are our graduates. In addition, recent graduates
have been selected for admission by prominent
medical and dental schools such as Harvard,
Johns Hopkins, Baylor, Vanderbilt, Columbia,
and Stanford. |
At
LSU, premed or pre-dent are not majors, but
more of a specialization or focus. Students
must select a major department and complete
degree requirements for that major. There is
no specific major for all premed/pre-dent students.
However, the majority of students interested
in the health professions will choose a science
major (biological sciences, biochemistry, chemistry)
because of their strong interest in science
and because they feel that it provides the best
preparation for the medical/dental school curriculum
and prepares them for the important admissions
tests. Some students will choose fields that
give them an opportunity to explore other interests
or to prepare for vocations in the event that
they do not gain acceptance to professional
schools. You are encouraged to select a major
that most closely reflects your interests. While
prerequisite course work for medical and dental
school are incorporated into the science majors
at LSU, non-science majors must schedule the
required courses during their undergraduate
program.
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What
are the Required Courses for Medical/Dental
School? |
The
following is a list of required course work
at medical and dental schools along with the
LSU equivalent courses for that requirement
(Honors equivalency courses are also accepted).
Some medical/dental schools may have requirements
in addition to this list and students are encouraged
to check with the admissions office of schools
in which they are interested in attending.
8 hours of biological sciences with labs (BIOL
1201/1208, 1202/1209)
(The LSU Dental School requires 12 hours of
Biology)
8 hours of general chemistry with labs (CHEM
1201, 1202 and 1212 lab)
8 hours of organic chemistry with labs (CHEM
2261, 2262, and 2364 lab)
8 hours of physics with labs (PHYS 2001/2108,
2002/2109)
6-9 hours of English (1001, 1002, 2000 level
or above English course)
These courses should be viewed as minimum preparation
and students are strongly encouraged to take
advanced courses in the sciences to enhance
their competitiveness.
Some strongly recommended courses are Genetics
(BIOL 2153), Microbiology (BIOL 2051), Biochemistry
(BIOL 4087), and Calculus (Math 1550). Courses
in ethics, interpersonal communications, psychology,
sociology and business are also good options.
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For
Additional Information
Counselors in the College of Basic Sciences
are available to answer any specific questions
you may have or to provide information and advice
on making yourself a viable candidate for medical
or dental school. They may be reached at the
following location:
College of Basic Sciences
338 Choppin Hall, LSU
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
Telephone: (225) 578-4200 Fax: (225) 578-8826
http://science.lsu.edu
E-mail: bascdean@lsu.edu
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