Pre-Health Advising Center

Pre-health tracks

WHAT ARE THE BEST PRE-MED, PRE-DENTAL AND PRE-VET MAJORS?

Science-related majors. Most UToledo pre-health professional students choose majors such as chemistry or biology. This allows them to fulfill both their major's course requirements and the requirements of a pre-health concentration without taking extra classes.

But any major — even non-science ones — can work. Working closely with your academic advisor will ensure that you map out a plan that is suitable for you. Learn more about the concentration of your choice and the required prerequisites. 

UTOLEDO UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES WITH PRE-HEALTH CONCENTRATIONS

Biology, Department of Biological Sciences

Degree: Bachelor of Science
College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

  • The traditional major for students interested in medical, veterinary, dental and PA school
  • MCAT preparation (the medical school entrance exam)
  • 3 out of 4 UToledo biological sciences graduates with GPAs of 3.5 or higher have been accepted into medical school over the past 10 years.

Bioengineering (5-Year Program)

Degree: Bachelor of Science
College of Engineering

  • Offers a pre-med concentration
  • The technical education and research skills that medical schools desire
  • Courses that prepare you for the MCAT exam (required for entrance to medical school) and medical school
  • An accelerated pre-med program. Highly qualified pre-med students who enter the program directly from high school can complete a BS in four years instead of five. Pre-med students must have at least a 3.9 GPA during their first semester and maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.8 through the end of their second year to qualify.
  • Bioengineering graduates are accepted into medical school at higher rates than students who major in the physical sciences.

Pharmaceutical Sciences

Degree: Bachelor of Science
College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Two of UToledo's five bachelor's degree programs in pharmaceutical sciences — medicinal and biological chemistry and pharmacology/toxicology — are rigorous majors that provide excellent preparation for professional schools.

  • An edge on the competition. Classes like pharmacology — how drugs act in the body — aren't part of a typical pre-medicine program. They can help your application to med school or professional school stand out.
  • Classes on the latest topics in medical care, including personalized medicine (tailoring drug therapies to each patient)
  • Research opportunities with world-renowned faculty members, who may write you letters of recommendation that enhance your application to medical school
  • The chance to learn and practice medical school interview skills in our yearlong professional development institute

Exercise Science

Degree: Bachelor of Science
College of Health and Human Services

The BS program offers two health-related concentrations. The pre-professional course requirements are built into the program's curriculum — no extra classes required.

Learn to prevent disease as well as cure and rehabilitate patients. These are great skills for aspiring physicians, especially those who want to specialize in sports medicine or orthopaedics.

  • Pre-medical professions
    • One sequence of required courses for students interested in medical school
    • One sequence of classes for those interested in a physician assistant program
  • Pre-rehabilitation sciences — for students interested in athletic training, occupational therapy or physical therapy graduate programs

Public Health

Degree: Bachelor of Science
College of Health and Human Services

  • Offers a pre-medical track
  • Rigorous, basic science courses and a solid foundation in public health
  • A background in global and community health that helps you learn to prevent disease as well as treat it
  • A side of medicine that many pre-med students don't see. Work with and learn from professionals in areas such as healthcare policy and substance abuse. This broader understanding of health will help you as a physician.
Last Updated: 1/17/23