| The Major | Faculty and Courses | Opportunities | Careers | Contact Us |
|
|
Health-care delivery in the United States is carried out by licensed professionals who typically have college degrees and, with increasing frequency, have also earned graduate "terminal" degrees in their specialties. For example, the terminal degree in physical therapy is a masters. Nurses may hold a bachelors or a masters degree or, more recently, a doctorate. Dentists, physicians and optometrists must attain a doctoral degree. A license to practice is issued by state authorities and involves extensive clinical work carried out under the auspices of special academic programs which are usually associated with medical centers.
SUNY Cortland offers undergraduate programs that prepare students for post-college studies in medicine and the related health-care professions. Although in some of those professions it is not always necessary to complete a bachelors degree in order to enter a licensing program, gaining admission into programs in the medical fields is highly competitive and usually requires relatively high grades and an earned bachelors. Whether one is considering human or veterinary medicine, various plans of study available at SUNY Cortland prepare the future professional for admission into the numerous health-care programs across the SUNY system and elsewhere in the country. Here at Cortland, we continue to be gratified by the relatively high success rate with which our students are accepted into (and graduate from) US medical schools and related programs.
At Cortland we do not require that premedical students declare a specific major; on the contrary, all our premedical students are encouraged to take advantage of a wide variety of programs and concentrations. However, the requirements for admission to medical schools include many common prerequisites in the sciences, and it is for this reason that "premeds" usually major in one of the sciences, most often biology or chemistry. Premedical students at Cortland work closely with the College Premedical Advisor and quickly develop a general understanding of the courses required for entering the medical field of their choice.
A basic requirement for a course of studies in the life sciences is one year of "general" or "introductory" biology. Biological Sciences I and Biological Sciences II are recommended because they constitute a sequence offered especially for science majors. This sequence will prepare the student for more advanced elective courses such as Anatomy, Cell Biology, Developmental Biology, Genetics, Histology, Microbiology, or Physiology.
Chemistry is another requirement of medical programs; one year of general chemistry and a second year of either organic chemistry or one semester of organic and one semester of biochemistry. The emergence of molecular biology as one of the strongest disciplines in the life sciences is one of the better arguments for endorsing a strong chemistry background in a premedical curriculum.
College work in mathematics is highly recommended by medical schools. Calculus is the most convenient choice in math because it is also a prerequisite to coursework in physics. One year of calculus-based general physics is routinely required. It should be noted that the calculus requirement for physics amounts to one semester only, and for this reason many students choose to take statistics instead of a second semester of calculus.
Maintaining a high grade-point average is essential, as is demonstrating the ability to carry a full course load that includes science classes with laboratories. It is also highly recommended that premedical students participate in research. Our science faculty offer a broad range of research opportunities, and premedical students are strongly encouraged to take an active role in ongoing projects. In general, premeds try to complete the important preparation courses by the end of the junior year in order to take the Medical College Admission Test (or equivalent) shortly thereafter.
One faculty member, Dr. Barry L. Batzing, who is very familiar with medical schools and their admission requirements, acts as the College Premedical Advisor. Dr. Batzing helps the premedical student understand and fulfill all of the requirements. Then, in the final step in applying for acceptance into a medical program, Dr. Batzing guides the student in receiving an evaluation and recommendation from a Premedical Committee. Premedical students applying for acceptance into medical programs are routinely evaluated by this committee and formal letters of evaluation are written for them.
See a Listing of our Students who
have successfully pursued additional health related education and careers.