Pre-Health Pathways

Pre-Health Pathways:
Forging New Ground for Healthcare in the 21st Century!

The medical landscape is changing. So are we.

Aspiring health care professionals face new challenges on their path to health-related careers. Professional schools expect well-rounded students. This involves some combination of diverse coursework, community service, travel, research, and internships. The College of Arts and Sciences is forging new ground to meet these needs, with a focus on interdisciplinary programs, high-impact experiences, student mentoring, and cultural competence. As the largest college on campus, we offer an unmatched breadth of classes and resources to help you navigate these expectations. Join us as we become ETSU’s pre-health destination!

“Having a Biochemistry concentration and a Physics minor has shaped my personality more than I would have expected. As a Mexican-American woman in STEM, it can be quite challenging to not have peers with similar backgrounds. However, I have learned to grow tough skin and stay focused. The Biology and Physics programs at ETSU have prepared me for a future in medicine and technology. I have mastered the necessary tools I need to succeed. My view of science in the world broadened as I advanced into upper-level courses.” -Pamela Avendaño-Rubi

Biomedical Sciences Concentration begins Fall 2023!

Beginning fall 2023, the Department of Biological Sciences is offering a new Biomedical Sciences concentration with ETSU’s College of Public Health. Students no longer have to choose between colleges. The new concentration offers the best of both worlds! More information about this concentration can be found here.

Health Professions Concentration in Psychology

Many pre-health students already come to Psychology as a major for good reason: Psychology is a fascinating field that covers a lot of ground, from brains to behaviors. Now, the Department of Psychology includes a Health Professions track to an already well-established major. Speaking of 21st century healthcare, the MCAT includes new sections on cognition and perception and human behavior. Psychology is keeping pace, with cutting-edge research opportunities and the establishment of the strong BRAIN institute, a collaboration with Ballad Health to address issues of trauma and resilience.

Dr. Wally Dixon, Chair of Psychology, announces the Strong Brain Institute with President Brian Noland and in collaboration with Ballad Health.

Culture and Health Minor

The Culture and Health minor is an interdisciplinary minor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology and is one of the most robust at ETSU. The minor was created to offer pre-health students an interdisciplinary grounding in diversity, cultural competence, experiential learning and global health. We have taken students to Cuba, the Azores in Portugal, and the Himalayan Health Exchange with plans of more to come! Grounded in medical anthropology, the minor gives students the opportunity to take health-related courses, ranging from bioethics to the history of medicine. Most students who complete the minor don’t even need one—they come for the high-impact learning, diverse curriculum and close mentoring.

“Being a good doctor is about more than scientific knowledge. It also requires an understanding of people.” -Darrell G. Kirch, M.D. AAMC President and CEO.

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“The Culture & Health minor is invaluable at ETSU. The thing that I loved about the minor was that whenever I took a class, it was never about things I had been exposed to previously. In my science classes, there is a clear differentiation in each class—i.e., General Chemistry vs. Organic Chemistry—but the Culture & Health minor offers a conglomeration of knowledge that forms a better understanding of the world around me.”

-Samuel WiseCarver, Chemistry major, Culture & Health minor, and Medical student at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.

3+1 Completion Program between Chemistry, Biology, and Gatton School of Pharmacy

The university recently approved a 3+1 completion program for Chemistry and Biology. The new program allows students to matriculate to Gatton College of Pharmacy after 3 years in their undergraduate program. They can then complete their BS after their first year in the Doctor of Pharmacy program!

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Tess Aurelia Willcoxon is a 3rd year student at Gatton College of Pharmacy. She has a Chemistry BS and Culture and Health minor.

Medicine's best kept secret? The Humanities!

There is no such thing as a pre-med major. Students are often surprised to learn that humanities majors are one of the top 3 fields (with math and the physical sciences) that hold the highest acceptance rates to medical school and score highest on the MCAT! Today’s health care environment demands students who can respond to complex issues about religion, ethics and humanity.

Student Mentoring

One of the greatest predictors in professional success is work with your college mentors. At ETSU, hundreds of freshmen come in certain they are going to medical school. Some may need guidance along the way. Many others will change direction, choosing health care directions they never knew existed, or go in entirely different directions. Choosing your path requires purposeful thinking, commitment, and hard work.

Dr. Melissa Schrift is now working as a mentor with the College of Arts and Science’s pre-health students—at whatever stage. Director of the Culture and Health program, she has worked with pre-health students for over a decade. Her door is open. She can be reached at schrift@etsu.edu

More information about Dr. Schrift can be found here!

Pre-Health Pathways