Your Health Career

Pathway to your Health Career as a Biology Major

UMW programs like pre-medicine, pre-dentistry, pre-veterinary medicine, pre-physical therapy, and other allied health programs are not UMW majors. Rather, they are career tracks that fall under the UMW Pre-Health Program. If you are headed on one of these career tracks, you still need to choose a major. The Biology Major is the near-perfect major for pre-health students, and we have constructed our major with pre-health students in mind.  Below is a sample pathway through the Biology major for pre-health students. It shows that by the end of your 3^rd year, you can have most Biology major requirements completed and ALL pre-health requirements completed, including those for premed, pre-dent, pre-verterinary medicine, and all other allied health career tracks. It should be noted that this is only a sample pathway. The course requirements vary among the many different pre-health career tracks, and every pre-health student should consult with Professor Stephen Gallik, the UMW Pre-Health Advisor, for information about the course requirements for any one specific pre-health program. The pathway shown below is flexible to a degree and can be modified in certain ways to meet the specific needs of the student.

Required and highly recommended pre-health courses are in bold face.

First Year:

• Fall Semester:
  • Biol 121 (Biol Concepts)  – or – Biology 125 (Phage Hunters I)
  • Chem 111 (Gen Chem I)
  • Any college-level math, Psychology, Sociology or English composition course
  • FSEM
• Spring Semester:
  • Biol 132 (Org Func & Div)  – or – Biology 126 (Phage Hunters II)
  • Chem 112 (Gen Chem I)
  • Whichever is remaining of any college-level math, Psychology, or Sociology course
  • A second English composition course (or WI course) or  or a general education course

Second Year

• Fall Semester:
  • Biol 340 (Cell Biology)
  • Biol 260 (Research Process)(Satisfies Stats requirement)
    
  • Chem 211 (Organic Chem I), if required by your specific pre-health program
  • Whichever is remaining of any college-level math, Psychology, or Sociology course or gen ed course
• Spring Semester:
  • Biol 341 (General Genetics)
  • Biol 210 (Ecology & Evolution)
  • Chem 212 (Organic Chem II), if required by your specific pre-health program
  • Whichever is remaining of any college-level math, Psychology, or Sociology course or gen ed course

Third Year:

• Fall Semester:
  • Physics 101 or 105, if required by your specific pre-health program
  • Chem 317 (Biochem I), if required by your specific pre-health program
  • A Biology Major elective or general education course
  • A general education course
• Spring Semester:
  • Physics 102 or 106, if required by your specific pre-health program
  • Biol 371 (Microbiology)
  • A Biology Major elective
  • A general education course

For detailed information about the specific course requirements for your preferred pre-health career track, or if you have any questions about this sample pathway, email the UMW Pre-Health Advisor, Professor Stephen Gallik.