BIO 102

BIO 102 PRE-PROFESSIONAL CAREERS SEMINAR

1.0 Credit, 1.5 hours

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

The course is mandatory for students who will be using the services of the Pre-professional Committee of the School of Science, Health and Technology. It is designed to help students think critically about their academic studies and career development. The course content includes a series of seminars and presentations on careers in these fields and on entry requirement procedures including MCATs, DATs and VCATs to the various professional schools. In addition to presentations by speakers from the various fields, each student will be required to write a paper and make a presentation on a topic related to his/her field of professional interest. Attendance is required at all class sessions and will be strictly monitored. This course will serve as a substitute for Freshman Seminar (FS 102) or College As a Social System (SP/C 004) for students planning careers in Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary Medicine and Biology. Prerequisite: FS 101.

TEXTBOOK: Opportunities in Biological Science Careers, by Charles A. Winter, VGM Career Horizons

SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS:

Becoming a Physician: A practical guide to planning a career in medicine by Jennifer Danek and Marita Danek, John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Keepsake: A GUIDE FOR MINORITY PREMED STUDENTS. Published by Spectrum Unlimited. Editor, Laura L. Scholes. E- Mail: jmmsmag@aol.com

The Big Picture: GETTING PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT IN LIFE. by Ben Carson, Zondervan Publishing House

National Institutes of Health (NIH) website - http://www.nih.gov

Association of American Medical Colleges website - http://www.aamc.org

Medical Information website - http://www.aamc.org/meded/minority/mmep/start.htm

SYLLABUS

A. Goals

To increase the students awareness of the challenges involved in gaining admission into professional and graduate schools.
To motivate the students to work towards academic success and to emphasize the students' responsibilities to the application process.
To assist the students in realistically assessing their preparation for success in their chosen clinical or biological research careers.
To create a forum in which students can interact with practicing clinicians and scientists in the student's field of professional interest.
To disseminate current and pertinent information to the students regarding their particular area of interest.
To provide a structured setting in which the importance of meeting with their designated advisors can be reinforced.

Course Outline

Introduction to Careers in Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine
Graduate School and You - Varieties of Biological Careers
Careers in the Biomedical Sciences
Career Opportunities in Applied Biology
Entry Requirements and Application Procedures:

                          (i) Electronic application process.
                          (ii) Internet and library search on
                                     professional and graduate
                               schools.

Preparation for the MCATs, DATs, VCATs and GREs
The Preprofessional Committee:

                          (i) Advisement folder
                          (ii) Student responsibilities
                          (iii) Faculty evaluations and time
                                 frame

Writing the Personal Statement
The Importance of Summer Research Experience Opportunities
Choosing a Specialty and Interactions with Medical Professionals
Preparing for the Interview
Guest Speaker Presentations
Student Presentations and Overall Assessment

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