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Department of Biology

Health Professions - Frequently Asked Questions

WHAT DOES ASU HAVE TO OFFER ME AS A HEALTH PROFESSIONS STUDENT?

CONSISTENTLY ONE OF THE HIGHEST ACCEPTANCE RATESto health professions schools among state universities in Texas. We always have acceptance rates of over 50%--and often much higher. The statewide average is around 30%.

INFORMAL, PERSONAL, ONE-ON-ONE ADVISING.
Dr. Bloebaum, Dr. Wilke, and Dr. Marsh do ALL the advising of our students. We are available, you can call us at home, and we are interested in you and your success. Students at "big" universities often complain that "I can't ever see my advisor", "I don't know who my advisor is", "I can't get anybody to help me", I have to wait weeks for an appointment with my advisor". NOT AT ASU!

EXPERIENCE IN CRITICAL THINKING AND PROBLEM SOLVING.
Skills that have become so important on the MCAT and in health professions school and practice. ASU offers a course--Biology 1480--which all health professions students are required to take. A MCAT review course to be held at ASU is also being developed by ASU's Division of Continuing Studies.

OVER 20local physicians, dentists, optometrists, podiatrists, and PA's who have volunteered to let you shadow them in their practices to gain all-important actual health care experience.

A BIOLOGY FACULTY WHO IS COMMITTED TO TEACHING AND WHO LIKES TO TEACH.

AN OPPORTUNITYfor any interested undergraduate to do RESEARCH with a member of the Biology faculty.
Very few universities-and NO LARGE ONES--make such an opportunity available. Research experience can be valuable for health professions students AND, who knows, you may decide to pursue both M.D. AND Ph.D degrees!

A VERY DETAILED AND COMPLETE HEALTH PROFESSIONS EVALUATION, which we write for EACH applicant to health professions schools and which is CRITICAL to your being seriously considered for admission. Each year health professions schools tell us that our evaluations are the most detailed, informative, and useful evaluations that they receive. We get to know you PERSONALLY through our advising and smaller class sizes, and this can be a BIG plus to you when you apply.

A FINAL POINT

A health professions advisor at a very large Texas state university once told an ASU student who was thinking of transferring there, "Stay at Angelo State. They will get to know you better, they will give you better and more personal advising, AND they will write a more complete evaluation for you when you apply". Angelo State has an EXCELLENT reputation among health professions schools both IN TEXAS and OUTSIDE OF TEXAS. ASU graduates are consistently among the TOP STUDENTS at their respective health professions schools. (FOR EXAMPLE, ASU students almost always LEAD THEIR CLASSES in Histology & Microbiology.) ASU graduates are selected for the best residency programs after medical school, and we have had students accepted for the M.D.-Ph.D. programs at such schools as Vanderbilt, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.


WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE ACCEPTED INTO MEDICAL SCHOOLS?

Medical School:
Dental School:
Podiatry School:
Optometry School:
Physician's Assistant:
Chiropractic:

WHAT DO I DO NEXT IF I WANT TO CONSIDER ASU FURTHER?CALL US!

We can either visit by phone OR set up a time for us to visit in person. We can then talk about majors, discuss specific courses you can consider taking, and talk about any other areas of interest to you. For contact information click here!

WHAT DO I DO TO GET REGISTERED FOR CLASSES AT ASU FOR MY FIRST FALL SEMESTER?

Make plans to attend one of the sessions of PREVIEW ASU, an early registration program that is offered about 5 times during the summer. You will return to campus, visit with an advisor (usually one of us), decide on courses, and actually be registered for your Fall classes. (You can wait until later to register, but many classes are "picked over".) If you have been accepted to ASU by June 1, you will receive information about PREVIEW ASU in the mail. Students attending ANY OF THE SESSIONS have an equal "shot" at the courses, times, and professors they want. If you do not get this information, call us OR call the Office of Student Life (Associate Dean Nolen P. Mears; (325) 942-2191 Ext. 240.

WHAT DO I CHOOSE AS AN ACADEMIC MAJOR?

There are no more "Premedicine" or "Predental" degrees. Since it is possible that a career in health care may not work out for you, IT IS ESSENTIAL to choose an ACADEMIC MAJOR, which may be ANY MAJOR offered by ASU. Indeed the vast majority of students who apply to medical and dental schools have a degree prior to entering. How do I choose one? You and we will visit at length about this, but choose a major which you could use should you not go to health professions school. Examples: Choose a BIOLOGY degree if your alternative is to become a biologist, earn a Master's and/or Ph.D. degrees, and become a researcher and college professor. HOWEVER, if you want to become a CPA/accountant, major in Accounting with minors in Biology and Chemistry. Get the idea? You can have a declared major in any field AND still be a health professions student. Your advisors can show you how. Keep in mind there are biology and chemistry courses that are required by health professions schools which may warrant a minor in biology and/or chemistry. Thus, we will want to visit EARLY in your career about majors and how to choose one intelligently.

WHAT COURSES WILL I TAKE?

We will visit with you extensively about what courses you should take depending on which major you choose. In general most medical, dental, chiropractic, podiatry, and physician assistant schools require varying amounts of biology, chemistry, physics, and math. Usually medical schools require 16-18 hours of biology 16-18 hours of chemistry, 8 hours of physics, and math through Calculus I.

HOW AND WHEN DO I APPLY TO A MEDICAL OR PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL?

Since most students applying to medical and/or professionals earn a degree at Angelo State, students typically apply and the end of their third year. It is important to understand too, that it is very rare to enter a medical or professional school without a degree. Most students like the security a degree offers if medical school plans do not pan out. Most applications are available online and your advisor can help you locate, find, and fill out all the necessary information. We strongly suggest you visit with us long before you begin the applications process. We have vital information and experience in these matters that can make the process much easier and make you a much more competitive applicant. For example, there are specific applications materials, a time table, and comprehensive faculty involvement that are extremely important in the applications process. Faculty involvement is what sets ASU apart from other institutions. An important part of your application is a health professions evaluation completed by the ASU Health Professions Advisory Committee made up of five faculty members in biology and chemistry. ASU is known among medical schools for our comprehensive evaluations which we believe helps our students in the admissions process. We simply want to help you achieve your goals.

WHERE CAN I GET MCAT/DAT/OAT INFORMATION? WHEN SHOULD I TAKE THE TEST?

ALL of these applications are available in the health profession reference room (Cavness 002; in the basement) and on the web (click here). The MCAT is usually taken during April or August of the year prior to planned entrance to medical school. The DAT should be taken no later than August of the year prior to planned entrance to dental school. The OAT is usually taken during your last fall term before your graduation. Other allied health and medical professional schools vary. You must keep in contact with your advisor for the most up-to-date and current information on these exams and/or available review courses.