Pre Med at Whitman College?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Whitman College
1

<p>Hi</p>

<p>I plan on going into college as a Pre Med and am considering applying to Whitman College. I feel that a liberal arts college will better prepare me for med school as there is less competition than large universities and is more student focused (closer work with professors, small classes, etc.). </p>

<p>I want to know if Whitman would be a good place to study to get into Med School?
Does Whitman have the right resources to help prepare me?
Any reasons why I should or should not go to Whitman but a different college would also be helpful.
Do most pre meds from Whitman get into med school? </p>

<p>Thank You!!</p>

2

<p>I am not a Whitman grad, but a top MD/Ph.D at the UW just spoke recently about his career, crediting Whitman with giving him the science background he needed to succeed. He said the research opps were fewer but the education and background were terrific.</p>

3

<p>Friends recently went to visit with the idea of using it for pre-med and my daughter also considered it for pre-med before getting in ED elsewhere. Friends came away impressed with the science part, but thought they had seen better pre-med advising elsewhere. YMMV.</p>

4

<p>Also consider taking your question over to the Whitman forum, OP.</p>

5

<p>^^ How much pre-med advising does anyone really need? What significant, objective factors separate one school’s advising program from another’s?</p>

6

<p>Personal opinion only, but I think pre-med advising makes all the difference in the world and is a MAJOR factor in where to do your pre-med. You can do pre-med anywhere, just like you can go to HS anywhere. But who has the better track record at getting in top notch colleges - those kids who go to a regular HS or those kids who go to a HS with a great GC/College Advisor? Someone who knows what schools are looking for, can advise which courses to take, in which sequence, can advise meaningful ECs, can get you great rec letters, can tell you the best school to apply to with your stats, etc? </p>

<p>Same hold true for pre-med - schools that are very good at getting kids into med school often do so as a result of having top notch advisors who can guide you through from Day One. Why reinvent the wheel, when you can have an expert to tell you to take this course and not that course to get your GPA where it needs to be, avoid this professor or that professor, here are some great internship opportunities over summer at this hospital 300 miles away, but we have an alum there looking for four kids, etc. Are you at a school that has a committee that only issues rec letters to the top candidates, or are you at a school that issue rec letters to everyone. Which med schools do you have the best chance at? A good pre-med advisor can tell you these things and give you the best chance to make it through, and can also honestly tell you when it’s time to take another direction or even tell you that you are in good shape and shouldn’t give up.</p>

7

<p>This is Whitman’s stance on pre-med advising:</p>

<p>"Careers in the health professions demand more than just achievement in the life sciences. Maturity, compassion, leadership, ethical practice, integrity, communication skills, and knowledge of health care policy are essential for the health-care professional. Since the health professions seek individuals with a broad liberal arts and science education in conjunction with a rigorous major area of study in the natural sciences, arts, humanities, or social sciences, Whitman College does not offer “premed,” “prevet,” or any “prehealth” major. Although many students choose one of our life science majors — biology or biochemistry, biophysics, and molecular biology (BBMB) — more than one-third of our successful matriculants in medical or other health profession schools enter with majors beyond the life sciences, including Anthropology, Art, Chemistry, Classics, English, Foreign Languages (Spanish, French, Japanese), Geology, History, Mathematics, Music, Philosophy, Politics, Psychology, Religion, and Theatre.</p>

<p>Whitman’s liberal arts curriculum has prepared many of our graduates for successful careers as physicians, nurses, physician assistants, dentists, veterinarians, physical therapists, pharmacists, and public health specialists. Clinicians must have the ability to communicate by speaking and writing effectively, to gather and analyze data, to continually update knowledge and skills, to work with a team of professionals, and to apply new information to the solution of scientific, clinical, and public health problems — all skills that can be acquired from a liberal arts education. Whitman students have acquired an excellent reputation among the professional schools they have attended. We like to attribute this to our strong undergraduate curriculum that provides students with both the breadth and depth necessary to excel. In addition to foundation courses in biochemistry, genetics, microbiology, nutrition, or physiology, Whitman offers seminar courses in areas such as medical anthropology, psychology of aging, biomedical ethics, biostatistics, and global infectious diseases."</p>