Entering Students-Pre-Placement Health Form Medical: Fill & Download for Free

There are a number of categories that you’ll need to fill to various degrees in order to make yourself a competitive applicant. In order to explain these most simply, I will offer forth a simplified, distilled list below. For a quicker read, hit the bold points and the bulleted tips at the bottom.Personal History (I don’t like “Application Skills,” so we’ll tack that on at the end)Academic MetricsClinical Capacity/ExperienceResearchVolunteering/Community ServiceExtra-curricular ActivitiesSo, I’ll expound on these topics and give some rationale behind their consideration in admissions and implications on potential as a physician, as well as offer some advice.Personal History: What I mean by this is: why are you going in to medicine? Ideally, you’d like to have some compelling reason for entering the field. This shows the admissions committee that your desire to pursue medicine is rooted in something other than a desire for money, prestige, or simply because it’s what everyone in your family does. None of these are good reasons to enter medicine. The rationale behind this on the side of the admissions committee is derived from a need for longevity on your part as a physician. Medical schools have a mission that is both inherent to themselves in providing optimal care and improving medicine as a whole, but also on the part of the government to generate doctors that can bear the burden of treating our citizens. Hence, they receive subsidies and resources from the government that hinge on whether they generate doctors from the students that matriculate. It reflects poorly on the medical school if they admit a student that doesn’t graduate or that goes on to leave medicine. When you apply to medical school, you will fill out an American Medical School Application System (AMCAS) application, which will include a personal statement of your reasons for pursuing a career in medicine and detailed explanations of 10–15 experiences that influenced you in your life. These are critical pieces of data that will decide whether you get in or not. Metrics (MCAT, GPA) are fantastic, but without a compelling story and valuable experiences that have developed you into a mature individual capable of understanding the world (yes, the world. Not necessarily just medicine) to some complex degree, those metrics are an indication that you’re an egghead that can learn scientific concepts. So, preparing in this field means to have valuable experiences that sculpt you as a person and show that you can/have faced adversity and grown. This can include experiences while shadowing or working in medicine, playing sports in high school/college, losing someone close to you and how that affected your desire to enter medicine, watching someone battle disease, things that happened while you conducted research, volunteering, other extracurriculars, etc.Metrics: While your personal history will oftentimes be the pillar around which your candidacy is built, you must meet certain criterion of academic aptitude in order to show the admissions committee that you are capable of learning the material in medical school and performing well on your United States Medical Learning Exams (USMLE). These are your Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) and your GPA (with a heavy emphasis on your science courses). We’ll talk GPA first. You need to choose a major that interests you. I repeat: You need to choose a major that interests you! We have people in our medical school class that majored in Art, History, Spanish, Engineering, Anthropology, Archaeology, Chemistry, Biology, Psychology, English….. You get it. Medical schools require that you have Introductory Biology, Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physics, Psychology, Sociology, and (most schools) Biochemistry. These will ALL be on the MCAT. About the MCAT® Exam. You would do well to take some other courses like Genetics, Microbiology, Research Design (or some sort of research course), Immunology, etc. However, these are not required. You will be judged heavily based on your GPA in these subjects, as well as the courses you take for your major. Being a freshman, you will soon discover that classes that don’t interest you at least a certain modicum tend to be ones that you perform worse in. Therefore, if you have a sincere interest in Literature, study it! Enjoy your degree, and learn the science you need to in order to build your foundation for understanding in medical school. Why did I highlight the word understanding? You will have friends throughout college that will begin studying the night before the test. Some of them will be inherently smart, and will often be able to recognize information and concepts well enough to perform well on tests. Others will study all the time and still perform poorly. What do these two groups have in common? They are not learning for understanding! You may be able to get by like either of these students in your introductory courses; but I promise that as you elevate in your education, you will encounter classes and material that will push you to the limits of your ability to learn. Hence, you need to really learn the material that you’re learning in class. Here’s a set of good guidelines to start with. Take notes EVERY class period. NEVER let a lecture be the first time you’re seeing material. Even simply skimming through the readings for 10 minutes the night before will increase the amount of understanding you’re able to derive from a class. Yeah, this is tough to do. Get used to it. Medical school is on a completely different plane. You can make time for this by nailing down your scheduling and time-management. I spend the first 15 or so minutes of every day referring to my Google Calendar and ensuring that things are scheduled out. Make a schedule and STICK TO IT. Spontaneity is great and fun, but don’t make a habit of deviating from your schedule. Your life will become a disorganized mess and you’ll feel worse for it. People will think you’re a prude, stuck-up, or a loser; but these people will likely never be called Dr. _____. Keep this in mind. You’re going to be less than 1% of the population as a physician. Show them you’re different. Also, sit close to the front. Answer and ask questions in the class. Engage yourself and the professor. You will learn more and develop relationships with your professors, which will be essential when it comes time to get letters of recommendation for school (ESPECIALLY from your science professors). Start studying deliberately for an exam at least a week prior. You will learn the material thoroughly at a reasonable pace and will be MUCH less worried when it comes time for the exam. Your friends will be jealous and wonder how you got so smart. Don’t let yourself be surrounded by people that aren’t working as hard or harder than you. This brings up another point I’d like to make. You will have people that are in college simply because it’s “What people do.” These people have no clue what they’re going to do after college and it shows in their actions. Don’t get caught up with these people. Don’t get caught up in their partying, drugs, and “fun.” Don’t be misconstrued, you can have fun and you should! Your undergrad will be a fantastic time and you’ll grow immensely; but you’ll realize at some point that you gain nothing from partying all the time and drinking every weekend besides an empty wallet, lost time, and shallow friendships. So party and have fun, but remember to never party or hang out with people that don’t have something to lose. Anyways, back to studying. If you’re not surrounded by motivated people, you will begin to think that it’s okay to be like them. You will see that as the norm. Instead, surround yourself with the highest achievers you can find in your classes. You will learn things from them, and seeing them do well and put in work will help you become conditioned to doing the same. Also, find yourself a few of these hard-workers and form a study group, then teach each other. This is the best way I found during my academic career to expose holes in my own understanding and hammer down concepts. This brings me to a favorite quote of mine.Lastly, your schedule needs to be purposefully somewhat difficult for a period of time. You MUST have a semester during which you take 3 science courses. This would ideally be the semester (or two) before you take your MCAT, so that the material is fresh in your head. Admissions committees look for this so that they can determine that you’re capable of the massive amount of scientific integration and processing that is required of medical school. This is absolutely necessary. That said, this is ideally done the first semester of your junior year. Plan accordingly. For example, I took Physics 1, Organic 2, and Genetics that semester. Your junior year is the time for the hardest work you can possibly muster. As far as your MCAT is concerned, here are a few tips (I took the old MCAT, granted). Start studying for the MCAT no less than six months in advance. You will NEVER be able to get through all of the material and learn it well enough to do well in less. You need dedicated MCAT time 3x weekly for that six months. Now this next part has a bit of wiggle-room in it. I didn’t take the test when I would like to have, but I had a LOT of factors coming into play that I hadn’t planned for, (and I actually hadn’t finished the first semester of physics when I took my test). Plan out what you’re going to cover on which days, and schedule your first MCAT for mid-january of your junior year, either just before you return from school or shortly after so that you have time to study for it with no other obligations. This means that you will start your 6 months shortly after you finish your sophomore year, and also means that you will need to take both semesters of intro Chem, intro Biology, Organic Chemistry, and at least the first semester of Physics by the beginning of your junior year so that you can take Physics 2 and Biochemistry in the Fall of your Junior year (caveats to this to come). This placement is ideal, as Physics and Biochemistry are two very high-yield subjects and having them fresh in your mind from class come test day will be perfect. Note that I’ve left psychology and sociology open as far as placement in your schedule. Sprinkle these in anywhere. It’s unlikely that you’ll get everything you need for the MCAT from your intro course anyways (so ensure that you pool outside resources for this material). This will leave you able to retake the test again with ample study time in the following early summer. Again, between January and late May, you will need to have a dedicated schedule for studying. You’ll retake the exam in the beginning of the summer, and be ready when the AMCAS application opens in mid-Summer to submit. So what have I left out of this portion? Materials! I’ve no conflicts of interest. I personally used Khan Academy, practice tests from the AAMC, Kaplan books and Qbanks, as well as whatever practice tests I could get my hands on. I’ve heard examcrackers was good stuff as well, but I never used it. There are tons of apps available for your phone to get MCAT questions as well, but many of them only offer limited free material, so do your research on the paid ones to ensure they’re decent materials. Also, Anki - powerful, intelligent flashcards is a fantastic way to learn. There are tons of decks of MCAT cards floating around the internet on reddit and other sites, but making your own is definitely the way to go. Ideally, you’d make your ANKI cards as you went through your classes so that you’d have them as study tools during those and later, for the MCAT. Fool around with it and download their app (free for Android users, sorry Apple). I use it in medical school and it’s fantastic.3. Clinical Capacity/Experience: Now this is likely one that I was strongest with coming in. Once piece of advice that I’ve given to every single pre-med I’ve ever met: Use the summer before you start school or between your freshman/sophomore year to get your EMT-B. I got my EMT certifications through my training to become a combat medic for the Army. This was fantastic (and I got paid to do it), but of course you do your obligated time (Active Duty or Reserves) for it and you’ve got to do Basic Combat Training as well. If you’re enticed by the military, go ahead! It’s great training and looks fantastic for your application. Otherwise, take your EMT-B course at your college IN THE SUMMER. Why? Because it’s shorter! It’s only two months as opposed to three in the regular semester, and it’s inherently more immersive. Once you do this, you can get a job working on an ambulance or in an Emergency Department (I recommend the latter, as you’ll work more closely with physicians). Either way, you will gain valuable medical experience, familiarize yourself with many different areas of medicine, learn what you’ll be dealing with as a healthcare worker for the rest of your life, and get the fulfillment of seeing patients for years while in your undergrad, while your friends work fast food, retail, etc. This does two very important things for your application. It shows that you can balance a heavy workload, which you will have to do as a medical student/resident/physician, and shows the admissions committee that you can take care of patients, enjoy medicine, and won’t faint when you see blood. If, by the time you get to your interviews you’ve already spent three years taking care of patients, the committee will know that you aren’t going to see your first cadaver, patient, surgery, etc. and decide that you don’t want to do this anymore. It happens, and remember that it looks bad for them to have someone drop out. Now, if for some reason you aren’t able to do your EMT (HIGHLY recommended), a CNA course, phlebotomy course, or position as a scribe will get you valuable experience in medicine as well. Now, what are scribes? Scribes are non-clinical personnel that work with doctors in clinical settings to help them fill out the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) so that they can focus on the patients and not the computers. These are becoming more and more commonplace, and allows the scribe to get valuable medical exposure while being close to a physician. However, they are non-clinical and can therefore not have contact with patients. Any of these will help you familiarize with medicine and will be great for your application. They also will help you to become close with doctors, who will likely be open to having you shadow them and know doctors in various specialties that you can shadow as well. Now, if you’re unable to do ANY of the above (I’m not sure why, and I can’t stress enough how far ahead any of the above will put you in reference to your peers), you will need to do a large number of shadowing hours to make up for it. This consists of you finding doctors willing to let you follow them around in the hospital or clinic so that you can watch what they do and figure out if you like it while you get exposure. You should do a bit of this even if you do any of the medical occupations above, but you’ll need to do much less. Some medical schools have a number requirement for shadowing hours, but most just want to see some substantial exposure. I’d suggest at least 100 clinical hours as a baseline (shadowing or otherwise). Aside, clinical experience will help you in other ways. It will give you a paradigm in which to place all of the knowledge that you obtain in your classes. You’ll learn about racemic mixtures in Organic Chemistry, competitive inhibition and enzyme kinetics in Biochemistry, and fluid mechanics in Physics. Where does any of this matter? Well, racemic mixtures in synthesis affect the concentration of active drugs in medication doses, enzyme kinetics affect the mechanisms/absorption of drugs and other physiologic mechanisms, and fluid mechanics determine blood pressure! It’s all relevant, and seeing the connections between what you’re learning in school and seeing in the clinic will help to solidify ideas. Think learning about a drug in Pharmacology as an undergrad and seeing it in the clinic that weekend. This is why my Pharmacology knowledge is so solid!4. Research: My FAVORITE! Woo! Alright, so you’ve stayed with the answer this far. You must really want to be a physician. Well, medical schools are increasingly placing a priority on research experience prior to entering medical school. Many medical schools hold a lack of any research experience as a disqualifying factor in applications they receive. Now, this doesn’t necessarily have to be what we call “Basic Science” research, which is the bench and lab work that most people think of when they hear research. Public health (epidemiology, biostatistics), clinical outcomes, health education research all qualify. The rationale behind this is simple. As a physician, you will be a scientist. It will be essential for you to be able to dig into the primary literature in order to decipher studies and data so that you can apply it to your practice and educate your patients. This is critical. I would advise you to get into research as early as you possibly can. There are a number of ways that you can do this. Pre-med Internships is a compilation of many research internships that are available for students planning on careers in medicine. Many of these are PAID summer internships that (if you’re following the schedule I’ve laid out in this answer), you should do in either the summer after your freshman year (if you do your EMT the summer after you finish high school) or the summer following your sophomore year (during which you should be studying for the MCAT as well). These internships tend to be 9–5 academic affairs with weekends off, and are extremely flexible and oftentimes include MCAT study programs or classes that will prove helpful. You will be assigned a mentor, who will teach you lab techniques and scientific investigation. You will then begin a project that you will ideally finish that summer, and present it as a poster at the end! Some of these programs have room/board built in with their stipends, so look out for those! Now, your home institution may have some programs like this as well, which could be even better for you! But, you should also be trying to find a way to do research throughout the year so that you could potentially do larger projects. This is easy to do, and again something that I’d advise as early as your freshman year. Go to the chair of whatever department you’re interested in doing research in, and ask what research opportunities are available. “Which professors have spots in their labs?” “Do any professors have projects in ____ that I’m interested in?” He’ll give you some contact info and perhaps help you set up a meeting with one of the professors you’re interested in. I’d advise looking at the department page and reading about the professor before you meet with them. Read a couple of their recent publications and see what their lab is doing, so that you can ask specific questions while you’re meeting with them. MOST (not all) professors are open to having undergrads work with them in their labs, and oftentimes the department will offer a course in its respective discipline that is really simply you doing research under a professor for a defined number of hours during the week. Use this time to do research, learn methods, interact with your professor, and read publications. You will be tempted to study during down time in the lab, but don’t fall into that hole. Your research professor (primary investigator) will be an essential letter of recommendation when it comes time to apply, and you don’t want him/her thinking you’re a slacker. Did I mention read publications? Start this early. Figure out how to digest material like this. Look up things you don’t know. As you take your courses, you will progressively see that you understand more and more of it until you can crank through them easily. This will be a very valuable skill later on. When looking for publications to read, refer to good sources. PubMed is a great place to start. Peer-reviewed journals like Nature, JAMA, and BMC Genetics are good as well (depending on the type of research you’re looking at. These are just some of the big dogs). Read publications!5. Volunteering/Community Service: This one almost speaks for itself. There are TONS of volunteering activities you can get involved in. They absolutely don’t have to be medical in nature, but can be! For example, there are programs at hospitals in my area that take volunteers to push an art-cart around the children’s hospital to paint with kids on the wards. There are also volunteers that help with clerical work and logistics. Outside of medicine, you can volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, or volunteer for waterway cleanups. I guarantee you that there are organizations at your University doing volunteer projects- you only have to seek them out. A good national pre-med organization that does lots of volunteering is Alpha Epsilon Delta. Biology Student Association, Army ROTC, SGA, and the YMCA are all organizations that I volunteered with in my undergrad. Seek these opportunities out and get involved in your community. The admissions committee wants to see this. As a physician, you will be a pillar in your community. Along with our desire to heal comes one to make the world better, which we are capable of doing in more ways than by treating patients like we would on the day-to-day at the clinic. Physicians do mission trips, free clinics for children and the underserved, run free community health education programs, and organize legislation around public service. I suppose the message here is: if you don’t like serving others, don’t go into medicine. For all my people that dwell on numbers and requirements, most schools don’t have specified numbers; they simply want to see a continued history of volunteering that shows your devotion to public service. Also, this ties back in to my first bullet. Volunteering is one of the activities that you can use to build valuable life experiences that will help prepare you for life as a physician, and is favorable on your application for the admissions committee.6. Extra-Curricular Activities: This is the catch-all as far as support of your application goes. Holding a part-time job, shadowing, volunteering, being a part of school organizations, and anything else you do with your time outside of school fits in to here. The organizations that you didn’t necessarily volunteer with, but participated in are included here. So playing sports, music, doing theater, running road races, carpentry, working on cars, spelunking, writing, kayaking, fishing, hiking, collecting stamps, etc. Medical schools want a person that is well-rounded, showing an aptitude and interest for things other than medicine. No matter how much you love medicine, there will come a day that you will feel burnt out and tired of it. If you lack other interests to occupy your time and keep you grounded/enjoying yourself, this burnout could slowly wear on you, hindering your performance as a physician and satisfaction with your life. So yes, you need to do everything I lined out above, but still leave some time in to be a person, okay?To cap this off, a few pointers for your application and some other general tips.You will have plenty of time to work on AMCAS. Filling out your application will be a hugely interesting time for you. You will have to delve down deep inside of yourself to tease out the real reasons that you’ve decided to enter medicine. The year before I began medical school was one of the most profoundly introspective times of my entire life. I hyper-analyzed all of my experiences and dug down into the core of who I was. I found flaws and I discovered new strengths. Write about these things you find. Write about the experiences that created these things and what they meant to you. This said, leave yourself enough time so that you can get your AMCAS application processed and get to filling out secondary applications. I worked on AMCAS for a month, starting in early July or so, I believe. I filled out secondaries until December. Those essays are a doozie!Many Universities have a pre-health committee. If yours does, you’ll need a letter from them. This will likely be a group of faculty members that teach many of the pre-med requirements. Set up your advising appointments with a member of this committee as soon as you get to school. You want them to know your face and see your progression. If your university doesn’t have one, you’ll simply let AMCAS know and get another couple of letters as a substitute.Build networks with your professors and professional colleagues. These will be people that you will call on for letters for years to come, hence they need to know you well and think highly of you. Give them a reason to do this!! Don’t ask for letters from people that don’t know you well, either. Their lack of knowledge about you will turn out to hurt you more than help you through their generic letter about how much potential you have and how great having you in their class was (boring). You’ll want most of your letters to be from science faculty (Definitely one from your research mentor), but will need at least one from a non-science professor. If you do any clinical work/shadowing, you may want to include a letter from a physician you worked with as well. Also, ask for these letters far in advance. These people are busy, and you don’t want your application to be waiting around incomplete in cyberspace because you didn’t give your letter-writers enough time.Be reasonable when you’re picking out schools to apply to. Everybody wants to aim high and go to an Ivy League school, but many of these places have screening cutoffs for GPAs and MCAT scores and will charge you to submit secondary applications that end up never getting looked at. If you feel like you’ve got a chance, go for it! However, if you’re at the 50th percentile for your MCAT and GPA, don’t waste your money applying to Harvard! In the end, medical educations are highly standardized and you will get a very similar education at any US medical school, so don’t fret!Get others to read over your personal statement and experiences essays. Getting other eyes on your application materials is essential. You will work on these for nearly a month. They will be absolutely perfect in your eyes. Then, you will let your buddy (an English major, no less) review it and discover that your ideas are scattered and disorganized, or that your syntax is all messed up, or that you have a horrible run on sentence with too many comma splices and lists and nobody understands what you’re saying anymore!Getting in to medical school is not a linear track. I had a friend that was in the coast guard and didn’t go back to school until he was nearly 30. He matriculated last year. There are people in my class that got their M.S. or Ph.D before they came to medical school. We’ve got a man that was a pilot instructor for the Air Force, and will go back to be a pilot-physician for them when he’s done with his medical training. We also had a 19 year-old matriculate with us. The moral here is you don’t have to go straight into medical school. You don’t have to complete your degree in four years. It is not a race to get to the finish. Everyone is different and you should embrace your strengths. Taking some extra time to finish your degree may help you to do better in your classes. Taking a year or more off to do research, travel, work, etc. is all in the budget when it comes to getting into medical school. All of these experiences will be formative and will only go towards developing you further as a physician and as a person. So, don’t get discouraged if things don’t work out how you planned.They rarely ever do.

Q. It is a good idea to say I want to go to medical school on my application to an engineering school (I want to be a chemical engineer)?Will the fact that I won’t want to say in the chemical engineering field be a “con” on my application? I plan to apply to some big name schools, including Harvard, Stanford, and Columbia.A. Some schools offer Engineering Pre-med curriculum and keep students on track of the needed prerequisites, MCAT, EC’s etc for successful application (for example the University of Arizona.)Columbia University also has a robust engineering pre-med program. Harvard has strong premed advising office. So does Stanford. Although neither geared towards engineering/premed aspirants.The question is: Why do you want a Chemical Engineering Degree and how useful will it be to you in the long run? Second, knowing engineering grade deflation, are you willing to have your GPA suffer and possibly self deselect from pursuing a medical career?For most people, getting accepted to medical school is the ultimate goal. This often requires stellar GPA and decent MCAT scores.A high engineering GPA is difficult to achieve. Although medical school admission committees make an allowance for the difficulty of the major, a low GPA despite best effort will jeopardize any hope of acceptance to medical school.Most people cannot do both. It’s either engineering/no med school or medical school and a more lenient major (perhaps humanities).Engineering to Medicine: The Road Less TraveledPosted by Jonathan Haughton onJanuary 12th, 2014Making the CommitmentGetting an MD isn’t like obtaining other advanced degrees such as a PhD, MS or MBA. You cannot study part time or get it paid for by a company. It is a full-time affair for which you must be completely committed for at least four more years after your undergrad (and probably more for residency/fellowship training). Medical school isn’t cheap either, so you must be prepared to take on (or add to your undergrad) debt.How to Do itYour undergraduate engineering classes (usually) will not cover all of the general course requirements for medical school. This means you’ll have to carefully plan your coursework in order to satisfy the engineering and pre-med curricula as well as any general education classes your school requires. It is not easy but definitely do-able and working with an advisor to develop a multi-year plan will help. Pre-med requirements can vary between schools but will at least include physics I/II, chemistry I/II, organic chemistry I/II, biology I/II and an English or literature class. For those beginning to think about medicine after already completing two or more years of their undergraduate degree, taking an extra year to finish all the coursework and prep is not uncommon. This extra time can also be used to study for the dreaded MCAT.The MCAT is the medical school equivalent of the SAT or ACT you took in high school. It must be taken before you can apply, so this usually means the summer before your senior year. There’s a myriad of references, guides and avenues of support for this ranging from free practice tests to intensive classroom courses. Contrary to popular belief, this test is not about rote memorization. Almost all groups of questions are accompanied by a passage. So if you have a very basic understanding of the scientific principles and equations but excellent problem solving, you will do great. The key words here are understanding and problem solving. Memorizing the equations is pointless, they will give them to you on the test, spend your time understanding each equation’s components. This is a great opportunity for engineering students to show off their problem solving skills!So you’ve finished the courses and taken the test, what now? The application process is started about a year before your planned enrollment date. So, if your graduating in 2014, you would apply in the summer or early fall of 2013. Thankfully, there is a standard application for all schools called the AMCAS, but plan on getting secondary applications specific to each school and working on them into the fall. Then save up some money and pray for interviews.Where Engineering Falls ShortThese days medical schools are looking more and more at extracurricular activities in addition to metrics like MCAT score and GPA. This included things like research, volunteering, shadowing and other jobs. Engineering coursework doesn’t always provide enough time for all of this stuff, but if you pick carefully, the right extracurricular can give you an excellent experience with a smaller time commitment. Academic research can be a volunteer or paid experience, and when done during the academic year, can mesh well with your class schedule since research labs are typically close to classroom buildings so you can go there before, after or in-between classes.The extra pre-med courses have also been known to give engineers some trouble. For many, it is tough adjusting to biology type classes, as they are much more memorization based and less analytical in nature. There is no easy solution for this. Figure out what works for you (flashcards, re-writing notes, etc.). This is also the stuff more likely to be seen on the MCAT, so pay extra special attention to the material.When it comes to the interview, some claim engineers don’t fare as well. Anyone in engineering has heard the stereotype that engineers aren’t the most social of people. While that’s an outdated view of the field, it can be used to your advantage during an interview or application essay. By having an outgoing personality and being animated, lively, witty and generally sociable, you defy the stereotype and make yourself look that much better the to the admissions board or interviewer.All that being said, medical schools look very highly upon engineering applicants. They understand that to be a legitimate applicant, the engineering student has given it their 110%, as evidenced by their ability to succeed in such a demanding major in addition to coursework and extracurricular activities. A career in medicine will be time consuming, stressful and at times you will doubt your ability, but in the end extremely rewarding and well worth it. So, it’s just like a degree in engineering!SummaryThe problem solving skills and engineering mindset so thoroughly developed during your undergraduate degree can prove to be an incredibly useful tool for solving medical cases. The human being is an isolated system, and once that system is defined, you can apply your knowledge of that system to create a solution, just like any engineering question. The rational and systematic route of thinking honed during any study of engineering is ideal for a career in medicine.About the authorChris Bobba received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering for the University of Rhode Island in 2013. He is currently an MD/PhD student at the Ohio State University pursuing his PhD in Biomedical Engineering. Current research interests include the intersection of organ conditioning/regeneration techniques and surgical/transplant medicine.University of Arizona College of EngineeringAcademic Focus AreasUA chemical engineering is one of only a few approved College of Engineering pre-med programs. The three academic focus areas prepare students for careers in a broad range of industries.Environmental is focused on increasing environmental safety in industry and reducing emissions and contaminants in the environment.Biomedical centers around modernizing disease diagnostics and treatment.Pre-medical prepares students to succeed in medical schoolResearch OpportunitiesUA chemical engineers are finding better ways to protect and repair the environment, improve the human condition, and ensure sustainability. And chemical engineering students tend to make the most of studying at a Tier-1 research institution. In fact, more than 90 percent of chemical engineering undergraduates are estimated to be involved in research at some point during their time at the University.Researchers are advancing processes, technologies and understanding in the following areas, for example:Algae-based biofuelsWater treatment and reuseClean semiconductor manufacturingDesalinationSolar energyDrug deliveryCancer detection and treatmentClimate changeOutside the ClassroomNot only is undergraduate research a mainstay of UA chemical engineering, but also many students do internships. Additionally, clubs and organizations play an important role in students’ personal and professional development, strengthening leadership, teamwork and communication skills.The honor society Omega Chi Epsilon promotes creativity, entrepreneurship, professionalism and camaraderie among chemical engineering students. The American Institute of Chemical Engineers hosts social events and provides opportunities for mentoring, tutoring and professional networking. And, in the UA Home Brew club, students put chemical engineering skills to the task with craft brewing techniques.Career PathsUA chemical engineering is known for getting students where they want to go, whether it is a prestigious medical or graduate school somewhere in the world or a career in any number of industries – manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, design and construction, pulp and paper, petrochemicals, food processing, specialty chemicals, polymers, biotechnology, or environmental health and safety.Columbia University Premedical CurriculumPREMEDMedical, dental, and other health professional schools prefer that undergraduates complete a four-year program of study toward the bachelor's degree. All health professional schools require prerequisite course work, but they do not prefer one type of major or scholarly concentration. Students with all types of engineering backgrounds are highly valued.It is important to note, however, that each medical school in the United States and Canada individually determines its own entrance requirements, including prerequisite coursework and/or competencies. Each medical school also sets its own rules regarding acceptable courses or course equivalents. It is therefore essential that students plan early and confirm the premedical requirements for those schools to which they intend to apply. The Engineering curriculum covers many of the prerequisite courses required by medical schools, however, in addition to completing the mathematics, chemistry, and physics courses required by the First Year– Sophomore Program, most schools ask for a full year of organic chemistry, a full year of biology, a full year of English, a semester of statistics, and a semester of biochemistry. Advanced Placement credit is accepted in fulfillment of these requirements by some schools but not all. Students are responsible for monitoring the requirements of each school to which they intend to apply. Generally, students with Advanced Placement credit are strongly advised to take further courses in the field in which they have received such credit.In addition to medical school requirements, all medical schools currently require applicants to sit for the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). A new format of this exam was introduced in the spring of 2015, for which recommended minimum preparation is:One year of general chemistry and general chemistry labOne year of organic chemistry and organic chemistry labOne year of introductory biology and biology labOne year of general physics and physics labOne semester of introductory psychologyAs you prepare for this path, you should consult regularly with both your assigned adviser and one of the premedical advisers in the James H. Christine Turk Berick Center for Student Advising. These individuals will help to guide you in your course selection and planning, and introduce you to extracurricular and research opportunities related to your interests in health and medicine. Preprofessional Advising maintains an online list of many different clinical volunteer and research opportunities across New York City and beyond. Exploration of the career and sustained interactions with patients is viewed by many medical schools as essential preparation and therefore students are strongly encouraged to spend time volunteering/working in clinical and research environments before applying to medical school.Students must apply for admission to health professional schools more than one year in advance of the entry date. Students who are interested in going directly on to health professional schools following graduation should complete all prerequisite courses required for the MCAT by the end of the junior year. It is entirely acceptable (and most common) for students to take time between undergraduate and health professional school and thus delay application to these schools for one or more years. Students planning to apply to medical or dental school should be evaluated by the Premedical Advisory Committee prior to application. A Premedical Advisory Committee application is made available each year in December. For more information regarding this process and other premedical-related questions, please consult with a premedical adviser in the Berick Center for Student Advising or peruse their websiteFAQ for Preprofessional AdvisingMaking the Cut: The Real Pre-med Requirements (Harvard University Crimson)The story of droves of students entering college expecting to be pre-med, but later switching tracks—whether because of the rigor or the draw of other disciplines—is a familiar one. However, at Harvard unique factors play into this whittling down of aspiring doctors.by LIBBY R. COLEMAN Sep 26, 2013Students file one-by-one into the green seats of Science Center B’s lecture hall. They sit down, pulling out laptops or legal pads, sometimes problem sets to complete in class. A constant hum of gum chewing, chair-shifting, and text notifications is amplified against the walls.The room has yet to quiet down when Life Sciences 1a, Harvard’s 448-person introduction to chemistry, molecular biology and cell biology, begins with an unwelcome announcement.There will be a “little quiz” in section. Students in the packed lecture hall respond to the news with a loud groan.“Don’t you want to know how things are going?” molecular and cellular biology professor Robert A. Lue calls back. The class responds with a resounding “No!”Lue reasons, “It’s important to diagnose how everyone’s doing.” He tailors his word choice to the make-up of the class. Diagnosis is a familiar concept to these students, many of whom are interested in attending medical school.Often taken as the first of many pre-med required classes, LS1a introduces Harvard freshmen to the academic life of a pre-med. While many of the students in the lecture hall believe that they will go to medical school, between one and two thirds of them will end up dropping the program.The story of droves of students entering college expecting to be pre-med, but later switching tracks—whether because of the rigor or the draw of other disciplines—is a familiar one. However, at Harvard unique factors play into this whittling down of aspiring doctors.Although Harvard offers a robust pre-med advising program in the Houses, many pre-meds struggle freshman year, when they say that advising is less structured. Later on, a variety of factors—from alternate disciplines and academic communities that are perhaps less grade-obsessed or more diverse, to more lucrative careers that require less up-front time investment—draw students away from the path towards medical school.Learning The RopesThe Office of Career Services estimates that a quarter of the incoming class each year is “exploring medicine.” This data is based on annual attendance at Opening Days events aimed at students considering pre-med and pre-health careers.However, popular wisdom among Peer Advising Fellows says that the proportion is closer to 50 percent. “Half of them are pre-med, or more,” says Khin-Kyemon Aung ’14, who is a PAF and president emeritus of the Harvard Pre-medical Society.OCS estimates that, ultimately, 17 percent of a given class will apply to medical school.As is the case at most of its peer institutions, Harvard does not offer a pre-med concentration, secondary, or citation. Rather, the school suggests that students take a particular set of classes before taking the MCAT or applying to medical school.Currently, most medical schools require students to take one year of biology, one year of general chemistry, one year of organic chemistry, one year of general physics, and one year of English. On top of these requirements, medical schools expect applicants to have leadership experience and strong extracurriculars.These requirements offer some framework, but the open-endedness can leave students unsure of how to navigate their courses or envision what it means to be a strong candidate for medical school.“They would like to come in here and have us just hand them a checklist,” says Robin Mount, Director of Career, Research, and International Opportunities at OCS. “But there isn’t the checklist for life.”While all undergraduates benefit from advising, freshman pre-meds seem to be particularly in need of guidance. Myths abound regarding both Harvard’s pre-med track and the medical school application process.Though OCS advises that there is no correct pre-med mold, Aung has noticed that many pre-meds spend freshman year trying to live up to what they believe pre-meds should do.“You’re asking: ‘What should I be doing?’” Aung says. “Everyone’s very eager and enthusiastic and it’s great, but it also leads to individuals really wanting to follow the set path.”Christian Ramirez ’15 entered Harvard expecting to be pre-med after spending time on his parents’ farm in rural Ecuador. He came face-to-face with the lack of health care in the region, which sparked the idea that he might want to later work for Doctors Without Borders.So, falling in step with his fellow pre-meds, Ramirez enrolled in LS1a his freshman fall. Ramirez’s freshman advisor, with whom he had little contact, quickly approved his course selection.“My freshman advisor really didn’t do much, to be completely honest. I don’t even remember his name,” Ramirez says. “He told me to take things that I already knew I had to take as a pre-med.”In hindsight, Ramirez realizes that he should have instead taken the alternative course, Life and Physical Sciences A, a more foundational class that also fulfills pre-med requirements.However, Ramirez explains that “people are coming into this with the idea that they’re too good for LPS A.”After his freshman fall, Ramirez decided to quit the pre-med track when he realized he no longer wanted to be a doctor. On top of disliking LS1a, Ramirez also discovered a passion for studying classics. In making his decision, he did not reach out to Harvard’s pre-med advising network.Although pre-med advising for freshmen exists in the form of OCS drop-in hours, pre-med events, and freshman advising (albeit without mandatory scheduled check-ins), the system requires students to be proactive about seeking advice.“As a freshman, I had no idea what to do,” says Katie C. Gamble ’15, a social studies concentrator, Peer Advising Fellow, and former pre-med. She wears a sweatshirt after staying up late to finish a paper for a social studies course. “You definitely have to do some work to get access to the advising,” she says. “It’s great and it’s there but you have to know what you’re doing to get to it.”Without a highly structured advising system, freshmen are more likely to worry that, for example, a bad grade in one class spells disaster for their medical school application. Their preconceptions about the model pre-med student are more likely to inform their decisions about classes, extracurriculars, and whether to be pre-med at all.Kruti B. Vora ’17 volunteered at Newton-Wellesley Hospital the summer after ninth grade. She loved it and the experience inspired her to pursue a career in medicine.However, two weeks into the school year, Vora says that she is still unsure how pre-med advising works.“I don’t know too much yet about pre-med advisors and who I’m supposed to talk to specifically about pre-med advising,” Vora says. “I saw some things at the Activities Fair that would pair me with hospitals and volunteer activities.”One such group is the Harvard Pre-medical Society, whose purpose is to be “a student-run organization at Harvard College committed to providing educational support and volunteer opportunities for the campus pre-medical community.”Grace ’15, who was granted anonymity by The Crimson because she did not want her comments to affect medical school applications, decided to be pre-med sophomore year. She has noticed that Harvard’s peer pre-med advising cannot fill in all of the gaps left by an incomplete freshman advising system. “The Pre-med Society has to use their own people and they have juniors and seniors who mentor freshmen, but seniors and juniors haven’t applied to medical school, so it’s really just a shot in the dark,” Grace says.Grace believes that if she had entered her freshman year as a pre-med, she would have dropped out. “I would have done all those things I think you’re supposed to do and wouldn’t have done the things I’m interested in like theater because I would have thought, ‘No, I have to do the pre-med stuff to get into medical school,’” Grace says.Harvard’s pre-med advising is led by the OCS’s two pre-medical advisors, Oona B. Ceder ’90 and Sirinya Matchacheep. Students say that meeting with Ceder and Matchacheep can be remarkably helpful. But the two of them are responsible for all pre-med students at the College, not just freshmen, which means that younger students sometimes take a backseat to those who are currently applying to medical school.“If you want an appointment with them, it’s often backed up for weeks,” Aung says.The choice to have less structured freshman pre-med advising stems from Harvard’s philosophy that students should keep their options open freshman year, as well as its commitment to providing a liberal arts education.“If we had pre-med advisors—this is the way everything is at Harvard—we’d have people saying where are the pre-law, where are the engineering advisors?” Mount says.Once in the House system, students are each assigned a pre-med tutor, which results in more individualized guidance and support than freshman year. “Harvard’s pre-med advising within the House system is incredibly strong compared to other schools,” says Joshua H. St. Louis ’09, who is now in his last year of Tufts’ MD/PhD program. The House advising system offers assistance including mock interviews, personal statements, and advice on application deadlines.However, many freshmen drop out of pre-med before they are even given access to the strong Harvard House advising network. At the cost of encouraging greater exploration, pre-meds are left largely on their own freshman year to grapple with the realities of being pre-med.A Lack of CommunityMany of those who have remained on the pre-med track find that there is a lack of community and pride among pre-meds. These students explain that strongly identifying as pre-med will lead peers to judge them as cut-throat, intense, and grade-obsessed. Therefore, they often socialize outside of the pre-med community, prioritizing their concentration or their extracurriculars.“You want to express your passion for medicine, but you don’t want to be a stereotypical pre-medder,” says Anna ’16, a pre-med who was granted anonymity by The Crimson because she did not want her comments to affect medical school applications. “It creates a very anti-intellectual community.”For Grace, being identified as pre-med takes on the form of an insult. “People are like, ‘Do you do social studies?’ And I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh I wish, thank you for thinking that. I wish I was that cool,’” Grace says. “It’s kind of a badge of shame to be called a pre-med.”Because of the negative connotations surrounding the pre-med personality, many students on the track to medical school actively seek out the company of non-pre-meds. St. Louis says that as an undergraduate, he “found [pre-meds] to be super stressed out and always wearied.” He remembers working with a friend in Cabot Science Library on Friday afternoons alongside a table of pre-meds, sobbing and breaking down as they worked frantically up until the 5 p.m. problem set deadline.St. Louis ultimately decided to distance himself from the pre-med community: Of his four roommates at Harvard, only one other was pre-med. Because his concentration—Organismic and Evolutionary Biology—and his roommate’s—Mind, Brain, and Behavior—were not the quintessential pre-med concentrations like Molecular and Cellular Biology and Neurobiology, they didn’t have much contact with pre-meds outside the required curriculum.St. Louis says that many of his friends who were devoted to helping people wound up falling off of the pre-med track, whereas those who stuck with it were largely driven by money or parental pressures. “I felt like most of them weren’t really going into medicine for the same reasons that I was,” St. Louis says, referring to his peers who continued on the pre-med track.Hillary ’13, who was granted anonymity because she did not want her comments to affect medical school applications, also expressed discomfort with the motivations of her fellow pre-meds. “You’ve got everyone trying to get A’s in a class where they give out like five to ten percent A’s and the rest B’s and a few Cs,” Hillary says. Although she stayed with the pre-med program, this mindset meant that she “didn’t want to be around pre-meds 24/7.”Although Hillary originally declared MCB as her concentration, she later switched to History and Science, which she says has fewer pre-med students. “I wanted to experience other people, and experience other concentrations,” Hillary explains.For some pre-meds, the fragmented nature of Harvard’s pre-med community causes them to rethink their intent to apply to medical school. “I think I’ve realized, if I really don’t like the pre-med culture, then med school is really just a bunch of pre-meds. That’s all there is...It makes me re-evaluate if that’s a culture I want to be in for the next however many years,” Grace says.For Grace, this lack of camaraderie might be endemic to a program in which few students are fully engaged in their coursework. “I think every concentration has one or two requirements people aren’t thrilled about but have to do. But pretty much every pre-med class, people aren’t excited about.”A For Application“One could argue pre-med students do obsess on the specificities of the grade,” Lue says, referring to his LS1a students. “Because pre-med students are worried about their ability to get into medical school, there may be a little bit more focus on that.”Harvard’s advising staff emphasize that one or two bad grades will not sink a medical school application. According to OCS’s medical school admissions data, Harvard pre-med applicants with a 3.50 GPA or higher had a 93 percent acceptance rate to medical schools in 2012.Ceder says that she sees “many students who come in with a couple of B minuses or a C+ or even a B or a B+ and they’re concerned that this is now going to keep them out of medical school.” Medical schools, she says, are more interested in “the passion vocation piece”—commitment to a sport, for example—than simply straight A’s.But pre-med students are not just concerned about getting into a medical school: They want to get into the best medical schools.As a result, students often choose concentrations and courses based on what will do the most to boost their GPA. “When you’re choosing Gen Ed, you’re choosing them to get A’s. Generally people will be like, ‘I just need the A for medical school,’” says Sasha ’14, who was granted anonymity by The Crimson because she did not want her comments to affect medical school applications.In the lab component for some of her pre-med courses, Hillary encountered lab partners who were driven almost entirely by their medical school aspirations. “If you didn’t do the one extra question on the lab report, you were a bad lab partner and would bring down the whole group and then the whole group wouldn’t get an A and then everybody would be upset,” Hillary says.One consequence of this obsession with good grades is a less intellectually diverse pre-med community. “I think they’re discouraging people who could potentially bring something new to the table in terms of scientific innovation,” Ramirez says.If Not Med School…Harvard students are also pulled away from the pre-med track by the appeal of more lucrative jobs, such as finance or consulting, which hire straight out of college. These career paths offer the dual incentive of high compensation and immediate reward. Students are looking at earning between $50,000 and $100,000 the year after graduation, rather than paying tuition for four years of medical school, followed by a residency of up to seven years.Gamble, who was pre-med until the end of her freshman year, says that the delayed benefits of medical careers played into her decision to pursue an alternate path. In high school, she worked with a reconstructive surgeon. While learning the ropes, Gamble encountered a 35-year-old resident with two children, which “really threw [her] off,” Gamble says. She had trouble imagining herself trying to raise a family while still training for her profession.She is now aiming to get a job in consulting after graduation. “It’s something I discovered that I really, really like a lot,” Gamble says. “I know I obviously want to do something I love, but I also want to make a fair wage.”“I realized that kind of career timeline didn’t align with what I want in a career,” Ramirez says, echoing Gamble. “Time for me is really important, and I don’t want to wait until I’m forty.”For those students who decide to delay applying to medical school—whether to take a break from academics, or to help finance their medical school tuition—the timeline to becoming a doctor is even longer. As a result, many Harvard students decide to get consulting or finance jobs because of the compensation, with the full intent of later applying to medical school.In addition, these companies often don’t have any structured requirements for their entry-level positions. “I know people with no business experience who started consulting after graduating,” says Jen Q. Y. Zhu ’14, who decided to stop being pre-med with one requirement left.Pre-med students have to weigh the cost—in both time and money—of pursuing a medical career against the attractiveness of other careers that can promise larger paychecks immediately.Is it Worth It?Clearly, not all pre-meds who enter Harvard expecting to be pre-med will graduate and go to medical school. According to Ceder, one of the OCS advisors, students must ask themselves, “Do I need the MD to do what I want to do?”For many, the answer is no. Some have become disillusioned, others discouraged, the path to medical school looking less attractive than they had first imagined.This shift away from the pre-med track is already apparent for some at 2:30 p.m., when Robert A. Lue’s LS1a lecture is about to go overtime. A few students quickly pack up their bags and climb over their peers to head elswehere. Most, however, stay to hear the professor’s final thoughts. After all, the concepts might appear on a future exam.After a few moments, Lue wraps up and Science Center B becomes fully alive again. Students huddle afterwards. Some talk about pre-labs. Others admit that they “weren’t paying attention the whole first half.”Most ReadRecord 39,494 Apply to Harvard College Class of 2021Univ. Subcomittee Considers Mimicking Housing at Yale

According to my knowledge through internet, and also feedback from my seniors are same in this article, it help my seniors alotsi i think these are good universities for Ms in usa,University of North DakotaGrand Forks, North DakotaM.S./Ph.D. Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program: Pharmacology & PhysiologyWebsiteGraduates of the University of North Dakota’s affordable master’s in pharmacology degree leave with a well-rounded understanding of a half dozen key fields of pharmacology – a broader set of courses than at many other schools. This wide-ranging education is probably part of the reason UND graduates are currently working in such a broad array of professional careers around the world. Program alumni include a physician in Iraq, a research lab manager in Colorado, and a marketing representative in Minnesota. Students interested in a comprehensive pharmacology education that opens the door to alternative careers will find there is a lot to love about North Dakota’s top graduate pharmacology program.Tuition and Fees: $14,345/yrCreighton University’s Jesuit roots have helped it form a top pharmacology master’s degree that encourages open collaboration and ethical research.24. Creighton UniversityOmaha, NebraskaM.S. in Interdisciplinary Biomedical Sciences: Pharmacology Toxicology and Experimental TherapeuticsWebsiteCreighton University is the only Jesuit institution on this top pharmacology degree ranking, and the school aims to produce graduates whose Ignatian education will help them become liberal-minded change agents in their chosen fields. Along with a strong ethical component (as reflected in the Responsible Conduct of Research core course), Creighton’s pharmacology program encourages students to enroll in graduate courses from other departments. This cross-department coursework is essential to the kind of interdisciplinary education Ignatius Loyola sought to encourage. In addition, a set of seminar courses in the pharmaceutic sciences gives students the opportunity to communicate and collaborate in the best Jesuit tradition.Tuition and Fees: $16,674/yrIf research is your end goal, New York Medical College has one of the best graduate degrees in pharmacology for developing your analytical skills.23. New York Medical CollegeValhalla, New YorkMasters in PharmacologyWebsiteThe New York Medical College’s top master’s degree in pharmacology emphasizes experimental methods, granting students the opportunity to gain expertise in both both the biological and analytical components of pharmacological research. No matter where your research draws you, NYMC’s program provides plenty of flexibility to dig into specific fields of study. To that end, the school’s graduate pharmacology program includes a Directed Readings in Pharmacology class, in which students choose a particular topic of interest – such as toxicology or biochemistry – to study under the guidance of a faculty member. It’s even possible to enroll in elective coursework from other disciplines with the approval of the program’s director.Tuition and Fees: $27,095/yrAlthough one of the newer programs on this top pharmacology degree ranking, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences has already taken great strides to establish itself as a permanent addition to the list.22. University of Arkansas for Medical SciencesLittle Rock, ArkansasM.S./Ph.D. Graduate Program in Pharmacology & NeuroscienceWebsiteThe Graduate Program in Interdisciplinary Biomedical Sciences is a new program at the University of Arkansas for Medical Science that encourages communication and collaboration among students from different fields. This affordable graduate program in pharmacology begins with a semester-long core curriculum that provides a foundation in basic science in addition to a unique Scientific Communication and Ethics course. Students then split into one of six tracks to gain expertise in a particular field of biomedicine. UAMS’s interdisciplinary ethos continues throughout the three-year program, which includes three additional science communication courses that give students the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues from across UAMS.Tuition and Fees: $12,986/yrWhen it comes to training future educators, Upstate Medical University has perhaps the best master’s degree in pharmacology available in the U.S.21. SUNY Upstate Medical UniversitySyracuse, New YorkM.S. Program in Pharmaceutical SciencesWebsiteThose hoping to enter the world of academia should look closely at the top master’s in pharmacology degree at SUNY Upstate Medical University, which is explicitly focused on preparing students to be both scientists and teachers. All students take a Presentation and Analysis of Scientific Literature course, in which they read and present research articles to develop their teaching and public presentation skills. The school also offers a two-credit “Teaching for the Basic Scientist” class that provides valuable training in course content design and study assessment methods. Education is so important to SUNY UMU that the admissions department even factors potential teaching ability into its application decisions.Tuition and Fees: $17,349/yrKSU’s strong research program and expertise in cutting-edge topics – like blood-brain barrier pharmacology – guarantee it a spot on any top pharmacology degree ranking.20. Kent State UniversityKent, OhioMaster of Science in PharmacologyWebsiteKent State University provides one of the least expensive programs on this top pharmacology degree ranking – an impressive accomplishment, considering the wealth of resources available to pharmacology students. This Ohio institution is ideal for students hoping to dig into research, as it is home to core laboratory facilities for some of the newest and most advanced fields of pharmacology in genomics, proteomics, computation, and 3D visualization. And future pharmacologists hoping to cure Alzheimer’s will be interested to learn that neurodegenerative and blood-brain barrier pharmacology is one of Kent State’s key areas of expertise.Tuition and Fees: $14,622/yrTemple University offers an especially affordable graduate pharmacology degree, given its prime location in Philadelphia and proximity to top pharmaceutical companies.19. Temple UniversityPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaM.S. in Pharmaceutical SciencesWebsiteTemple’s top graduate pharmacology program offers an unusual amount of variety — three concentrations (in Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmaceutics, or Pharmacodynamics) and a flexible Pharmaceutics Non-Thesis Master’s intended for working professionals who want to pursue a graduate pharmacology degree part-time. This broad range of specialties receives support from Temple’s impressive research resources, including a Current Good Manufacturing Practices facility that only five other pharmacy schools in the country can provide. No matter what program students choose, they’ll benefit from Temple’s location in Philadelphia and proximity to the wealth of pharmaceutical companies in the Delaware Valley.Tuition and Fees: $18,988/yrThe University of Iowa has one of the best graduate pharmacology degrees for students who are specifically interested in human toxicology.18. University of IowaIowa City, IowaMaster’s in Human ToxicologyWebsiteThe thesis-only Master’s Degree in Human Toxicology is a highly specialized program with a long and proud history – the school was home to an innovative toxicology program in the 60’s and 70’s that produced a number of impressive innovations. Although that original degree eventually fell by the wayside, UI recently reestablished the program with a new twist, introducing an Interdisciplinary Master’s in Human Toxicology designed for working professionals either looking to advance their careers or simply their understanding of the field. This unique program’s singular focus and impressive pedigree makes it one of the best master’s degrees in pharmacology for students interested in the interactions between human health and the environment.Tuition and Fees: $18,282/yrThe top master’s degree in pharmacology available at MUSC benefits from a longstanding relationship with the University of South Carolina.17. Medical University of South CarolinaCharleston, South CarolinaM.S./Ph.D. Graduate Program: PharmacologyWebsiteThe Medical University of South Carolina co-administers its top graduate program in pharmacology with the University of South Carolina, an arrangement that provides students at MUSC access to the resources of a large state school. This 120-year-old relationship is the foundation of MUSC’s well-regarded Master’s in Pharmaceutical Sciences, which aims to enable every student to develop coursework and original research that reflects his or her individual interests. The MUSC program is as intensive as its reputation suggests – the school expects every graduate pharmacology student to publish in a peer-reviewed journal during his or her academic career.Tuition and Fees: $19,187/yrDrexel University won’t win any awards for having the most affordable pharmacology master’s degree, but the academic experience it offers is top notch.16. Drexel UniversityPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaM.S./Ph.D. Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program: Pharmacology & PhysiologyWebsiteDrexel University houses one of the best graduate pharmacology degrees to include both thesis and non-thesis tracks. The non-thesis coursework enables students to write a literature review paper in the place of original laboratory research and includes just 44 total credits – perfect for those hoping to have a more relaxed schedule over this two-year program. Whether you choose to produce a thesis or not, you’ll spend your first year taking the school’s Biomedical Core Curriculum, which provides a foundation in basic biomedical science fields like molecular biology, cell biology, and cell signaling.Tuition and Fees: $31,519/yrWith a School of Medicine on the same campus, the University of Missouri at Columbia offers a top graduate program in pharmacology that provides an easy transition for students who decide to earn a PhD.15. University of Missouri-ColumbiaColumbia, MissouriEnvironmental Toxicology M.S.WebsiteWhether you want to pursue a career in academic research or enter the workforce in an industry lab, the University of Missouri-Columbia’s Medical Pharmacology and Physiology M.S. is the comprehensive degree you need to develop a nuanced understanding of the human body and its response to toxins, drugs, and everything in between. Through a combination of upper-level coursework, teaching assistantships, research, and faculty mentorships, Missouri students in both the thesis and non-thesis track are equipped with robust and salient knowledge of a complex field at the end of this two-year program. For thesis track students, laboratory experience and thesis defense provide the perfect background for pursuing a dissertation at Missouri’s School of Medicine.Tuition and Fees: $16,554/yrStudents who attend the University of Kansas will enjoy a high-quality curriculum that closely follows the Ph.D. requirements – and also happens to be one of the most affordable pharmacology master’s degrees around.14. University of KansasLawrence, KansasM.S./Ph.D. Graduate Program in Pharmaceutical ScienceWebsiteThe University of Kansas’s M.S./Ph.D. Graduate Programs in Pharmaceutical Science combine coursework in pharmacology, toxicology, biochemistry, and molecular biology to prepare students for advanced research in a number of high profile focus areas. Specifically, KU is perfect for those whose interests span molecular neuropharmacology, toxicology, behavioral pharmacology, and signal transduction—all described as “major…areas of active research” at the university’s School of Pharmacology. While both MS and PhD candidates are required to produce a thesis at the end of their terms (about two and five years, respectively), the latter are also expected to develop skills in computer applications for biostatistics, microscopy techniques, and molecular modeling.Tuition and Fees: $16,004/yrRutgers doesn’t just perform well on our best pharmacology degrees ranking; in 2010 it earned top honors from the National Research Council.13. Rutgers University-New BrunswickNew Brunswick, New JerseyM.S./Ph.D. Graduate Program in Pharmacology & ToxicologyWebsiteEarning a top pharmacology degree ranking from the National Research Council in 2010, the Rutgers University-New Brunswick’s Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy is a recognized leader in both research and education in molecular and cellular pharmaceutics. Students pursuing either an MS or PhD in Pharmaceutical Science are exposed to a broad range of interdisciplinary coursework in genomics, biochemistry, and even clinical practice that open the doors to virtually boundless research opportunities. And thanks to ample funding to enable completion of the Human Genomic Project, Rutger’s students enjoy a distinct advantage in testing new drug deliveries and responses at the cellular level.Tuition and Fees: $24,034/yrFor a chance to attend one of the best pharmacology graduate programs and access state-of-the-art facilities, send your application to the University of Nebraska.12. University of NebraskaLincoln, NebraskaMaster of Science in PharmacologyWebsiteAs the intersection of medical research and application, pharmacology is one of the largest and most exciting frontiers of scientific inquiry. And the University of Nebraska’s Pharmaceutical Sciences Graduate Program is one of the few that actually grants aspiring pharmacists access to the state-of-the-art equipment and research facilities necessary to push this frontier ever forward. From biomaterials and nanomedicine to pharmacodynamics, Nebraska’s groundbreaking research efforts are coupled with exemplary education at both the master’s and PhD levels to enable pharmacology students to both contribute to and learn from this massive life-saving enterprise.Tuition and Fees: $15,033/yrSmall class sizes combine with rigorous coursework to make the University at Buffalo home to one of the top master’s degrees in pharmacology in the entire country.11. University at BuffaloBuffalo, New YorkM.S. in Forensic ToxicologyWebsiteThe University of Buffalo’s Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology sets itself apart from all but the very best graduate programs in pharmacology by providing unparalleled research opportunities for graduate students, even at the master’s level. Owing to its inordinate selectivity and intimacy, Buffalo’s M.S. in Forensic Toxicology is able to offer accepted students not only small class sizes for required fundamental coursework in cell biology, chemistry, and pharmacology, but also guaranteed lab placement. Once in the lab, students work closely with faculty mentors to acquire hands-on research skills and publication credentials that will be invaluable to their future careers.Tuition and Fees: $18,835/yrWhen it comes to postgrad salary potential, MCPHS University stands a notch above the rest on this top pharmacology graduate degrees ranking.10. MCPHS UniversityBoston, MassachusettsMasters of Science (M.S.) in Pharmacology & PhysiologyWebsiteWith the highest graduate earning rate in New England (even above national leaders like Harvard and MIT) according to new data released by the U.S. Department of Education, it’s easy to see how the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences secured one of our top pharmacology degree rankings. While salary potential isn’t the only important factor in choosing a graduate school, this statistic also represents the excellent career services students can expect at MCPHS. From professional development training and career advising to an expansive alumni network of over 20,000 medical professionals, MCPHS provides pharmacology students with not only a top-notch education, but also a useful platform from which to launch their careers.Tuition and Fees: $20,550/yrAmple scholarship opportunities make this already low-cost school an even better choice among affordable pharmacology graduate degrees.9. University of ArizonaTuscon, ArizonaMedical Pharmacology M.S. ProgramWebsiteThe University of Arizona’s Medical Pharmacology M.S. Program offers a comprehensive program that prepares students for diverse research roles in academia, industry, and governmental agencies. And like many of the top graduate programs in pharmacology, Arizona’s College of Medicine provides students with substantial merit- and need-based funding for their research and education. Although it is just one of 11 participants in the NIH IMSD student development program, the University of Arizona goes the extra mile with full-tuition and funding scholarships for “outstanding underrepresented minority students” in any of its numerous biomedical sciences programs, including pharmacology.Tuition and Fees: $21,209/yrIf you want a challenge, the University of Minnesota might just have the best master’s in pharmacology degree for you.8. University of MinnesotaMinneapolis, MinnesotaMaster of Science in PharmacologyWebsiteWhile nobody would expect one of the best master’s in pharmacology degrees in the country to be a walk in the park, it’s safe to say that the University of Minnesota’s MS in Pharmacology is not for the faint of heart. This accelerated, research-intensive program caters to students who already have substantial background and/or work experience in one of the pharmacology department’s focus areas: Cancer and Infectious Disease; Neuropharmacology and Neurodegeneration; Cell Signaling; and Drug Addiction and Toxicity. All others should apply to a more accommodating institution.Tuition and Fees: $21,621/yrWith nearly $450 million in research funding, the University of Cincinnati stands out on any pharmacology degree ranking as one with ample financial support.7. University of CincinnatiCincinnati, OhioMaster of Science in Molecular, Cellular and Biochemical Pharmacology with an Emphasis on Safety PharmacologyWebsiteIf a Master of Science degree in Molecular, Cellular and Biochemical Pharmacology with an Emphasis on Safety Pharmacology sounds daunting, just wait until you open a textbook! The University of Cincinnati’s Pharmacology Master’s Program offers a rare opportunity for students to become highly specialized experts in this particular field, all while studying at a nationally recognized research institution and top graduate pharmacology program. With $443 million in external research funding annually (approximately 80% of which goes to “biomedical research and training”), pharmacology students at Cincinnati will find no shortage of cutting-edge laboratories eager to enlist their support.Tuition and Fees: $20,339/yrWorking students with busy schedules should put U of M’s top graduate degree in pharmacology at the top of their list.6. University of MichiganAnn Arbor, MichiganMaster of Science in PharmacologyWebsiteAmong the more flexible degree programs on our list, the University of Michigan’s Master of Science in Pharmacology program is designed to prepare students for everything from professional careers in industry and research positions in laboratories to advancement into medical, dental, and veterinary schools. Adding to the array of options available to students, U of M also offers its pharmacology curriculum on both part- and full-time schedules. But regardless of your career aspirations or scheduling requirements, you’ll still need to work hard to keep up with the demands of this top graduate program in pharmacology. The coursework requires all students to complete either an independent laboratory research project or a rigorous survey of current pharmacological literature in order to graduate.Tuition and Fees: $31,491/yrEven with such an affordable master’s degree in pharmacology, UTHSC hasn’t cut costs by cutting corners on coursework.5. University of Tennessee-Health Science CenterMemphis, TennesseeMaster of Science in PharmacologyWebsiteFor students looking to augment their academic credentials before applying to medical school, the University of Tennessee-Health Science Center’s Master of Science in Pharmacology is the perfect combination of rigor and convenience. In just 11 months, this accelerated and affordable graduate pharmacology program provides students with a comprehensive introduction to the discipline through coursework that spans biochemistry, scientific research, and drug therapy. In particular, classes in Integrity in Scientific Research and Modern Pharmacology Research Techniques ensure that you’ll be well prepared to take the next step, whatever it may be. And with a 75% medical school admission rate for all graduates, it’s clear that UT’s educational model offers a well-trodden path to success.Tuition and Fees: $17,057/yrWhen it comes to clinical research, few schools make the case that they have the absolute best pharmacology degree program as well as Ohio State University.4. Ohio State UniversityColumbus, OhioMasters in Human ToxicologyWebsiteWith specialization options that include Clinical Research Management, Regulatory Affairs, Safety Pharmacology, and Clinical Pharmacology, the Master’s of Applied Clinical and Pre-Clinical Research at Ohio State University grants students access to an unparalleled range of practical, hands-on education opportunities. By “connecting the gap” between clinical practices and laboratory research, this top master’s degree in pharmacology offers students a set of skills that will translate seamlessly into a meaningful career in healthcare. From the FDA and international regulatory bodies to hospitals and university medical centers, you’ll find OSU graduates in every corner of the medical industry.Tuition and Fees: $22,161/yrTJU’s top master’s in pharmacology is distinct for both the variety and flexibility it offers.3. Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaPharmacology (MS)WebsiteAvailable in accelerated (one and a half years) and part-time (four to six year) formats, Thomas Jefferson University’s Pharmacology MS caters to a variety of students with an even greater variety of career goals. Whether you are looking for a career in research or research management, clinical testing, or toxicology review, you can find the coursework and laboratory training you need to launch your career right after graduation. TJU also offers a specialization track in Human Investigations for those undergoing post-graduate clinical training, and it serves as an excellent stepping-stone towards a PhD program as well.Tuition and Fees: $28,648/yrThe broad coursework and extensive research opportunities available at Northeastern University make it a close contender for the top spot on this best master’s in pharmacology degree ranking.2. Northeastern UniversityBoston, MassachusettsM.S./Ph.D. Graduate Program in PharmacologyWebsiteAs befitting the #2 school on our list, Northeastern University’s Bouvé College of Health Sciences is home to world-class graduate pharmacology programs at both the master’s and doctoral level. Coursework spans the entire breadth of the discipline—from the first drugs and their early applications to the development of molecular biology and modern pharmaceutical practices—to create experts who can utilize specialized knowledge in a variety of applications. Regular seminars and conferences featuring visiting researchers also help keep students abreast of the latest developments in pharmacological research throughout their education.Tuition and Fees: $22,061/yrGiven that Indiana University’s affordable graduate program in pharmacology is also a national leader in research and education, it’s no wonder this degree ended up a #1.1. Indiana UniversityBloomington, IndianaM.S./Ph.D. Pharmaceutical Sciences Graduate ProgramWebsiteLeading the nation in boundary-demolishing pharmacological research, faculty teaching, and medical service and outreach, Indiana University’s Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology is the model for pharmacy schools around the country, and even the world. At this top graduate program in pharmacology, students interested in cancer biology, drug abuse, and pathogen infection are able to work with world-class faculty in the classroom as well the laboratory. From behavioral pharmacology to chemotherapy and pharmacogenomics, IU incorporates the latest findings and practices into its graduate curriculum to prepare students for their theses, dissertations, and beyond.Tuition and Fees: $18,928/yrSources: