Pre-health Professions

Overview

The University of Tulsa has provided a first class pre-professional program for more than 60 years. The curriculum has the flexibility, breadth, and depth to provide the necessary preparation to enter and succeed in a professional degree program in allopathic or osteopathic medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, optometry, pharmacy or physician assistant. Pre-professional education at TU is distinguished by faculty dedication to undergraduate teaching and research, exemplified in small class sizes and more individualized instruction in both lectures and laboratories.

Program Features

Through coursework and advising that begin during the freshman year, students can meet the requirements for admission to any medical school in the United States and Canada. The faculty provides a rigorous and personal approach to the pre-professional program in medicine. Health professions advisors work closely with students to help them reach their goals. A Pre-Health Professions Evaluation Committee is responsible for providing evaluations for those students seeking acceptance to medical school or dental school. 

Basic Coursework

Students on the pre-medicine or pre-dentistry track can major in any discipline. In fact, numerous medical and dental school admissions committees have indicated that they are particularly interested in students who have a diverse background and training-a clear strength of the TU experience. Nonetheless, a majority of medical and dental school applicants have majored in one (or more) of the sciences. The reason is that the vast majority of medical schools have a substantive set of pre-requisite coursework in the sciences. Most medical and dental schools in the United States have similar requirements-8 semester hours in each of these areas: biology, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, and physics. Most also require two semesters of English and general humanities courses. TU advisors recommend the following science courses as a minimum for pre-health professions students, regardless of their major:

• BIOL 1703 Introduction to Molecular and Cellular Biology  
• BIOL 1603 Introduction to Organismal and Evolutionary Biology  
• CHEM 1013 General Chemistry I  
• CHEM 1023 General Chemistry II  
• CHEM 3013 Organic Chemistry I  
• CHEM 3023 Organic Chemistry II  
• PHYS 1013 Introductory Physics I  or PHYS 2053 General Physics I  
• PHYS 1023 Introductory Physics II  or PHYS 2063 General Physics II  

Pre-med students should plan on taking CHEM 4133 Biochemistry I , an introductory course in psychology and an introductory course in sociology. Some dental schools also require biochemistry. Most professional schools require or recommend BIOL 2123 Genetics . Math requirements vary from none to a year of calculus (MATH 2014 Calculus I  and MATH 2024 Calculus II ).

Students may be interested in the following programs of study which offer pre-health professions tracks:

• Biology, Pre-Med Option, B.S.B.S.  
• Chemical Engineering, B.S.Ch.E.  
• Exercise and Sports Science, Pre-medicine Emphasis, B.S.E.S.S.  

Contact

For more information on pre-med opportunities at The University of Tulsa, visit the Pre-Health Professions webpage or contact Dr. Mark Buchheim at mark-buchheim@utulsa.edu or 918-631-3833.

Health Professions Advisers

Jeffrey Alderman, M.D., M.S., Associate Professor of Community Medicine

Akhtar Ali, Ph.D., Professor of Biological Science

Miriam Belmaker, Ph.D., Chapman Associate Professor of Anthropology

Ron Bonett, Ph.D., Professor of Biological Science

Mark Buchheim, Ph.D., Professor of Biological Science and Chief Health Professions Adviser

Mohamed Fakhr, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biological Science

Greg Gardner, Ed.D., ATC/L, Chapman Clinical Professor of Athletic Training

Ty Johannes, Ph.D., Wayne B. Rumley Chair of Chemical Engineering

Angus Lamar, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Robert Sheaff, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry