The biology major is designed in part for individuals who wish to pursue careers in the health professions such as medicine, dentistry, physical therapy, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, or allied health professions. The curriculum can be tailored to include all courses required for admission to medical school. It also will generally meet requirements for other health-related programs. However, be sure to check with departmental advisors and websites of universities that you are interested in attending about requirements for specific programs. In many cases coursework requirements are not standardized nationally and you may need to take additional courses for specific programs. Dr. Nicolay can advise you about the choices you will need to make to maximize your chance of gaining admission to professional schools.
Competition for admission to professional programs is keen. Therefore, it is important that you apply yourself at UNC Asheville and achieve at the highest level possible. The coursework you are required to take within these professional programs is exceptionally rigorous and demanding, so begin to prepare yourself now, develop good study habits and work ethic, and challenge yourself. While diligent work is absolutely necessary for admittance, it does not guarantee acceptance to these highly competitive programs. You should always consider other career or educational alternatives to dental, medical, or veterinary school in case you are not accepted into your first choice of professional program. Students should consider joining the Hippocrates Student Organization, the campus-wide organization for pre-med and pre-professional students.