Doctoral Programs FAQs
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Q. What types of medical programs are there to choose from?
A. There are several doctoral programs in medicine including Allopathic, Osteopathic, Veterinary, Dentistry, Optometry, Podiatry, Pharmacy, and Physical Therapy. Allopathic (traditional) medicine draws by far the most applicants; however, veterinary medicine is the most competitive. There are also numerous allied health and health-related professions from which to choose.
Q. How many students does Union College get into these medical programs?
A. No undergraduate institution gets its students into medical school. Students get accepted to professional schools because of their strong academic record, good admissions test scores, and their personal and professional development through involvement in extracurricular activities and/or community service. However, involvement in these experiences must not interfere with your academic performance. It is also better to become involved in a few select experiences than to be superficially involved in many experiences.
Q. Is there a pre-med major at Union?
A. No, and for good reason. Professional schools prefer students who are diverse and well-rounded and who pursue studies on the basis of their interests, not to get into medical school.
Q. Do I need to be a science major to enter into a medical profession?
A. No, but you do need to do well in your science courses. We have had successful medical program applicants from all majors. Many choose interdisciplinary (ID) majors or minor in other fields outside of their major. (i.e. Philosophy major/ Chemistry minor).
Q. What courses are required to enter into a medical program?
A. Students applying to any health professions program should take the following twelve courses at Union:
Calculus: Through MTH 102 or MTH 112 or MTH 113
2 English (Preceptorial and one other English course of your choice)
3 Biology courses (more would be helpful):
BI 101 Physiology of Cells and Organisms I (Fall, Winter)
BI 102 Heredity, Evolution and Ecology (Winter, Spring)
BI 225 Molecular Biology of the Cell (Fall, Spring)
4 Chemistry:
CH 101 Matter: Structure & Change (Fall, Winter, Spring)
CH 102 Matter: Energy & Dynamics (Winter, Spring)
CH 231 Organic Chemistry I (Fall, Winter)
CH 232 Organic Chemistry II (Winter, Spring)
Note: CH 110 = CH 101 + CH 102 (Fall)
2 Physics:
PH 110 Physics for the Life Sciences I (Fall, Spring)
PH 111 Physics for the Life Sciences II (Fall, Winter)
Note: some health professions programs (i.e., PT, OT, Nursing etc..) require additional courses that Union offers such as Microbiology, Developmental Psychology, Statistics. Most of these programs, however, also require Human Anatomy and Physiology, which is not offered at Union but can be taken through the Hudson Mohawk Valley Consortium at neighboring schools.
Q. When should these courses be taken?
A. For students who plan to apply for admission to medical programs in the fall immediately after graduation from Union, the pre-requisite science courses should be completed prior to taking the appropriate standardized test (i.e., MCAT, DAT, VCAT) in the spring of their junior year. This means you must take an average of four science courses per year; science majors take more to fulfill the requirements of the major.
Q. When do I apply?
A. If you want to begin school right after graduation, you should get your application materials (faculty recommendations, personal statement) to the Health Professions Advisory Committee during the winter term of your junior year. The Health Professions Advisory committee processes candidates during the spring term so that they will be ready to apply during the summer before their senior year. Students planning to delay their application by a year or more should get processed by the committee in the winter term of their senior year.
Q. Does Union offer any guaranteed admittance programs?
A. Yes. Union has an Eight-Year combined B.S./M.S./M.D. Leadership in Medicine Program with Albany Medical College. In addition, we offer an Early Assurance Program with Albany Medical College for underrepresented students. We also have supported student applications to early acceptance programs at Mount Sinai, SUNY Syracuse, SUNY Buffalo, and the University of Connecticut.
Q. Does Union offer specific health professions majors like nursing, OT, PT, physiotherapy, kinesiology etc..?
A. No. Union College is not a health professions career training school but a liberal arts college (see http://www.collegenews.org/topliberalartscolleges.xml). Students interested in specific allied health programs such as OT, PT, nursing etc… would follow the same curriculum at Union as a pre-medical student and would then continue on for their professional/graduate level training after graduation.