Ars Medica
Ars Medica is a student organization under the guidance of faculty in the
Department of Biology that organizes events to inform students of
health-related career options and provides a venue for social interaction with
other students with similar interests. Guest speakers are invited regularly to
share their knowledge and experience of different medical careers.
Premedical Curriculum
In general medical schools do not have stringent undergraduate curriculum
requirements for entry and they are looking for well rounded students with high
GPAs in their four year undergraduate degree program. Premedical students
frequently major in biology or chemistry but it is not essential to major in a
science. However, to be successful in the MCAT (Medical College Admissions
Test) there are certain subjects that are advisable to take, including
inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, biology, mathematics, physics, english
composition and literature.
A major in biology at
FMU provides a very sound foundation for meeting entrance requirements and we
have many subjects that will interest future physicians such as anatomy,
physiology, genetics, microbiology and cell biology.
Students planning a
career in medicine must register with the premedical advisor, Dr. Vernon Bauer
(843-661-1409), in the Department of Biology.
Predental Curriculum
A major in biology at FMU prepares a student well for
the entry requirements and to be successful if accepted into a graduate dental
school.
The minimum
requirements for dental school in South Carolina are:
Organic chemistry (8 hours)
Inorganic chemistry (8 hours)
Physics (8 hours)
Biology (8 hours)
English composition (6 hours)
Mathematics (6 hours)
Science electives (8 hours)
Additional courses that are strongly
recommended are:
Advanced biology (3-6 hours)
Psychology (3-6 hours)
English (6 hours)
History (6 hours)
Advanced mathematics (3-6 hours)
Advanced chemistry (3-6 hours)
Students planning a career in dentistry must register with predental advisors,
Dr. Vernon Bauer (843-661-1409), in the Department of Biology.
Preveterinary Curriculum
The entry requirements for veterinary schools is
variable and students need to be aware of their preferences in planning their
undergraduate courses. There is no veterinary school in South Carolina however
the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Georgia, under a
cooperative agreement between the States, gives some preference for admission
to residents of South Carolina.
Minimum required
courses for the College of Veterinary Medicine at UG are:
English (6 hours)
Humanities and Social Studies (14 hours)
Inorganic chemistry (8 hours)
Organic chemistry (8 hours)
Physics (8 hours)
Biochemistry (3 hours)
General biology (8 hours)
Advanced biology (8 hours)
All these course can be satisfied at FMU within the degree program of a major
in biology. Some suggested areas of study, such as courses in animal nutrition,
are not available at FMU but may be taken during summer at other universities.
Other veterinary
schools may have specific requirements for additional courses and students
should be aware of these differences and discuss them with their faculty
advisor.
Students planning a
career in veterinary medicine must register with preveterinary advisor, Dr.
Tamatha Barbeau (843-661-4651), in the Department of Biology.
Health Professions
There are many health professions, such as anesthesia for nursing,
cytotechnology, health profession education, occupational therapy, physical
therapy, speech pathology to list a few, that require graduate degrees and are
offered at Universities in South Carolina. A Bachelor of Science with a major
in biology can satisfy the requirements for entry into these programs. Biology
faculty advisors will assist students to arrange their curricula in order to
meet individual graduate school requirements. Students can obtain information
about different career opportunities from their faculty advisors, members of
the Committee on Premedical Sciences, Office of Career Development at FMU and
from involvement in Ars Medica.
For more information
you can contact Dr. Vernon Bauer (843-661-1409), in the Department of Biology.