MARION – Indiana Wesleyan University has renamed its Pre-med Program, which will now be known as the Pre-Health Care Sciences (Non-Nursing) Program. The new name reflects a more accurate description of all the programs offered to IWU students, including 12 unique concentration paths.
“The old name was somewhat of a misnomer in that in addition to preparing students for medical school entrance, our program prepares students for eleven other kinds of health care professions schools,” said Dr. Daniel Jones, professor of Biology at IWU.
The 12 concentration paths within the Pre-Health Care Sciences Program include:
- Pre-athletic training
- Pre-chiropractic medicine
- Pre-dentistry
- Pre-medicine (DO, DPM, MD)
- Pre-occupational therapy
- Pre-optometry
- Pre-pharmacy
- Pre-physical therapy
- Pre-physician assistant
- Pre-public health
- Pre-speech pathology/audiology
- Pre-veterinary medicine
Concentrations, which can be combined with any major, are housed within the Health and Human Performance as well as the Natural Sciences Divisions.
While the program’s name may be new, the curriculum has remained committed to preparing students for their future. All students in the Pre-Health Care Sciences Program take a common core of courses. In addition, they complete a set of specialized courses for their chosen concentration—reflecting the unique requirements of preparation for and practice of the corresponding profession.
Plus, each concentration has been verified to reflect the current pre-requisites outlined by each profession’s accrediting organization.
“IWU’s Pre-Health Care Sciences Program ends the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to health care professions school preparation,” said Jones. “Students can choose a tailored concentration for their path. And, since these concentrations prepare students for related professions, there is some flexibility for students to change concentration as they modify their career goals during college.”
Alumni from the program have gone on to become successful doctors, dentists, pharmacists, occupational therapists, optometrists, veterinarians, speech pathologists, physician assistants, and more.
“IWU not only gave me the educational platform I needed to be successful in medical school but also connected me with mentors, research, community outreach, and volunteer opportunities that strengthened my dedication to serve underserved populations,” said Dr. Kayla Thomas, a 2017 IWU alum who is an internist and pediatrician at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Illinois. “I’m very grateful for my time at IWU and every professor and mentor that helped shaped the doctor I am today.”
To learn more about IWU’s Pre-Health Care Sciences Program, click here.
