Premedical/Predental/Preveterinary Studies
Each year many first-year students enroll at Colby to prepare for a career in one of the health professions. They are drawn to Colby both by the reputation of the undergraduate program and by the excellence of the natural sciences faculty and facilities. These students are advised throughout their undergraduate studies by the Health Professions Preparation Committee in conjunction with their academic advisors.
Frequently first-year students and their parents are concerned about choosing a liberal arts program and selecting a major that will best prepare them for professional school. Virtually all U.S. and Canadian medical schools now state explicitly that no specific major is required for admission. The strongest candidates for admission are those who have pursued a rigorous program of undergraduate studies at a school recognized for academic excellence. At Colby, as is the case nationally, many students who go on to enter the health professions major in the natural sciences. However, others complete the science courses required by health professional schools while majoring in the social sciences or humanities.
The rate of acceptance among Colby students who apply to medical and dental schools is consistently above the national average. Since 1985-86, approximately 80% of our students who have applied to medical school have been accepted. Dental and veterinary applicants have been accepted at close to a 100% rate. Colby graduates who have entered health professional schools have confirmed the s trength of their undergraduate preparation. They go on to join a nationwide group of Colby alumni/ae who are practitioners of allopathic and osteopathic medicine, dentistry, and veterinary medicine, as well as researchers and teachers at the graduate level .
Colby's commitment to the student planning a career in one of the health professions is demonstrated in several ways: in the advising system, which includes the Health Professions Preparation Committee; in the assistance of the Career Services Office; and in the offerings of the January Program. The committee begins meeting formally with interested students in their first year to provide information on the professional preparation process, and to help them identify and select the academic program most su ited to their interests. Individually and as a group, preprofessional students are counseled in course selection and on the role of extracurricular activities. Committee members help students tailor their programs to meet the requirements of particular sch ools, and to insure a sound background for preprofessional admissions tests, e.g., the Medical College Admissions Test, and the Dental Admission Test, typically taken in the junior or senior year. Mock interviews (including analysis of videotapes) are provided to prepare students for actual interviewing at professional schools.
The January Program allows students interested in the health professions to participate in experiences that the professional schools consider highly valuable. Mid-Maine Medical Center, Kennebec Valley Community Action Program, Kennebec Valley Mental Health Center, Waterville Osteopathic Hospital, and Kennebec Valley Regional Health Agency, along with local physicians, dentists and veterinarians, have sponsored internships for Colby s tudents. Upperclass students have also found opportunities to work in the health sciences elsewhere in the U.S. and in foreign countries. Students in the JanPlan have gained hands-on experience in a wide variety of laboratory and clinical research settings. In addition, longer-term projects may be undertaken through Field Experience, Independent Study, as well as employment during the summer. Faculty from various academic departments, as well as members of the Health Professions Preparation Committee and the Career Services Office, help to arrange and sponsor experiences that are most appropriate for individual students. These may range from career exploration visits and on-campus career discussions to internships and employment relating to the health professions.
The members of the Health Professions Preparation Committee for 2004-2005 are as follows:
Cynthia A. Parker, Committee Chair, Director of Career Services (207-872-3343, Eustis 105B)
Stephen Dunham, First-Year Student Health Professions Advisor, Assistant Professor of Bio Chemistry (207-872-3819, Keyes 309)
Shari Dunham, Assistant Professor of Bio Chemistry (207-872-3818, Keyes 312A)
Frank A. Fekete, Professor of Biology (207-872-3325, Arey 111)
Paul Greenwood, Associate Professor of Biology (207-872-3327, Arey 112)
Russell Johnson, Associate Professor of Biology (207-872-3547, Arey 320)
Julie Millard, Associate Professor of Chemistry (207-872-3311, Keyes 301)
Duncan Tate, Associate Professor of Physics (207-872-3252, Mudd 313)
Dasan Thamattoor, Assistant Professor of Chemistry (207-872-3429, Keyes 302)
Sheila Libby, Administrative Secretary (207-872-3113, Roberts 325)