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Pre-professional Support Services

Welcome!

Whether you have always been interested in a career in healthcare, law, medicine, or veterinary care, or you just recently decided to explore one of those options, we are excited to provide resources to support your pre-professional journey.


Next Steps

FAQs

  • What does pre-health, law, med, vet mean at OSU?

    Any student considering or exploring a future career in law, veterinary medicine, or one of the 250+ roles within healthcare is consider a pre-health, pre-law, pre-med, pre-vet, etc. student.

    Collectively we call any student considering one of these careers a pre-professional student.

    You do not have to be in a major labeled pre-(law, med, or vet, etc.) to identify as a pre-professional student.

    Identifying as a pre-professional student (e.g. pre-law, pre-dental, pre-nursing, pre-vet, etc...) indicates your long-term goals and is not directly connected to your specific academic major.

  • What should I major in?

    Select a major that you are interested in exploring on a deeper level that will challenge you to grow academically as a student.

    No one major better prepares you for entry or success in professional school. Admissions committees want to know why a particular program was a good fit for your interests and goals and seeks students with a wide variety of academic experiences.

    At OSU some majors offer an option in pre- (law, med, vet, etc.). This means that particular program has incorporated some coursework that may be helpful as you navigate towards professional school. For some students, this is the best path, but for others a major without that option may be the best fit for their individual interests and goals.

  • What classes should I take?

    Share your interest in healthcare, law, medicine or veterinary care with your academic advisor.

    If you are considering a role in healthcare, medicine, or veterinary care, you may need to review whether your professional goals require pre-requisite coursework. Depending on your major, some of these classes may already be included or you may need to work with your academic advisor to determine how to incorporate these into your overall academic experience at OSU.

    Remember, professional programs require students complete General Education coursework like English, history, government, humanities, math, and coursework specific to your major, as well as any required pre-requisites. We recommend working with your advisor to create a balanced schedule that will allow you to test/refine your academic interests while also building the foundation for you to move forward towards professional school.

    Your academic advisor is best suited to collaborate with you about what courses may work best for your individual needs, which includes not only your academic major and professional goals, but also your financial needs and your non-academic obligations.