FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some questions that are frequently asked by students interested in a graduate-level health degree. Do you have another one that isn’t addressed here? Email Andy Simmons, Director of Pre-Health Advising at ansimmons@uri.edu

  • Why don’t you offer Pre-Med/Pre-Dental as a major?

    Over time, an increasing number of universities have chosen to not offer “Pre-med” or “Pre-dental” majors. One reason for this is the growing concern that specialized health science majors don’t offer the same breadth of experience and quality of preparation that other majors do. Possibly for these reasons, students in such programs typically score lower on standardized tests (such as the MCAT).

  • What academic major/program is most likely to help me get into the graduate program of my choice?

    The overwhelming opinion of admission officers and committees is that students should pursue whatever major(s) they enjoy and are passionate about. Most programs explicitly state that they do not give preference to students from any particular field of study. However, a student’s reason(s) for choosing their academic focus, as well as what they actually do in their program, are both very important to an application.

    Our students can complete pre-requisites for admission to health profession schools while pursuing any major offered here at URI.

    For more information, refer to our Required and Suggested Courses.

  • How many different doctoral-level health degrees are there?

    Although there is some debate as to distinctions/naming, the eleven degrees commonly recognized and licensed in the United States are:

    • Allopathic Medicine (MD)
    • Osteopathic Medicine (DO)
    • Veterinary Medicine (DVM)
    • Chiropractic Medicine (DC)
    • Dental Medicine (DDS/DMD)
    • Podiatric Medicine (DPM)
    • Optometry (OD)
    • Physical Therapy (DPT)
    • Nursing Practice (DNP)
    • Naturopathic Doctor (ND)
    • Pharmacist (Pharm.D.)

    Note: Physician Assistant is another popular graduate-level profession which results in a Masters degree, as opposed to the possibility of a doctoral-level degree which can be earned by a Nurse Practitioner. Distinctions between the actual practicing rights and privileges of these two professions varies by state.

    For more information and links to various resources, see “Types of Graduate Health Degrees.”

  • What’s the difference between a M.D. (Allopathic) and a D.O. (Osteopathic) one?

    While this question has been debated for over a century, actual differences between MD and DO medical programs today are minimal. Indeed, both degrees produce qualified, licensed physicians.

    Allopathic and osteopathic residency programs will soon move to a single, common accreditation system. This change reflects that fact that graduates of both MD and DO schools have for years been applying for and completing many of the same residencies, obtaining the same fellowships, and working in the same positions with identical salaries.

    The terms allopathic and osteopathic didn’t come into common use until the late 1800s, when a Missouri doctor decided to create a different system of medical education from the traditional (“allopathic”) ones of his time. His goal was to teach a more holistic, patient-centered approach to health care. Today there are over 55,000 fully licensed osteopathic physicians working in every field and speciality of medicine and coming from 33 osteopathic medical schools. However, in the past two decades allopathic medical schools (there are 141 in the US) have also modified their programs to focus more heavily on holistic and patient-centered medicine.

    Ultimately, we encourage applicants to look into a variety of medical schools of both degree types, and make a decision based on which school(s) you think are the best fit.

    For more information, check out the official websites of the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine and Association of American Medical Colleges.

  • How high does my GPA need to be?

    Successful applicants to medical school have science and cumulative grade point averages of 3.5 or higher.

    Other health professions have slightly lower average GPAs for accepted students.

    Schools will generally view your GPA in the context of your overall situation. For example, if you did not start off strong in college, but showed continual improvement, you will get a serious look even if your overall GPA is lower than the average for accepted applicants.

    Admission committees consider the academic record broadly. GPA is an important indicator along with the strength/rigor of your program, and your overall interest and engagement (this will be clear from your letters of recommendation).

    Note that your academic record is one of several factors that matter in admission decisions. Schools will also be interested in your experiential background and overall fit for the health professions.

  • How important is volunteering and what opportunities are there for it in the area?

     

  • What factors will be considered in my application?

    Generally, admission committees are looking at your overall academic and experiential record, along with your test scores. They are interested in your level of academic achievement, rigor of your program of study, knowledge of your intended field, personal and interpersonal characteristics, obstacles/challenges you have overcome, ability to work well with diverse patients and colleagues, and communication skills. Your applications will generally consist of:

    • Academic transcripts
    • Letters of recommendation
    • Test score reports
    • Application essays
    • Activities lists
    • Interviews (if your application is strong)

    These indicators are evaluated within the context of each professions’ needs as well as the specific mission and objectives of each school. We encourage you to meet with a pre-health advisor at various points during your time at URI (and after if need be) to identify specific requirements you need to fulfill, assess your progress, and to develop your application strategy.

     

  • When and how do I apply?

    We strongly advise you not to begin the process until your academic record, experiences, and test scores are indicative of success.

    The application process usually begins 16 months prior to when you’d like to matriculate to a health profession program. For regular applicants (planning to begin the fall after graduating from URI) this would be in the winter of your junior year. However, the majority of applicants from URI begin the process senior year or later, and plan to take one or more years to further develop their experience beyond college.

    Students and recent alumni are encouraged to apply for recommendation from the HPAC (see below). Many programs strongly suggest (or require) that applicants gain official endorsement from their university. Click here to learn more about the HPAC process, including application timing.

  • What is the HPAC and why is it helpful?

    The Health Professions Advisory Committee (HPAC) at URI is made up of the Pre-Health Advisor and other faculty who donate their time to serve in this capacity. Their goal is to evaluate prospective candidates requesting a committee letter of recommendation and help them develop a successful application strategy.

    For more information, go to our page detailing the HPAC process.

  • What if I don’t get into the program I want on my first attempt?

    Despite lots of hard work and a competitive application, many applicants don’t get accepted the first time they apply. When this happens, we encourage (and help) applicants to identify the deficiencies in their application and take the time to correct them before attempting another application. Sometimes this means taking additional courses or pursuing a post-baccalaureate or masters program; or, it might entail gaining new experience in the field.

    Rejection can certainly be discouraging. But there are many options available to you. Talk to your advisors, mentors, and the pre-health advisor for more information and remember that countless other people have dealt with rejection before. Thomas Edison, for example, is famous for inventing the modern lightbulb. But he made thousands of failed attempts first. After finally succeeding he told a reporter “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”

  • Do URI graduates get into competitive graduate health programs?

    Yes. URI students successfully get into many different programs (and do well!) around the country each year. With our strong academics, incredible internship/volunteering opportunities and strong HPAC advising our students have gone on to Ivy League medical schools, world-class optometry schools, PA programs near and far, and more.

    For a evolving list of some of the schools they end up at, check out “Where Do Our Students Go?“.

  • What sorts of resources would I have as a URI pre-health student?

    There are many different resources available to URI students who are preparing for a health profession admission process. Some of them are on-campus (such as advising, student-run groups for medicine, dentistry, physical therapy, etc. and more) while others are all over the state and country (conventions, speakers, shadowing and internship opportunities, etc.).

    For more information, check our the Resources page.