Pre-Health Professions Advising
Coordinator of Pre-Health Professions Advising: Martha S. Smith
Pre-Health Advising
Pre-Chiropractic
Pre-Dentistry
Pre-Med (Allopathic – M.D.)
Pre-Med (Osteopathic – D.O.)
Pre-Occupational Therapy (4 yr.)
Pre-Occupational Therapy (3+)
Pre-Optometry
Pre-Pharmacy (4 yr.)
Pre-Pharmacy (3+ yr.)
Pre-Physical Therapy
Pre-Physician Assistant
Pre-Podiatry
Pre-Public Health
Pre-Veterinary
Pre-Medical and Pre-Health Advising
Messiah University has an excellent record of preparing students for lives of service and leadership in the healthcare professions. Students planning to enter the medical field often choose to major in biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, or chemistry. However, with careful course planning, some students choose to major in other disciplines and concurrently complete the requisite science courses. Pre-health students are served by both a faculty academic advisor and a health professions advisor. Faculty academic advisors help students plan their course work to meet requirements in General Education and their major discipline. In a complementary manner, the Coordinator of Pre-Health Professions Advising works closely with students on issues related to their successful application to medical/allied health school.
Students typically begin their association with the Coordinator of Pre-Health Professions Advising during their first semester at Messiah University. They meet regularly with the Coordinator through graduation, and in some cases even after graduation, to carefully plan their curricular and co-curricular activities and to prepare a professional school application portfolio. The Coordinator of Pre-Health Professions Advising, the Pre-Health Professions Advising Committee, the Medical Awareness Society (pre-med club), and many other campus support programs offer assistance and enrichment in all aspects of the medical/allied health school preparation and application process. From academic support for achieving and maintaining a competitive GPA, to engaging in a wide variety of co-curricular and medically-related experiences and research programs, to successfully preparing for required admission tests, Messiah University offers an integrated experience that has proven successful in helping our students gain admission to the medical program of their choice.
Pre-Physical Therapy
Physical therapists must complete an accredited post baccalaureate doctoral degree graduate program to be eligible for licensing and to practice their profession. Students pursuing a career in physical therapy have several options available to them at Messiah University to prepare and compete for admission to such programs. Students may enroll in the pre-physical therapy concentration within the Applied Health Science major offered in the Department of Health, Nutrition and Exercise Science for a curriculum that is tailored to meet the admission requirements of most graduate physical therapy programs. Alternatively, students may major in another discipline, such as biology or psychology, and work with their academic advisor and pre-health professions advisor to carefully choreograph their schedule to ensure that they satisfy their major and professional school requirements. Admission to physical therapy graduate programs is competitive, and Messiah University students have been very successful in gaining admission to top-rated programs including Arcadia University, where our graduates can attend through our articulation agreement with Arcadia’s DPT program.
Applied Health Science (B.S.)/Occupational Therapy (MOT). Messiah University offers an accelerated 3-2 program. Participating students who complete the program earn an undergraduate degree in Applied Health Science (B.S.) and a MOT in Occupational Therapy.