It's an exciting time to pursue a career in healthcare. Technological advances and groundbreaking research give healthcare professionals more ways to treat their patients effectively and compassionately. If you already envision your future in the field, a Clarkson University education can help you get there. You will gain the rigorous academic background needed to apply to advanced degrees in healthcare or fast-track admission to some of our most competitive programs.
Why Study Pre-Health Sciences at Clarkson?
Our goal is to help you achieve your dreams in the healthcare career of your choice. You will be assigned a pre-health student advisor before you arrive on campus who will help you navigate the prerequisites for advanced degrees. They will also help you find the resources you need to boost your résumé, like research opportunities and high-quality internships.
You will find this same kind of personalized attention in our small class sizes. Our world-class faculty offer mentorship and guidance in their specializations. With state-of-the-art facilities, like Clarkson's cadaver lab, you will gain hands-on experience that is usually reserved for graduate students in other institutions.
Our robust list of majors and minors will give you a strong foundation and let you explore different options in healthcare. We offer Direct Entry admissions to our programs in physical therapy, occupational therapy and physician assistant studies. We also have partnerships with graduate programs in other institutions that can accelerate your career. Over 90 percent of Clarkson pre-health students in a given senior year end up working in clinical health. Whatever your path may be, you will graduate prepared for the future.
Student advising plays an essential role in our pre-health sciences tracks. As a student, you will be assigned an advisor who will work with you to design a personalized course of study to reach your goals. You will also have a team across the University to help you develop meaningful credentials, study for placement exams and successfully apply to the programs of your choosing. Every student has a personalized experience to reach their individual goals. Learn more about advising at Clarkson.
Our most popular majors for pre-health sciences undergraduate students are:
Students interested in medicine, dentistry or pharmacy can apply for a reserved seat at the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) before the end of their second year at Clarkson. The provisional acceptance requires a successful interview and can occur as early as your senior year of high school. Learn more about the early acceptance program.
Gain service experience in the medical field before graduation. Health Coaches is a yearlong program sponsored and coordinated by Canton-Potsdam Hospital. The program has two semesters of coursework featuring weekly discussions with healthcare professionals on topics such as population health, chronic diseases, the healthcare system and rural medicine. During the second semester, you will work as a volunteer with community members who have chronic conditions. Learn more about the Health Coaches program.
Internships and co-ops offer you the opportunity to build your résumé with pre-professional experience. Thanks to our extensive alumni network, Clarkson students have completed high-quality internships and made meaningful connections for their future. Our twice-a-year Career Fair, hosted by our award-winning Career Center, gives students the chance to meet with representatives from nearly 200 companies. Whatever your goals may be, you will find a way to gain valuable experience during your studies.
Our faculty frequently invite students to collaborate on research in areas like biosensors, stem cells and regenerative medicine, neurophysiology, rehabilitation engineering, nanotechnology and more.
Students have access to several facilities that allow them to gain relevant, hands-on experience in healthcare topics. An integral part of our undergraduate anatomy and physiology course is our Cadaver Lab, where you have the chance to work with an actual cadaver as an undergraduate. Explore our simulation space and innovation hubs.
Students enrolled in Anatomy and Physiology have the opportunity to study real anatomy in the human cadaver lab. While human cadaver labs are common in many graduate clinical health programs, it remains rare for undergraduate students to be exposed to this level of instruction. Consequently, Clarkson pre-health students that participate in this experience benefit from greater preparedness for success in their chosen graduate programs.
Find a community of problem-solvers and innovators through Clarkson’s 200-plus student groups. Some health-related clubs include:
Animal Science Club (pre-vet)
Beta Beta Beta National Biological Honor Society
Doctors Without Borders
Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students
Physical Therapy Club
Pre-Physician Assistant Club
Pre-Health Students Use Clarkson University Experience as Volunteers in Denver
Twelve Clarkson University pre-health science students recently completed a week of medical and volunteer work in Denver. The students, all members of Clarkson's Doctors without Borders (DWB) club, donated their time at the Capitol Building and a homeless shelter put together in the Denver Coliseum during COVID-19.
Career Possibilities
Based on major, minor, advising track and goals, you may decide to grow your knowledge and skills in an allopathic or osteopathic medical program, dental school, veterinary school, physician assistant program, pharmacy school or allied health professional program to pursue a career as a:
Chiropractor
Dentist
Doctor
Medical technician
Nurse
Nurse practitioner
Occupational therapist
Optometrist
Paramedic
Pharmacist
Physical therapist
Physician assistant
Public health professional
Veterinarian
Recent Graduate Schools
Clarkson pre-health sciences track students have gone on to the following prestigious graduate programs, among others:
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine
Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Mayo Clinic School of Medicine
SUNY Upstate Medical University
Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry
University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine
Living-Learning Community
If you’re a pre-health sciences first-year student, you should consider living in the Pre-Health Professionals Living-Learning Community. Located in "the Quad," this community encourages social and academic connections with other students who share similar goals.
Be at the forefront of innovative and compassionate patient care. If you see yourself making a difference as a healthcare professional, Clarkson University can help you take the next step.
