Ready to take the next step?
Offering hope and healing to the world around you.
Students interested in a career in healthcare can choose from a range of pre-professional pathways offered by Gardner-Webb. Whether your interests lie in helping people get back on their feet, providing care and attention to animals, or another area of healthcare, Gardner-Webb provides the first step.
Think about what kind of future appeals to you. Do you like challenges? Are you interested in science and how the body works? Do you care deeply about other people, their problems, and their pain? Are you a good listener? Do you enjoy learning? Are you intrigued by the ways medicine can be used to improve life?
If you answered “Yes” to most of these questions, chances are you have the right personality for a career in medicine. Talk to a career counselor or pre-health advisor to learn more and help determine if this is the right choice for you.
Gardner-Webb University’s Pre-Professional Pre-Med track will guide you through a curriculum selection within your major ideally suited to prepare you for the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) and the varying requirements of medical schools.
The Pre-Healthcare Pathway is not a major; rather, it is a carefully designed plan intended to prepare you to achieve your unique academic and career goals.
Professional program requirements vary widely, especially with regard to advanced biology courses and English requirements. Be sure to check all graduate programs you are considering applying to early during your undergraduate studies for specific prerequisites needed to apply to that school’s program.
Within Gardner-Webb’s pre-professional employment track, you will want to review the Biology Biomedical Sciences Concentration, Chemistry Pre-Health Professional Concentration, Biochemistry Major, and the Exercise Science Pre-Professional Concentration four-year plan as a guide to preparing for Medical School.
The most common prerequisite courses include:
Additional information, including descriptions of specific courses and their corresponding credit hours, is available in the Academic Catalog.
Physicians diagnose and care for people of all ages who are ill or have been injured. They take medical histories, perform physical examinations, conduct diagnostic tests, recommend and provide treatment, and advise patients on their overall health and well-being. While there are several different types of physicians, they can usually be divided into three broad categories:
Primary care physicians are the doctors patients usually visit most frequently. They treat a wide range of illnesses and regularly provide preventive care, and they also enjoy long-term relationships with their patients. Pediatricians, family practitioners and general internists are primary care physicians.
Surgeons perform operations to treat diseases and repair injuries.
Specialists have expertise related to specific diseases as well as body parts, organs, and systems. Cardiologists, oncologists, neurologists, and ophthalmologists are examples of specialists. The AAMC’s Careers in Medicine website contains information about various specialties in medicine.
The AAMC’s Careers in Medicine website contains information about various specialties in medicine.
Gardner-Webb’s greatest asset is that it is replete with a group of professors and staff who are invested in their students, want to see them excel and go to great lengths to see it happen."
The classes I took as prerequisites for medical school were very important for the building blocks of my medical education. Not only were they important for my entrance exams into medical school, but anatomy, physiology, and microbiology are continued themes."
The professors poured their time and energy into our education. They want to teach and interact with students. They didn’t just teach me information for a test, they invested in my life and my personal development."
14%
projected growth of healthcare occupations from 2018 to 2028
$68K
median annual wage for healthcare practitioners and technical occupations
