Pre-Professional programs
Calvin's pre-professional programs prepare students for admission to post-baccalaureate professional schools—medical school, dental schools, veterinary schools, physician’s assistant programs, physical therapy schools, pharmacy schools, occupational therapy programs, genetic counseling programs, and optometry schools.
Each pre-professional program has an advisor and many faculty knowledgeable about professional schools. These faculty members will work with you to plan for your professional future.
Pre-Medicine
- Calvin College aims to prepare women and men to serve in a profession that needs compassionate and wise healers. Academic excellence, state-of-the-art facilities, research opportunities, and caring, supportive faculty and staff who know you as an individual all create an environment for success at Calvin.
- To maximize application information, a pre-medicine committee uniquely develops each recommendation for a medical or dental school.
- Contact Calvin's pre-med advisor, Rich Nyhof.
» Learn more about pre-med and pre-dentistry.
Pre-Dentistry
- Since 2000, approximately 90% of Calvin's pre-dents have been accepted into dental schools.
- To maximize application information, a pre-dentistry committee uniquely develops each recommendation for a medical or dental school.
- Contact Calvin's pre-dental advisor, Rich Nyhof.
» Learn more about pre-med and pre-dentistry.
Pre-Veterinary
- One to four Calvin graduates apply to colleges of veterinary medicine each year.
- Requirements for veterinary schools are similar to human medical schools.
- A recent Calvin grad received a full-ride scholarship to the veterinary school at Michigan State University.
- Each pre-vet student works with Rich Nyhof, the pre-vet advisor, to develop an individualized program of study.
» Learn more about pre-veterinary.
Pre-Optometry
- While the pre-optometry program at Calvin College is small, graduating 1 or 2 students a year, it is highly successful. In the past ten years all pre-optometry graduates of Calvin have been accepted to optometry school.
- Contact Calvin's pre-optometry advisor, John Ubels
» Learn more about the pre-optometry program
Pre-Pharmacy
- Would you like to play a vital role in the health care system as a pharmacist?
- Pharmacist responsibilities include a range of care for patients, from dispensing medications to monitoring patient health and progress to maximize their response to the medication.
- You can take courses at Calvin that are prerequisites for acceptance to pharmacy school.
- Contact Calvin's pre-pharmacy advisor, John Ubels
» Learn more about the pre-pharmacy program
Pre-Physician assistant
- If you are interested in medicine but not set on a specific career path, you might want to consider working as a physician assistant (PA). Employment opportunities are excellent, and the demand for PA services is expected to increase.
- As a physician assistant, you will be trained and licensed to practice medicine under the supervision of a licensed physician. Job duties include recording medical histories, performing physical examinations, performing diagnoses, counseling patients, ordering and interpreting laboratory tests, assisting in surgery, setting fractures, and writing orders for prescription drugs.
- Contact one of Calvin's pre-PA advisors, Rich Nyhof or Amy Wilstermann.
» Learn more about the pre-physician assistant program.
Pre-Physical therapy
- Physical therapists are specialists in evaluating and treating the body through therapeutic interventions to alleviate pain; to maintain, improve, or restore function; to prevent dysfunction; and to maintain health.
- Calvin College has an articulation agreements with Dow College for the Health Professions at Central Michigan University and Andrews University where Calvin students can continue their professional graduate degrees in physical therapy.
- Contact one of Calvin's pre-PT advisors, Nancy Meyer and Julie Walton
» Learn more about the pre-physical therapy program
Pre-Occupational therapy
- Occupational therapists help people of all ages who suffer some degree of disability (e.g. congenital, emotional, post-traumatic, or post-surgical) to perform the tasks of everyday living.
- Calvin College has a 3-2 combined curriculum program with the Program in Occupation Therapy, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri
- Contact Calvin's pre-OT advisor Amy Wilstermann.
» Learn more about the pre-occupational therapy program
Pre-Genetic counseling
- Genetic counselors (GC) work closely with patients and families who seek to understand and cope with both the genetic and psychosocial aspects of disorders they confront.
- You can take courses at Calvin that are prerequisites for acceptance into a GC training program.
- Contact Calvin's pre-GC advisor, David Koetje
» Learn more about the pre-genetic counseling program
