Table of Contents
...
Advising: Roles and Responsibilities
Advisor Responsibilities
- Maintain regularly scheduled office hours for academic and career advising as needed throughout the semester.
- Schedule additional office hours as needed during the pre-registration periods.
- Provide assistance to advisees in setting both short- term and long-term educational and career objectives.
- Assist advisees with schedule planning and course selection on both a long-term and short-term basis.
- Be informed about academic policies and procedures and changes in departmental or university curriculum requirements.
- Be knowledgeable about campus academic and career support services and refer advisees to these services as needed.
- Be knowledgeable about career opportunities and prospects in public health.
- Be knowledgeable about post-graduate training or education choices common to public health majors. And assist students in the exploration of graduate training or education options and pathways.
- Provide letters of recommendation when asked and sufficient notice has been given. If advisors cannot provide a letter, the student is notified and an explanation provided.
- Remove academic advising holds, undergraduate students (only): At the completion of the academic advising session for the upcoming semester: Submit the electronic S.C.O.R.E. card or the Study Abroad Course Advising Form.
Student Responsibilities
- Know degree requirements and remain informed about changes in the curriculum.
Map out a plan of action for completing degree requirements and review it with the advisor. This is important to determine what courses need to be taken in sequence, as well as which courses are only offered once every year or every other year so that opportunities to take a needed or desired course are notmissed.
- Prepare, in advance, for academic and career advising meetings. Map out courses wanted and needed to take for the degree and any minors or CAS's; or to meet pre-requisite course requirements for additional advanced study.
- Make and keep advising appointments.
- Make advisor aware of any special needs or problems encountered at Syracuse University. The advisor can help with any problems that may hinder academic success and continued enrollment.
- Provide sufficient notice (ideally 14 days) when asking the advisor to provide a recommendation.
...
Entrance exams
DAT: dental admission exam. Competitive DAT = 20 or higher
MCAT: pre-med and option for physician assistant (PA). Competitive MCAT, med-school = 507 or higher; Osteopathy = 502
GRE: PA and some direct entry MS NURSING programs and most Doctor/Nursing Practice programs
GPA requirement (competitive, vs. minimum). Science grades should all be a B- or better
Pre-med: 3.7 CUM GPA, 3.5 science GPA
Physician assistant: 3.6 CUM GPA, 3.5 science GPA
Dental: 3. 5 CUM GPA, 3.4 science GPA
Osteopathy: 3.5 CUM GPA
Nursing: 3.5 CUM GPA, 3.4 science GPA
Physical Science and Math requirements. Science courses must include a lab. Medical and physician assistant programs want these courses to be taken at a 4-year school and during the academic year (vs. summers)
- Pre-med and dental: General Biology I and II, General Chemistry I and II, Organic Chemistry I and II, General Physics (algebra based is OK) I and II, Biochemistry I; additional BIO is desirable (genetics, cell biology); Statistics I and calculus
- Physician assistant: General Biology I and II, General Chemistry I and II, Organic Chemistry I or Biochemistry I, Anatomy & Physiology I and II, Microbiology I. Some schools require additional BIO (genetics, cell biology); Statistics I ; medical language (some schools allow non-credit courses)
- Nursing: Anatomy & Physiology I and II (at SU, must take general BIO 1st), Microbiology, Lifespan Psychology (SU does not offer), Statistics I; many schools require at least one semester of general chemistry
Minors/double majors: pre-medicine and physician assistant student profiles are enhanced by completing a minor in biology or chemistry or a second major in Biology BA or Neuroscience (with focus on biology course options)
Patient Care experience: highly desirable for pre-med and pre-dental; required for physical asst. Options: summer employment – medical asstassistant, EMT, medical scribe ….
Research experience: highly desirable for pre-med
Leadership experience: highly desirable for pre-med and physician asstassistant
Gap years: the average age of entry to medical school is 24 years. Pre-clinical health students may take 1-2 years post-UG degree to strengthen their admission portfolio. Applicants may gain further clinical health experience, retake science coursework (nursing), completing a graduate degree (biomedical sciences, MPH), participating in research. Post-BACC programs are discouraged – these are expensive, may offer scholarships but no state or federal loan eligibility, award no additional degree, and entrance to medical school rates are low.
...
Syracuse University Health Professions Advising: pre-med and pre-clinical health students should register with this program. The program provides advise on medical and dental school admission potential, ways to strengthen the portfolio, MCAT and DAT preparation, and provides committee letters of recommendation.
Nursing program options
Accelerated BSN and MSN Nursing Programs (information and find a program link). There is no standard nomenclature for naming NUR programs. Searching for programs can be confusing.
- Accelerated, second degree – BSN (scholarships may be avail, but no loan or FA)
- Direct entry MS NURSING program: eligible for RN licensure. Training for nursing general practice and clinical nurse leader. Pathway to DNP: Doctor of Nursing practice – advanced practice degrees (NP, CNA, nurse midwife)
- Direct entry DNP
- Accelerated BSN/MS NURSING programs eligible for RN and advanced practice (ie: NP) licensure. Few programs exist. Examples: Yale GEPN and Simmon’s University NUR Direct entry
...