As
the lead health
sciences institution in Idaho, the vision of the Division of Health
Sciences is
to enhance the quality of life for our constituencies by applying the
values of
excellence in research, partnerships in community service, and
professional
education into practice.
Idaho
State University is Idaho’s health care university, as designated
by the Idaho
State Board of Education, and offers 75 percent of the state’s
health
profession degree programs. One third of Idaho State University's
graduates
receive degrees in the health professions.
The
majority of the University’s health profession programs are
housed in the
Division of Health Sciences. Eighteen
health professional programs, including 35 degrees/options make up the
Division. Several Division Programs
are
offered on both the Pocatello and Meridian campuses, and a number of
degrees
are offered in an online format. Programs partner with hospitals,
clinics and
specialized medical facilities throughout the nation to provide
state-of-the-art training opportunities for our students.
A
mix of classroom and clinical experiences ensures that graduates are
prepared
for licensing exams and positions in a wide range of health care fields. On-campus and statewide clinics provide
students with hands-on training. Fourteen
in-house clinics include medicine, dentistry, dental hygiene,
audiology, speech
pathology, counseling, occupational therapy, physical therapy,
vestibular
(balance), and wellness. Beyond the
basic skill sets associated with clinical practice, we train our
students to
become leaders in their professions and communities.
Doing this requires hiring and retaining
nationally recognized faculty, using the most current teaching
technologies,
and giving students access to the hands-on learning
opportunities they need for success.
The
Division of Health Sciences
is organized into six units:
College of Pharmacy
Institute of
Rural Health
Kasiska
School of Health Professions
Office
of Medical and Oral Health
School
of Nursing
School
of Rehabilitation and Communication Sciences
Pre-Health Professions Advising
Idaho State University offers advising for pre-health professional
students which prepares them for application to and acceptance by a
variety of health professional schools. Health professional programs
for which advising is offered include: dentistry, medicine, osteopathic
medicine, optometry, podiatric medicine, veterinary medicine, physical
therapy, occupational therapy, chiropractic, and physician assistant.
For students interested in one of the health professional programs
offered at Idaho State University, such as clinical laboratory science,
counseling, dental hygiene, family medicine, health and nutrition
sciences, health care administration, nursing, physical therapy,
physician assistant, pharmacy, radiographic science, and speech
pathology and audiology, the Pre-health Advisor will refer the students
to the appropriate department or college for additional information.
The Pre-health Professions Advising Office is located in the Department
of Biological Sciences, Room 202 of the Life Sciences Building
(Building #65 on the Idaho State University map). Students who plan to
apply to one of the professional schools listed above should establish
and maintain close contact with the Pre-health Advisor throughout their
undergraduate program at Idaho State University. The Pre-health Advisor
monitors students’ progress through their degree programs and the
health professional prerequisite courses, provides information about
application procedures, and organizes informational meetings,
workshops, and speakers on specific health professions. The advisor
also chairs the Pre-health Professions Advisory Committee that
provides interviews to prepare students for the health professional
programs application processes.
Pre-Health Advisor:
Becky Connell
Committee Members:
Dr. Ralph Baergen, English and
Philosophy
Dr. Kori Bond, Music
Dr. Elizabeth Cartwright, Anthropology
Dr. Lyle Castle, Chemistry
Dr. Dana Diedrich, Pharmacy
Dr. Karl DeJesus, Chemistry
Dr. Tracy Farnsworth, Health Care Administration
Dr. Barbara Frank, Biological Sciences
Dr. James Groome, Biological Sciences
Dr. Cynthia Hill, Economics
Dr. Kathleen Kangas, Communication Sciences & Disorders
Dr. Jean Pfau, Biological Sciences
Dr. Jeffrey Meldrum, Biological Sciences
Dr. Tony Seikel, Communication Sciences and Disorders
Dr. Alex Urfer, Physical Therapy
Dr. Derek Wright, Family Practice Clinic
In general, health professional schools have no preference for specific
academic majors. Instead, they prefer that applicants major in a
defined academic area (zoology, chemistry, psychology, economics, for
example) and concurrently satisfy the prerequisite courses for the
specific health professional school. Pre-health professional
students should consult with the Pre-health Advisor or a member of the
Pre-Health Professions Advisory Committee in order to successfully
combine an
academic major with a pre-health professional program. It is strongly
recommended that pre-professional students develop a strong background
in courses such as those listed below. Courses required by most health
professional schools include, but are not limited to, the following:
BIOL 1101,1101L Biology I, and Lab 4 cr
BIOL 1102,1102L Biology II, and Lab 4 cr
BIOL 2206 Cell Biology and Lab 4 cr
(the 5 courses above satisfy Goals 4 and 5 via 12-credit rule)
CHEM 1111,1111L General Chemistry I, and Lab 5 cr
CHEM 1112,1112L General Chemistry II, and Lab 4 cr
(the 4 courses above satisfy Goal 5)
CHEM 3301 Organic Chemistry I 3 cr
CHEM 3302 Organic Chemistry II 3 cr
CHEM 3303 Organic Chemistry Laboratory I 1 cr
CHEM 3304 Organic Chemistry Laboratory II 1 cr
ENGL 1101 English Composition 3 cr
ENGL 1102 Critical Reading and Writing 3 cr
(satisfies Goal 1)
PHYS 1111 General Physics I 3 cr
PHYS 1112 General Physics II 3 cr
PHYS 1113,1114 General Physics Laboratory I and II 2 cr
(the 4 courses above satisfy Goal 5)
Departmental prerequisites may
apply to some of these courses.)
In addition to completing specified prerequisite courses, most health
professional schools require that the pre-professional student obtain
practical experience in the health professional field she or he plans
to enter, and take a national standardized admission test. Specific
information about the national exams and acceptable practical
experiences are included in the sections below.
Students who complete three years of the curriculum in zoology with a
grade point average of 2.5 or higher may be eligible to receive a B.S.
degree in zoology after completion of the first year of study at a
departmentally approved school of dentistry, or veterinary medicine.
Students choosing this option must complete a minimum of 96 credits,
satisfy all Idaho State University General Education Requirements, and
complete all courses numbered lower than 400 which are required by the
zoology curriculum. Students are advised to consult with the Assistant
Chair for Undergraduate Programs of the Department of Biological
Sciences or the Pre-health Advisor early in their undergraduate
programs if they plan to pursue this program option. Students should be
aware that this practice is in decline, and few applicants matriculate
into schools of dentistry or veterinary medicine prior to completion of
a bachelor’s degree.
Chiropractic
The undergraduate courses listed above provide
some guidance for the pre-chiropractic student. However, significant
differences in pre-requisite coursework by the various chiropractic
schools require that students obtain a specific list of requirements
for each school. The most current admission requirements for
chiropractic schools are described on the schools’ websites,
which can
be accessed through the Association of Chiropractic Colleges website at
www.chirocolleges.org.
Dentistry
The Idaho State University courses listed above provide a core for
pre-dental requirements of most dental schools. However, some dental
schools have additional requirements. The most current admission
requirements for each dental school are described on the schools’
websites, which can be accessed through the American Dental Education
Association website at www.adea.org,
or by consulting the latest edition of “ADEA Official Guide to Dental Schools,”
published by the American Dental Education Association, 1625
Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20036. A copy of this
guide is available in the Pre-health Professions Advising Office. All
dental
applicants must take the Dental Admission Test (DAT), and have shadowed
a practicing dentist prior to applying to the individual schools of
dentistry.
Cooperative
Program with the Creighton University School of Dentistry -- In
the fall of 1982, Idaho State University and the Creighton University
School of Dentistry implemented a decentralized dental education
program, the Idaho Dental Education Program (IDEP). Under this program,
up to 8 seats per year at the Creighton University School of
Dentistry are reserved for Idaho residents. The first professional year
of the dental school program is on the Idaho State University campus in
Pocatello. The students then move to the Creighton University School of
Dentistry in Omaha, NE for the second, third, and fourth professional
years. Idaho residents who wish to be considered for IDEP must apply to
Creighton University School of Dentistry and meet all other admission
requirements.
Medicine
The undergraduate courses required by most medical schools is the same
as described above. However, many medical schools have additional
requirements. The most current admission requirements for each medical
school are described on the individual schools’ websites, which
can be accessed through the Association of American Medical Colleges
(AAMC) website at www.aamc.org,
or by consulting the latest edition of “Medical School Admission
Requirements, USA and Canada,” published by the Association of
American Medical Colleges, One Dupont Circle NW, Washington, D. C.
20036. A copy of this publication is available in the Pre-health
Professions Advising Office. All medical applicants must take the
Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), and have shadowed a practicing
physician prior to applying to the individual schools of
medicine.
Cooperative
Program with the University of Washington School of Medicine
-- Idaho residents are eligible for the
Washington-Wyoming-Alaska-Montana-Idaho (WWAMI) decentralized medical
education program of the University of Washington School of Medicine.
Currently, the University of Washington reserves 20 seats for Idaho
residents, and accepted students are charged an Idaho tuition rate.
Idaho residents who wish to be considered for the WWAMI program must
apply to the University of Washington School of Medicine, and meet all
other admission requirements. Additional information about the WWAMI
program is available in the Pre-health Professions Advising
Office.
Cooperative
Program with the University of Utah School of Medicine
-- Idaho residents are eligible to compete for 8 reserved seats at the
University of Utah School of Medicine, and those accepted under this
program pay an Idaho tuition rate. To be considered for this program,
students must apply to the University of Utah School of Medicine, and
meet all other admission requirements. Additional information about the
Idaho agreement with the University of Utah School of Medicine is
available in the Pre-health Professions Advising Office.
Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Physician
Assistant
Advising
for each of these professions is available at Idaho State University.
Specific pre-professional requirements for these programs can be
obtained elsewhere in this catalog where those programs are described.
Students
may be advised to satisfy prerequisites not only for these programs at
Idaho State University, but also for programs in the same profession
located at other institutions. Students may consult with the Pre-health
Advisor for information about prerequisites for admission to these
programs at other institutions. Prerequisites for professional programs
at other institutions can be met by courses taken at Idaho State
University.
Optometry
The undergraduate courses listed above provide some guidance for the
pre-optometry student. However, significant differences in
pre-optometry requirements by the various optometry schools require
that students obtain a specific list of requirements for each optometry
school. The most current admission requirements for optometry schools
are described on the schools’ websites, which can be accessed
through the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO)
website at www.opted.org, or
by consulting the latest edition of “Schools and Colleges of Optometry
Admission Requirements.” This is an electronic publication
available on the ASCO website. All optometry applicants must take the
Optometry
Admission Test (OAT).
Osteopathic Medicine
Admission requirements and undergraduate prerequisite courses for
schools of osteopathic medicine are nearly identical to those described
under medicine. More information about osteopathic medicine and
admission requirements for the individual schools of osteopathic
medicine can be found at the American Association of Colleges of
Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) website at www.aacom.org
or by consulting the Pre-health Advisor. All osteopathic medical
applicants must take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), and
have shadowed a practicing physician prior to applying to the
individual schools of osteopathic medicine.
Podiatric Medicine
The undergraduate courses listed above are required by most podiatric
medical schools. However, some podiatric medical schools may have
additional requirements. The most current admission requirements for
podiatric medical schools are described on the schools’ websites,
which can be accessed through the American Association of Colleges of
Podiatric Medicine website at www.aacpm.org,
or by consulting the latest edition of “Podiatric Medical Education,”
available from the American Association of Colleges of Podiatric
Medicine, 1350 Piccard Drive, Suite 322, Rockville MD 20850. A copy of
this publication is available in the Pre-health Professions Office. All
podiatric medical applicants must take the Medical College Admission
Test (MCAT). In addition, most schools of podiatric medicine expect
applicants to have shadowed a practicing podiatrist prior to applying
to the individual schools of podiatry.
Veterinary Medicine
The undergraduate courses listed above provide some guidance for the
pre-veterinary medicine student. However, significant differences in
pre-veterinary requirements by the various schools of veterinary
medicine require that students obtain a specific list of requirements
for each school. The most current admission requirements for veterinary
medicine schools are described on the schools’ websites, which
can be accessed through the Association of American Veterinary Medical
Colleges (AAVMC): www.aavmc.org.
Veterinary medicine applicants must take the General Test of the
Graduate Record Exam (GRE), and have volunteer experience with a
practicing veterinarian prior to applying to the individual schools of
veterinary medicine.
Idaho residents should be aware that a long term agreement has been
reached among the states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho (WOI) to
share responsibility for the curriculum and program at the Washington
State University College of Veterinary Medicine. The WOI program gives
admissions preference to Idaho residents. Students who are not
residents of Idaho or any students who wish to apply to other schools
of veterinary medicine should consult with the Pre-health Advisor
concerning the proper development of a pre-veterinary medical program
at Idaho State University.
Websites of Interest to
Pre-health Professions Students
Most health professions have national associations that maintain
detailed websites with information about the profession, the
professional schools, and admissions information. The list below
includes websites most commonly used by the pre-health professions
students.
- Dentistry
- Medicine
- Allopathic (M.D.)
- Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC): www.aamc.org
- Osteopathic (D.O.)
- American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine
(AACOM): www.aacom.org
- Podiatric (D.P.M.)
- American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine
(AACPM): www.aacpm.org
- Occupational Therapy
- Optometry
- Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO): www.opted.org
- Physical Therapy
- Physician Assistant
- Veterinary Medicine
- Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC):
www.aavmc.org
- Chiropractic
DHS Courses
DHS 4401 Mindfulness
in
Health Science 1-2 credits. Basic
mindfulness practice to increase stress tolerance, compassion and
immune system
functioning. Students will learn
meditation, mindful movement and other practices for their own benefit,
and
will learn to teach them to others. May be repeated.
F
DHS 4402 Survey of
Aging Issues 3 credits. Introduction to the broad spectrum of
issues involved in the study of aging. Theories of aging, health
promotion, demography, and multicultural aging are some topics
presented in survey fashion. PREREQ: Junior standing. F
DHS 4403
Interprofessional Systems in Geriatric Management 3 credits.
Application of principles and concepts necessary to integrate theory
into the practice of care coordination and management of the older
adult. The scope and competencies of healthcare professionals in caring
for the older adult are explored. PREREQ: Junior standing; C or
better in DHS 4402. S
DHS 4404 Geriatic
Interprofessional Collaborative Practice Internship 1 credit.
Practical experience in health care arenas focusing on the older adult.
This includes a capstone project related to the application of
principles and concepts of interprofessional collaborative practice.
PREREQ: Junior standing; C or better in DHS 4402. S
