Like most liberal arts colleges, Eckerd does not have a formal pre-health program.  While there is no standard way for students to prepare for entrance into medical school, there are a number of different approaches that can be taken by Pre-health students to prepare them for the next step.  The defining characteristic of these approaches is that they are developed as the result of an ongoing conversation between a student, his or her academic mentor, and the Pre-Health advisor, who provides advice based on the recommendations of the Pre-Health Committee - a group of professors from various disciplines who make it their job to pay attention to acceptance trends for various medical schools and disciplines.

It is never too early to begin thinking about planning out your education in a way that will enhance your chances of getting into medical school.  Whether you're thinking of allopathic medicine, veterinary medicine, osteopathic medicine or dentistry, having a plan early on will be invaluable to you later.  You can start this process by talking to your academic mentor.  If you do not yet have a mentor, or do not know who your mentor is, you can also contact the current Pre-Health Advisor, Prof. Steve Denison. 

If you're just wondering what kind of recommendations to expect from your mentor and the Pre-Health Advisor, here are some general guidelines that may be useful to you:

• Generally, a major in the Natural Sciences Collegium will be the wisest choice for Pre-Health Students, but some students choose other majors and supplement them with science electives.
• Extracurricular activities are important, as are the recommendations that arise from them.  It is better, however, to be devoted to and good at a few activities rather than to participate inconsistently in a large number of them.
• Often, unconventional academic paths make a student stand out more to medical schools.  Use your mentor and the Pre-Health advisor as resources to help you be creative in planning your path to medical school.