Can my advanced high school courses meet pre-health requirements?

Professional schools usually do not accept Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate or Advanced Level credits as meeting their requirements. If you have such credit in any of the required fields, you should speak with a pre-health advisor. In many cases, students in this situation take the same number of prerequisite courses as other students, but some are taken at a higher level.

Regarding dual-enrollment or other college courses taken in high school, a good rule of thumb is that if you can get an original transcript from a two- or four-year college, showing a C or higher in a given course, then it should be accepted by professional schools.

Whether Mount Holyoke will grant credit toward graduation or allow you to begin in more advanced classes based on your advanced high school coursework is a separate consideration. Please be familiar with the Mount Holyoke policy regarding transfer and advanced placement credit.

What should I major in?

There is no such thing as a pre-med or pre-health major at Mount Holyoke, and you do not need to major in a science to be a competitive applicant to health profession schools. While many successful applicants are science majors, professional schools are equally interested in non-science majors, recognizing the diversity of thought and worldview such applicants offer. All applicants must show strong records in the specific courses, standardized tests and non-academic experiences that are set forth as requirements for admission.

So when it comes to selecting a major, pick the path that you are excited about and that offers courses that will challenge you throughout your time in college.

Can I withdraw, or take a course ungraded?

All prerequisite courses must be taken for a grade in order for them to be accepted by professional schools. Most schools will also require that you earn at minimum a C in any prerequisite course. Nevertheless, there may be a time when you consider withdrawing from a course after add/drop has ended, or converting a course to ungraded. We recommend you discuss the choices with your academic and pre-health advisors, as each situation is different. You should be aware of the following when making your decision:

• If you take a course ungraded and pass, then you cannot repeat that course, or its equivalent, within the Five Colleges because you will have already received credit for the course.*

• Because most professional schools require a C or better in prerequisite courses, you will likely need to repeat a course in which you earn a C- or lower. Again, in this situation you cannot repeat the course for credit within the Five Colleges unless you failed the course the first time around.*

• If you withdraw from a course, then you can repeat it for credit within the Five Colleges.

• Professional schools will not be concerned if you take some non-prerequisite courses ungraded.

• Neither one low grade nor one withdrawal on your transcript will, by itself, keep you from being admitted to professional school. A transcript that shows many low grades, many withdrawals, or both would be of concern.

* Summer courses offered at the Five Colleges are different and can be used to repeat a course.

Can I study abroad or away?

Study abroad or elsewhere in the U.S. broadens your cultural and academic experience and is looked upon favorably by health profession schools. A semester, year or summer away can be an excellent opportunity to take courses that you might not otherwise have taken and to explore topics from new viewpoints.

Study away also requires careful planning. We do not recommend taking pre-health prerequisite courses outside of the United States, because professional schools may not accept them. If study abroad plans take you away from courses required for professional school, you may wish to offset that by taking those courses in summer school or completing them after graduation. Alternatively, you might choose a summer study abroad program so that you can remain on campus during the regular academic semesters. Advance planning will help you anticipate and avoid potential conflicts.

Students seeking a study abroad program with a health focus can explore the programs on this document and may wish to view this presentation. Anyone wishing to study abroad should make an appointment with the Study Abroad office via Pathways.

What do I need to know about Five College courses?

It is acceptable and sometimes necessary to take some pre-health prerequisite courses at other institutions within the Five Colleges. You may also choose to take other interesting courses (check this great list of health-related courses offered across the Five Colleges). In addition to following Mount Holyoke College and Five College guidelines around registering for courses at another campus, keep the following in mind:

• A course on another campus may fit better with your schedule than that course’s Mount Holyoke College counterpart.

• When you take a course elsewhere, you need to factor travel time into your schedule.

• You will almost always have better access to course resources (office hours, tutoring, library reserves, group work, etc.) at Mount Holyoke as your home institution.

• The people who can best support you — as mentors, resources and references — as you continue through your educational and pre-professional journey are those who get to know you the best. If you are choosing between a Mount Holyoke College or Five College course, consider whether your choice will have any effect on building these relationships.

• If you wish to take a course off campus because you believe it will be easier, ask yourself why that is an important factor. “Because it will be an easy A” is likely not a response that will serve you well in the long run. Entering the health professions is a rigorous and challenging pathway, from gaining admission to taking professional courses and passing licensing exams. Now is the time to set reasonable challenges for yourself: seek courses where you will need to work hard and grow as a learner and which are at the right level for you to achieve success.

Can I take summer courses?

There are some good reasons for taking one or more summer courses:

• The course(s) cannot fit into your regular academic schedule.

• You earned a C- or lower in a prerequisite course and need to repeat it in order for the course to be accepted by professional schools.

• You earned a low grade in a course and need to repeat it in order to be best prepared for the next level.

• The professional school you hope to enter requires a course that you cannot complete within the Five Colleges (this is rare).

There are also disadvantages to taking a course over the summer:

• In addition to a summer course being outside of your regular Mount Holyoke College tuition, financial aid is rarely available.

• Taking courses during the summer months uses up time that could be spent building valuable experiences outside of the classroom.

• Summer courses cover the same content as academic year courses, but in half the time. While preferred by some, this intensive structure is not the right fit for everyone.

As a general rule, one or two summer courses is fine. Overall, most prerequisite courses should be completed at your home institution. 

For planning non-academic summer experiences, work with the Career Development Center and the Office of Health Professions Advising.

Can community college courses meet pre-health requirements?

Professional schools vary in how they evaluate community college courses. A small number of professional schools may not accept community college courses as prerequisites. In most cases, however, some prerequisite courses at community college is fine. 

Specifically:

• If you took community college courses while still in high school

• If you started your years of higher education as a student at a community college and transferred to Mount Holyoke

• If you need to take one to two courses to complete prerequisites, and community college courses are what are available to you

While these situations are not cause for concern, it is prudent to be aware of how professional schools might evaluate any courses taken away from Mount Holyoke College. We recommend discussing options with a pre-health advisor.

How do I transfer credits to Mount Holyoke?

It’s important to distinguish between courses required for you to complete your degree and graduate from Mount Holyoke, versus courses needed as prerequisites for the professional school you hope to enter. In many cases these courses will overlap, but in some cases they will not. When it comes to transferring credits, these two types of courses can be considered differently.

Courses taken to meet graduation requirements: To get credit toward graduation, a course taken outside of the Five Colleges must be transferred to Mount Holyoke College. You may wish to read about the Mount Holyoke policy regarding transfer and credit.

All other courses: If you take a course outside of the Five Colleges because it is a prerequisite for professional school, you may not need to transfer the credit. When you apply to professional school, you will submit transcripts from all institutions you have attended, whether or not credits were transferred to Mount Holyoke College.

Five College courses taken during the academic year are not considered transfer credits. These courses will automatically appear on your Mount Holyoke transcript, with a grade.

Unsure whether or not to transfer credits? Please speak with an advisor.

There are many ways to get additional support as you complete your studies at Mount Holyoke:

• Peer-Led Undergraduate Mentoring System (PLUMS) workshops (check your professor’s syllabus, or ask)

• Speaking, Arguing and Writing Program

• One-on-one tutoring (speak with your faculty advisor)

• Faculty office hours (check your professor’s syllabus, or ask)

• Disability Services

• Counseling Service

More academic planning resources:

• Academics at Mount Holyoke

• Quick reference guide to Mount Holyoke graduation requirements

• First-Year Curriculum Guide

• Mount Holyoke Office of the Registrar

• Placement exams (for computer science, math, language, music)

• Five College Course Catalog

• Five College Biomathematical Sciences Program

• Five College Program in Culture, Health and Science

• Five College Program in Cognitive Neuroscience

• Five College Reproductive Health, Rights and Justice Program