Start Your Health Care Career At UM-Flint
Do you have a passion for promoting healthy living and helping others? A career in health care may be a great fit for you.
If you are interested in working as a doctor, physical therapist, physician assistant or in another health care field, it can be tough to know where to start, but we are here to help.
Many health care careers require further education after graduating with a bachelor’s degree. There are great options at UM-Flint for bachelor’s degree programs that will prepare you to apply to a graduate program in the health care field.
Click on each track below to read more about the career, the training needed, and great bachelor’s degree options to get you started.
Pre-Professional Health Care Pathways
If you are undecided on which path is right for you, the good news is that many health care graduate programs require similar prerequisite courses. You can get started in many different bachelor’s degree programs without choosing a specific track right away.
UM-Flint also has options for bachelor’s degrees in health care fields that don’t require going on to a graduate program. See all health care programs here.
Which Major is Best for Me?
Students are often surprised to learn that there isn’t one major required for applying to graduate schools in health professions. Graduate schools require a bachelor’s degree but seek diverse and strong academic backgrounds.
We encourage you to choose a bachelor’s degree program based on your interests and strengths. While you can choose any major, you will still need to take the prerequisite courses required for the graduate program you are pursuing. Prerequisites may vary depending on the graduate schools you plan to apply to. We encourage you to work with an advisor on program and course selection.
Several different programs at UM-Flint have pre-professional tracks built into the degree and include the classes usually needed for graduate programs in the field that you choose.
Natural science majors such as Biology, Human Biology and Chemistry are great options that include pre-professional tracks. There are also other great choices that you may not be as familiar with, including UM-Flint’s bachelor’s in Health Sciences, which takes a human dimensions approach to health with a public health focus.
Many pre-health professions students choose one of these majors:
Our advisors can help you choose the major that is right for you.
Why Choose Pre-Health Professions at UM-Flint?
You will have many opportunities to engage with your professors, classmates and the community and build experiences to make you a strong candidate for graduate school.
Train in Cutting-Edge Settings
We’re proud that UM-Flint is among a handful of primarily undergraduate institutions in Michigan to have a fully functional cadaver lab.
Participate in Research as an Undergraduate Student
You’ll have the option to conduct research through the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program. UROP allows students at any education level to perform paid or volunteer research with faculty.
Network With Other Students Who Share Your Goals
Meet and learn with students who share your interests and career aspirations in a variety of clubs. Options include the Pre-Dental Club, Pre-Med Club, MCAT Preparedness Club, MAPS (Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students), Pre-Occupational Therapy Club, Pre-Physician Assistant Club and Pre-Physical Therapy Club.
Be a Strong Candidate for Graduate Programs at UM-Flint and Other Schools
We will prepare you to be a competitive candidate for graduate programs. Our students have been accepted to graduate programs at many schools, including UM-Flint programs. UM-Flint has great options for health care graduate programs for students who want to earn both their bachelor’s and graduate degree with us, including Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy and Physician Assistant.
UM-Flint faculty and staff are wonderful at preparing students for their chosen graduate program. The bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences prepared me very well to apply to UM-Flint’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program and gave me resources outside of my curriculum that helped me apply what I had learned. Transitioning from my undergraduate degree to graduate school was seamless. All of the faculty and staff exude excellence, collaboration and innovation.”
Hannah Karczewski
Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences (18’) and Doctor of Physical Therapy (22’)
What If I Am Undecided About Which Health Care Path to Pursue?
Visit Explorehealthcareers.org to start exploring health care careers. Learn more about health care occupations and their projected salary and job growth from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
When you enroll as a student, you will have additional options for exploring careers. Current students can set up an account on Focus 2 Career to explore careers and UM-Flint programs.
You may also want to consider taking Introduction to Health Careers (HCR 201). This one-credit-hour class covers an overview of health careers and is designed to help students choose the best field for them.
For more help, contact Ryan Ashley, our advisor for pre-professional concentration students who have not declared a major. You can contact him at [email protected] or 810-762-3085, or you can make an appointment with Ryan Ashley online.
Academic Advising for Pre-Professional Health Programs
UM-Flint’s academic advisors are devoted to helping you succeed. They can help you choose the right program for you, answer your questions about program requirements, help you choose courses, and much more.
Undecided pre-professional students advisor
Ryan Ashley is the advisor for pre-professional students who haven’t chosen a major. You can contact him at [email protected] or 810-762-3085. You can also make an appointment with Ryan Ashley online.
Natural Sciences advisors
Lyxander Denoyer is the advisor for Biology and Wildlife Biology majors. You can contact them at [email protected] or 810-762-3051. You can also make an appointment with Lyxander Denoyer online.
Cydnee Robertson is the advisor for all other science majors, including Human Biology and Chemistry. You can reach her at [email protected] or 810-762-3042. You can also make an appointment with Cydnee Robertson online.
Health Sciences – Pre-Professional advisors
Jennifer O’Roark is the advisor for Pre-Medical, Pre-Physical Therapy, and Exercise Science. You can contact her at [email protected] or 810-762-3288. You can also make an appointment with Jennifer O’Roark online.
Mary Bantu is the advisor for Pre-Chiropractic, Pre-Dental, Pre-Occupational Therapy, Pre-Optometry, Pre-Pharmacy, and Pre-Physician Assistant. You can contact her at [email protected] or 810-762-0852. You can also make an appointment with Mary Bantu online.