Pre-Medical/Pre-Health Advisory Board
Pre-Health Professions Commitee
Applying to Medical, Dental, and Veterinary Schools
At Marist College, most students who seek to enter graduate and professional programs in the health sciences after graduation major in Athletic Training, Biology, Biomedical Sciences, Biochemistry, Chemistry, or Medical Technology. Many health professional schools, including those in medicine, accept students who have majored in any academic field in which they have a strong interest. Regardless of the choice of major, however, students with career interest in medicine or the health professions generally must complete the courses listed below. Please note that you are very strongly advised to complete these courses or their equivalents by the end of your sophomore year.
| REQUIREMENT | MARIST COURSE EQUIVALENT |
| 1 year of General Biology, with laboratory | BIOL 130 - 131 |
| 1 year of General Chemistry, with laboratory | CHEM 131 - 132 |
| 1 year of Organic Chemistry, with laboratory | CHEM 211 - 212 - 215 - 216 |
| 1 year of General Physics, with laboratory | PHYS 211 - 212 - 213 - 214 |
| 1 year of English | ENG 116 - 117 |
| 1 Semester of Calculus | MATH 241 |
Marist students choosing to major in Biology, Biomedical Sciences, or in the Chemistry/Biochemistry track will automatically fulfill the set of course requirements listed above. Students in other majors may choose the above courses as electives as their schedules allow. Please note that Calculus I is pre-requisite for the General Physics courses.
In addition to a challenging academic curriculum which provides a strong scientific foundation for MCAT preparation and further study in medical school, Marist College provides specialized advising (see below) as well as several special programs for pre-medical students. We have formal internship programs with St. Francis Hospital, which is located directly across Route 9 from the College, and with Vassar Brothers Medical Center, a short drive away. We also offer special joint programs with Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, New York College of Podiatric Medicine, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Sage College, and the Arizona School of Health Sciences.
Marist College has a strong record of placement of students into medical schools. Over the past six years, 86% of Marist applicants were accepted to at least one medical school. Over the years, alumni of the School of Science have gained admission to allopathic (M.D.) and osteopathic (D.O.) medical schools throughout the Northeast. These institutions include Albany Medical College, New York Medical College, SUNY Upstate Medical Center at Syracuse, New York College of Osteopathic Medicine, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Medical College of Virginia, Downstate Medical Center, and Albert Einstein School of Medicine, just to name a few.
In addition to preparation for medical schools, our curricula in the sciences support student preparation for entry into schools of Dentistry, Veterinary Medicine, Podiatry, Optometry, Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant, Pharmacy, Occupational Therapy, and Chiropractic Medicine. Marist students are extremely successful gaining admission to these schools, with 95% success over the most recent six year period (1998-99 through 2003-04). Our alumni have graduated from the vet schools at Cornell and Penn, Duke's Physical Therapy program, the dental school at SUNY-Stony Brook, as well as dozens of other outstanding health professional programs.
Pre-Medical and other Pre-Health Professions students at Marist are advised by Dr.
Joseph Bettencourt, Advisor to the Health Professions. Dr. Bettencourt, a member of
the National Association of Advisors of the Health Professions, has over 35 years of
experience advising and preparing students for admission to these schools. Dr.
Bettencourt publishes a booklet titled "Student Guide to
the Health Profession" 
which is
distributed free to any Marist student seeking information about preparing for these
professions at Marist College.
For complete information about Pre-Medical and Pre-Health Professional Studies at Marist College, please contact Dr. Bettencourt at 845-575-3000, extension 2243 or by e-mail at Joseph.Bettencourt@Marist.edu.
