Q: I want to go to medical school. Is microbiology the best major for me?
A: ANY major at OSU can work as preparation for medical school as long as you complete the required courses in biology, chemistry, etc. Because admission to medical school is quite competitive, it is best to choose a major you are interested in since students typically get better grades in courses that they enjoy. Microbiology is an excellent major to prepare you for medical school since almost all of the required medical school courses are also required for your microbiology major. The rigors of the advanced microbiology major classes will also help prepare you for the coursework you will face in medical school.
Q: I would like to go to a professional school or graduate school. What grades do I need to have?
A: A GPA of 3.5 or higher will make you a much more competitive applicant. Students with lower GPAs are sometimes accepted to these programs but those students typically have had high admission test scores (MCAT, DAT, GRE, etc.) and/or other exceptional experiences that give them an edge.
Q: I would like to go to a professional school (medical school, dental school, pharmacy school, etc.). What courses do I need to take?
A: Most of the courses you need for these programs are covered by the prerequisite and/or major courses you need to take for your BS degree and micro major. However, there are a few extra requirements for each program. You can see list of the required courses for each program at the following site: https://preprofessional.osu.edu/. Common pre-health additions to the Microbiology curriculum include Chem 2550 (Organic Chemistry Lab 2), a second semester of physics, a semester of anatomy and/or physiology, Psych 1100 (Introductory Psychology), and Sociol 1101 (Introductory Sociology).
For more information, you can contact your assigned advisor (Matt DeBlieck or your ASC Honors advisor).
Q: I’m a microbiology major. Will the Coordinating Advisor for micro majors write me a recommendation for med school (grad school, etc.)?
A: A letter of recommendation is designed to address skills such as time management, critical thinking, and teamwork, which are difficult to gauge in an academic advising setting. Unless you have worked closely with your advisor in a different setting, your advisor will most likely not write you a letter of recommendation. Your strongest recommendations will come from someone who has seen and supervised your work in the classroom, lab, or workplace.