MySLC

Algebra-based physics is accepted by most programs and is all that is needed for the MCAT. Some MD/PhD programs require calculus-based physics, so check out the requirements for specific programs that may interest you.

It all depends. The majority of medical and dental programs will accept AP credits in fulfillment of prerequisites, with the following restrictions:

• Sarah Lawrence College needs to have accepted those courses as credit toward your degree and that must appear on your transcript.
• In almost all cases you must go on to take advanced level courses with labs in those disciplines.
• Sarah Lawrence faculty reserve the right to require that you take the introductory course at SLC, if they have reason to think that you aren't fully prepared to go on to the next level in the discipline . High school biology or chemistry, even AP courses, may not give you a strong enough foundation, especially if more than one year has passed.
• AP Physics is typically accepted without taking any further classes; however we recommend forgoing your AP credits and take Physics at the College. 
• AP Calculus is typically accepted by health professional programs. However, we strongly encourage students to take at least one semester college math; statistics is a great option for those that already took Calculus in high school. 

It is a tempting option and it does work out well for some students. But it has several important pitfalls that you need to be aware of:

• Taking these courses at an "easier" school, e.g. a small community college, may earn you an A, but will leave doubt about the rigor of the course. Medical schools expect you to take summer school classes for the core prerequisites at the your home institution, that is, Sarah Lawrence, or at a school with equal standing.
• Students sometimes double up and take a whole year of physics, or a whole year of chemistry, in one summer.  The problem is that even if you do well in the courses you may remember very little six months later. When it's so concentrated and intense it may never move into long-term memory. That can show up on the MCAT exam taken some time later or in subsequent courses taken in that subject. So proceed with caution.

Yes and no -- 

    The Math/Science Third allows you, in effect, to fit two science and/or math courses into one 5-credit slot.  Therefore it allows you to take four courses at the same time.  However, rather than receiving 5 credits per course, the SLC norm, for the two that are sharing one slot, you receive 5 credits for the two courses combined, or 2.5 credits per course.

    As a result, we advise that you do NOT do this with the hard-core prerequisite science courses - General Biology, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, or Physics.

    However, you may use this mechanism to combine any other math/science sequences, including biochemistry, genetics, cell biology, virology, statistics, or calculus.

For more information on the Math/Science Third, click here. 

A quick overview of critical components to your application to health professional school are available in out Academic Preparation tab on MySLC.

Pre-Health Group/ Blog/ Alliance

Easy, you can either Click Here or sign up from the Pre-Health Program on MySLC tab.

Simple! Go to Pre-Health Program on MySLC and click on the first link titled "Join our Pre-Health Program's Group".

Health Professional School

For Medical School, visit AAMC.

For Veterinary Medical School, visit AAMVC

Road to Graduate School

PA Programs: These programs require a minimum number of clinical hours. The specific number of hours can vary from program to program, ranging from 500 hours to as high as 1500 hours. Feel free to check out Physician Assistant Education Association program directory which specifies school-specific minimum hour requirements

Medical/Dental/Vet/Nursing/Genetic Counseling: These graduate programs do not specify a minimum number of clinical hours; however, admissions committees are looking for a steady commitment, providing evidence of your interest, understanding, and commitment to health care and your desired profession. Committees are also looking for evidence of active engagement with patients and the health care team. This can look like talking with and comforting patients, helping nurses deliver supplies, etc. So rather than focus on the number of hours, focus on finding opportunities that excite and motivate you, and offers a valuable opportunity to actively engage. 

How to find clinical opportunities:

• Attend the Internship & Volunteer Fair 
• Check out our program's newsletter (see newsletter archives)
• View opportunities in Handshake
• Connect with your peers, family, and friends
• Contact SLC Alumni via (SLC Connect or LinkedIn)

Many hospital volunteer programs require 4-8 hours per week and/or 100 hours over a year commitment. However, these programs often do not require a 4 hour block commitment, it can usually be less at a time! These programs are very understanding and accommodating of students' schedules, including winter and summer breaks. It is okay to apply to be a volunteer even if you don't know your spring schedule yet. However, because the process can take several weeks to sometimes several months (!) from the time you apply to when you are trained and placed in the hospital, it's important to initiate the process early!

To find a list of hospitals with links to their volunteer department websites, view our clinical experience page on our program's mySLC site.

A great resource to begin your search to shadow is the AAMC Shadowing a Doctor Guide. Although it is created for premedical students, the same advice can be applied to any health profession. 

How Do I Contact Them? Can I cold email them? 
Yes! While we understand that cold calling or emailing may feel scary and uncomfortable, providers are usually so happy to help future students, especially when the provider is a SLC Alum, family member, or friend! [Learn more about connecting with a SLC Alum]

Need help drafting an email? Feel free to to reach out to our Graduate Assistant, Gabriella at prehealthprogram@sarahlawrence.edu. 

How long should I be shadowing for?
That is totally up to you and really depends on the shadowing experience! Shadowing is a great opportunity for you to learn about a particular field or specialty in healthcare, understand the day-to-day role of the doctor/clinician, observe the healthcare team working together, and more! However, the time and nature of shadowing opportunities vary tremendously. Some providers will be open to you shadowing for a longer period of time, while some may only have a day or two of availability. Or you might find you are only allowed to observe the provider, while another experience may allow you to be more actively engaged with patients and the healthcare team, such as talking and/or following up with patients. Remember that health professional schools are looking for evidence of active engagement with patients and the healthcare team, so depending on the nature of your shadowing experience, you may wish to stay a while or just take a quick peak. And who knows, maybe shadowing has the potential to turn into something more!

So, a good recommendation is to seek out opportunities that allow you to learn and observe in a valuable way that allows you to meaningfully share your experience in an application or interview. And it can be beneficial to spread out your time shadowing different providers to get a good sense of the field’s depth and diversity.

How can I find a Shadowing Opportunity?

• Utilize your Network - Connect with your peers, professors, family, and friends!

• Ask your own healthcare provider(s)

• Connect with SLC Alumni via (SLC Connect or LinkedIn)

Additional Resources:

• AAMC’s Shadowing a Doctor Guide

• The Big Picture: Questions about Clinical Experience 

• The Premed’s Complete Guide to Shadowing a Doctor

• Translating Pre-Medical Experiences into Clinical Skills

Have more questions? Contact prehealthprogram@sarahlawrence.edu

Schedule an advising appointment with Melinda via Handshake.

Please note appointments are typically available between Tuesday and Thursdays, 10am EST and 4pm EST.

If you need a time outside of these hours, please contact Melinda directly. 

*Note: Pre-Health Co-Chairs are mainly support/general guidance.

Many hospital volunteer programs require 4-8 hours per week and/or 100 hours over a year commitment. However, these programs often do not require a 4 hour block commitment, it can usually be less at a time! These programs are very understanding and accommodating of students’ schedules, including winter and summer breaks. It is okay to apply to be a volunteer even if you don’t know your spring schedule yet. However, because the process can take several weeks to sometimes several months (!) from the time you apply to when you are trained and placed in the hospital, it’s important to initiate the process early!

Interested in volunteering at NY Presbyterian Westchester Hospital?
Attend the mandatory information zoo session on Wednesday, Nov. 6th at 5:00pm. (see program news above for more information) 

To find a list of hospitals with links to their volunteer department websites, view our clinical experience page on our program’s myslc site.

Study Abroad

It is possible to study abroad and be a pre-health student, but this will take advanced planning. We encourage you to discuss your options early on in your academic career with your don, the pre-health dean and the Office of Global Studies.

Who should complete CL Part I: Declaration of Intent?
Any current student or alumni of the College wishing to matriculate into medical or dental school in Summer 2026 will initiate the CL process this Fall. Why start now if you won't matriculate for another 1.5 years? Because these application timelines are quite a beast lasting over a year long! Therefore, you initiate the CL process in the fall prior to the summer in which you plan to apply/ two summers before you matriculate into medical/dental school. 

I am still deciding if I am going to apply this cycle. Am I committed to applying if I fill out the CL Part I: Declaration of Intent? 
No, we understand that you may still be deciding if you are ready to apply this cycle. However, it is much better to initiate the process and decide to delay, rather than attempt to apply after the  committee letter deadlines have passed! Thus, if you are considering applying this cycle, please complete CL Part I, Declaration of Intent and attend the Application Year Overview Session on Wednesday, November 6th.

How long will it take me to fill out Part I? 
It should take you no more than 20-30 minutes to fill out the intent form. This includes a self-assessment: a tool to help you assess your candidacy, begin planning your application, and guide your conversation with Dean Cohen at your Cycle 2025 applicant initial meeting. Remember, this is a tool to help you! So please be thoughtful, insightful, and honest in your responses.  

Who will have access to Part I?
Aside from the demographic section, what you write in Part I, specifically the self-assessment, will be kept completely confidential- the only person that will have access is Dean Melinda Perlo Cohen. Your responses will be used to guide your conversation with Dean Cohen at your Cycle 2025 initial applicant meeting. The information will not be shared with our Prehealth Advisory Committee nor be used in your committee letter.

What should I do after I fill out Part I?
Congrats on taking your first step towards applying this cycle! There are three things to do after you submit:

1. Attend the Application Year Overview session, Part I on Wednesday, November 6th from 5:30-6:45pm (join in person or over zoom).
2. Schedule a Cycle 2025 applicant initial meeting appointment with Dean Cohen, required of all applicants. 
3. Await more information about CL Part II: Portfolio opening in Dec 2024.  

How can I learn more about the Committee Letter process and applying to medical/dental school? 
Join the Application Year Overview, Part I session on Wednesday, November 6th from 5:30-6:45pm to get lots of information and resources! This session will take place in the Prehealth Community Space  (alumni can join over zoom). Bring your questions! 

    Most medical schools discourage this. It's difficult to evaluate the quality of courses in foreign institutions. There is also concern that the topics covered may be different, even if the course names sound similar. And finally, spending lots of time in a lab may not be the best way to spend your time when you are studying abroad.  Better to use that time exploring the local culture, developing language skills, and in general broadening your horizons.

    If you think, as you begin college, that you want to both (a) follow a premed path and (b) study abroad, then you need to consider that you are on the DIRECT ROUTE, even though it will take you 4 years, not 3, to get to the point that you are ready to apply to medical school. Even though you are applying at the end of senior year, consider the study abroad year as outside the premed path.

    One exception here is to take the sciences courses in England through the Sarah Lawrence at Oxford program. Courses taken in our own English-language study abroad program seem to be fully acceptable to all schools. Likewise, NYU has a science program in London geared for premed students and it too seems to be acceptable to medical schools.