Medical Specialty Careers 101

Things to Consider:

1. Formal education and training require 4 years of optometry school to receive the O.D. degree
2. Optometrists can prescribe medications in most states but are prohibited from performing surgery in all but a few (though more states each year are changing standards to expand the scope of practice to include surgery options)
3. Most optometrists work in solo practice
4. Job outlook is excellent

Work Description
Optometrists (Doctors of Optometry or ODs) are the main providers of vision care. They examine people’s eyes to diagnose vision problems and prescribe corrective lenses or other treatments to alleviate vision disorders. They also diagnose debilitating diseases such as glaucoma or macular degeneration and vision changes related to diabetes and high blood pressure. They prescribe medication to treat diseases and can provide preoperative or postoperative care to cataract patients as well as patients who have had corrective laser surgery. Most optometrists are general practitioners though some do pursue specialization such as pediatrics. Most are in private practice and therefore they must handle business decisions, marketing plans, billing, etc. Optometrists should not be confused with Ophthalmologists who are physicians (MD or DO) that specialize in treatment of eye disorders including eye surgery. All states and the District of Columbia require that optometrists be licensed.

Basic Pre-Optometry Curriculum
Admissions requirements may vary from school to school. Students should consult school websites for updated information on specific requirements for the schools to which they plan to apply. Below is a list of courses that are required by most schools.

Major selection
Any undergraduate major is acceptable provided that you have completed the required pre-requisite courses and taken the application exam (OAT). Most applicants come from the sciences, however you do not need to major in the sciences to apply to optometry school. Students are accepted at comparable rates from all majors. The best major is a subject you enjoy and in which you excel. Optometry schools appreciate students who have a breadth of academic knowledge and reasoning skills. Science majors should be sure to explore coursework beyond the required core curriculum courses in the humanities and social sciences, while humanities and social science majors should demonstrate an ability to carry a heavy science load and be academically successful. Non-science majors may need to be flexible as to course section or choice of electives in the sciences, as registration priority is given to majors in the departments. Any inquiries or requests for access to a course must be made through the department office which manages that course, not the Health Professions Advising Office.

Optometry Admission Test (OAT)
Optometry programs require students take the Optometry Admissions Test (OAT), a standardized examination which is comprised of six components: quantitative reasoning, reading comprehension, general biology, general physics, general chemistry and organic chemistry. The exam is multiple-choice. The OAT is scored on a 200 to 400 scale in increments of ten. The national average for the test is usually between 300 and 310.

Applying to Optometry School
Most Optometry schools participate in the Optometry Centralized Application Service (OPTOMCAS) which allows students to use a single web-based application and one set of materials to apply to multiple Optometry programs. Go to the OAT information website for more information on the exam.

Pre-Optometry Advising

Students must regularly meet with their academic advisor in the major and are also encouraged to meet with a Health Professions Advisor (HPA) as they move forward with plans to pursue a career in optometry to provide additional support in compilation of a strong portfolio for admission consideration. Pre-optometry applicants are encouraged to consider obtain a letter packet as a critical component of their application portfolio. A Letter Packet is a composite letter that includes full content of all required evaluator letters, but it does not additionally include a pre-health committee evaluation. In its place, we include an institutional cover sheet from the Pre-Health Advising Program. The Pre-Health Advising Program’s institutional cover sheet provides context to your academic and experiential preparation.

Things to Consider:

1. Formal education and training require 4 years of pharmacy school to receive the Pharm.D. degree
2. Pharmacists, depending upon job setting, may have to work holidays, weekends, and nights
3. One to two-year postgraduate residencies are required for pharmacists who wish to work in clinical settings
4. Excellent job opportunities are expected

Work Description
Pharmacists advise health professionals and the public on the proper selection and use of medicines. They have detailed knowledge of side effects of medications and drug interactions that may be dangerous if used in combination. Pharmacists also dispense drugs prescribed by health care professionals and some specialize in areas such as radio pharmacy or nuclear pharmacy where they prepare and dispense radioactive pharmaceuticals for diagnosis or therapy. Pharmacists must be licensed in all states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories pharmacists by passing the North American Pharmacist Licensure Exam (NAPLEX).

Basic Pre-Pharmacy Curriculum
The following courses are required by most pharmacy schools in the United States as the minimum background needed for acceptance into pharmacy school. Pre-Pharmacy courses vary by school. Students need to research which additional courses may be required by contacting the schools they are considering and visiting their websites. The PharmCAS website has links to pharmacy schools and the prerequisites:

Major selection
Any undergraduate major is acceptable if you have completed the required prerequisite courses. Most applicants come from the sciences; however, you do not need to major in the sciences to apply to pharmacy school. Students are accepted at comparable rates from all majors. The best major is a subject you enjoy and in which you excel. Pharmacy schools appreciate students who have a breadth of academic knowledge and reasoning skills. Science majors should be sure to explore coursework beyond the required core curriculum courses in the humanities and social sciences, while humanities and social science majors should demonstrate an ability to carry a heavy science load and be academically successful. Non-science majors may need to be flexible as to course section or choice of electives in the sciences, as registration priority is given to majors in the departments. Any inquiries or requests for access to a course must be made through the department office which manages that course, not the Health Professions Advising Office.

PCAT
The PCAT exam is being eliminated as a testing requirement for admission.

The Pharmacy College Application Service (PharmCAS)
PharmCAS is a centralized service which allows applicants to use a single application process to apply to multiple pharmacy programs. Not all schools participate in PharmCAS. It is the responsibility of the applicant to determine which schools participate and send individual applications to those that do not participate. A complete set of official transcripts for each U.S., U.S. territorial or Canadian college, university, junior college, or graduate school attended should be forwarded directly to PharmCAS by the registrar of the institution(s) attended.

Pre-Pharmacy Advising

Students must regularly meet with their academic advisor in the major and are also encouraged to meet with a Health Professions Advisor (HPA) as they move forward with plans to pursue a career in pharmacy to provide additional support in compilation of a strong portfolio for admission consideration. Pre-pharmacy applicants are encouraged to consider obtain a letter packet as a critical component of their application portfolio. A Letter Packet is a composite letter that includes full content of all required evaluator letters, but it does not additionally include a pre-health committee evaluation. In its place, we include an institutional cover sheet from the Pre-Health Advising Program. The Pre-Health Advising Program’s institutional cover sheet provides context to your academic and experiential preparation.

Things to Consider:

1. Formal education and training require 4 years of podiatry school to receive the Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (D.P.M.) degree
2. Many podiatrists specialize in areas such as sports medicine or pediatrics
3. Excellent job opportunities are expected

Work Description
Podiatrists are the primary providers of foot and ankle care and perform many of the same duties as physicians including performing surgery. Approximately 92% of podiatrists opt to complete two to four-year residency programs to receive advanced medical training including an option to become board certified in surgery. The demand for podiatric medical services is expanding related to the increased societal emphasis of physical fitness leading to injuries related to recreational activities. Foot health deteriorates with many chronic illnesses requiring specialty treatment for patients with diabetes and atherosclerosis. Almost all podiatrists work in private practice.

Basic Podiatry Curriculum
The following courses are required by most podiatry programs in the United States as the minimum background needed for acceptance. Applicants seeking admission to a D.P.M. program should contact the schools they are interested in attending for information on specific prerequisites and admission requirements. Students may also refer to the American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine (AACPM) website at for specific requirements at the programs in which they are interested.

Major selection
Any undergraduate major is acceptable if you have completed the required pre-requisite courses and taken the application exam (MCAT or in some cases the DAT). Application is highly competitive and therefore students should have a strong overall GPA (>3.0) and perform well (“C” or better) in pre-requisite courses to be in consideration.

Applying to Podiatry School
Most podiatry schools participate in the American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine Application Service (AACPMAS) which allows students to use a single web-based application and one set of materials to apply to multiple programs.

Pre-Podiatry Advising

Students must regularly meet with their academic advisor in the major and are also encouraged to meet with a Health Professions Advisor (HPA) as they move forward with plans to pursue a career in podiatry to provide additional support in compilation of a strong portfolio for admission consideration. Pre-podiatry applicants are encouraged to consider obtain a letter packet as a critical component of their application portfolio. A Letter Packet is a composite letter that includes full content of all required evaluator letters, but it does not additionally include a pre-health committee evaluation. In its place, we include an institutional cover sheet from the Pre-Health Advising Program. The Pre-Health Advising Program’s institutional cover sheet provides context to your academic and experiential preparation.

Things to Consider:

1. Formal education and training require 4 years of podiatry school to receive the Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (D.P.M.) degree
2. Many podiatrists specialize in areas such as sports medicine or pediatrics
3. Excellent job opportunities are expected

Work Description

Veterinarians diagnose and treat diseases and dysfunctions of animals including pets, livestock, exotic animals (zoos), racetrack animals, and laboratory animals. They examine, vaccinate, and medicate animals and treat wounds, set fractures, perform surgeries, and advise owners/pet keepers about animal feeding, behavior, and breeding. Approximately 77% of veterinarians work in private practice where the focus is on dogs and cats, with lesser emphasis on reptiles, birds, rodents, and other animals that are common pets. Approximately 16% work in mixed practices where in addition to common pets they treat livestock and some wild animals. A small number of veterinarians focus on equine medicine. Some veterinarians are involved in food safety and inspection related to livestock and other animals used for food production (chickens and other birds). All states and the District of Columbia require that veterinarians be licensed including passing the North American Veterinary Licensing Exam.

Basic Pre-vet Curriculum
Veterinary schools have different requirements. Students may consult with the Veterinary Medical School Admissions Requirements in the United States and Canada (VMSAR) book for updated information on specific requirements for the schools to which they plan to apply. Go to aavmc.org for more information.

Additional courses that may be required at some programs include Genetics (BIO 3351) and Microbiology (BIO 3595). Many programs require additional coursework in Animal Nutrition (not offered at Villanova; look for course offering at regional campuses with Vet Tech curriculum or online offerings in this area) and Medical Terminology (CLAS 2021 – Language and Science of Medicine; usually offered in summer as an online course). To explore program-specific requirements use the VMSAR tool (Veterinary Medicine School Requirements Resource).

Admission to veterinary schools is highly competitive. Successful students should have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or above, competitive GRE scores (60th percentile or above), a wide variety of animal experience in both large and small animals, and 400-600 hours of work experience in a veterinary practice or animal shelter.

Major selection
Any undergraduate major is acceptable if you have completed the required prerequisite courses and taken the application exam (GRE). Most applicants come from the sciences; however, you do not need to major in the sciences to apply to veterinary medical school. Students are accepted at comparable rates from all majors. The best major is a subject you enjoy and in which you excel. Veterinary medical schools appreciate students who have a breadth of academic knowledge and reasoning skills. Science majors should be sure to explore coursework beyond the required core curriculum courses in the humanities and social sciences, while humanities and social science majors should demonstrate an ability to carry a heavy science load and be academically successful. Non-science majors may need to be flexible as to course section or choice of electives in the sciences, as registration priority is given to majors in the departments. Any inquiries or requests for access to a course must be made through the department office which manages that course, not the Health Professions Advising Office.

Most veterinary schools require students to take at least one standardized test. Most schools require the Graduate Record Examination (GRE); students need to contact the schools to find out which tests are required for admission. For more information about the GRE, visit their website at: https://www.ets.org/gre/

The Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS)
VMCAS is a centralized service which allows applicants to use a single application process to apply to multiple veterinary programs. Three of the veterinarian schools do not participate in VMCAS. It is the responsibility of the applicant to find out which schools participate and send individual applications to those that do not participate.

Pre-Veterinary Advising

Students must regularly meet with their academic advisor in the major and are also encouraged to meet with a Health Professions Advisor (HPA) as they move forward with plans to pursue a career in veterinary medicine to provide additional support in compilation of a strong portfolio for admission consideration. Pre-vet applicants are encouraged to consider obtain a letter packet as a critical component of their application portfolio. A Letter Packet is a composite letter that includes full content of all required evaluator letters, but it does not additionally include a pre-health committee evaluation. In its place, we include an institutional cover sheet from the Pre-Health Advising Program. The Pre-Health Advising Program’s institutional cover sheet provides context to your academic and experiential preparation.