Guidelines for Medical and Dental School Applicants
Applying to both Medical and Dental School requires many steps. Here you will find a complete list of steps and useful links in preparation to apply.
Health Program Overview
In addition to pre-medicine areas of study, Centenary offers a number of programs designed to allow students to pursue courses preparatory for graduate study in the following allied health fields:
- Medical Technology
- Occupational Therapy
- Pharmacy
- Physical Therapy
- Physician Assistant
- 3/2 Speech-Language Pathology
Preparing for various professional health and medicine careers affords students the choice of any major they wish. While a majority of students pursue a degree in Biology, Biochemistry, or Chemistry, others with majors as diverse as Mathematics, English, and Music have also been accepted in recent years to medical and dental schools. We advise our students to major in a discipline that they really enjoy, making sure to include the prerequisites for the professional school to which they intend to apply. Required courses include a year of biology, two years of chemistry, a year of mathematics, a year of physics and a year of english. Because of the breadth of fields in all Centenary degree plans, these courses can complement any major.
Centenary offers partnerships with graduate programs for both Pharmacy and Physician Assistant programs. Learn more about each program at centenary.edu/partnerships.
Pre-Medicine
Over the past five years, our pre-med program has a 94% medical school acceptance rate! Some majors students study include biology, chemistry, or biochemistry.
The pre-medicine program has a long and distinguished history, beginning with the work of Dr. Mary Warters in 1927 and currently serving students, professional schools, and the health care profession as a whole.
Not merely limited to preparation for medical schools per se, pre-medicine programs may also be tailored to meet the needs of students interested in a variety of medical fields including dentistry, podiatry, genetic counseling, optometry, biomedical research, and even veterinary medicine. If you are interested in pursuing a specialized medical field such as veterinary medicine or biomedical research, please contact Dr. Scott Chirhart at schirhar@centenary.edu.
By its very nature, the curriculum for pre-medical programs is difficult and requires steadfast dedication. Our science courses are rigorous and require the development of advanced reasoning skills. In addition, there is ample opportunity to participate in clinical or biomedical research through summer programs with Centenary's faculty or through LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport.
View LSU Health Application Resources >
Pre-Nursing
Many students are interested in a nursing career after completing a bachelor of science degree. Centenary has partnered with Northwestern State University’s College of Nursing and School of Allied Health and Baylor University’s Louise Herrington School of Nursing (LHSON) to offer preferential admission into the programs. The programs are rigorous and fast-paced allowing students to complete the programs in a shorter time frame. Learn more about each program at centenary.edu/partnerships.
Pre-Veterinary Medicine
Over the past five years, Centenary's pre-veterinary students have achieved a 100% veterinary school acceptance rate.
Students interested in veterinary medicine often major in Biology, Biochemistry, or Chemistry, though veterinary schools welcome applicants from a variety of academic backgrounds. At Centenary, students work closely with faculty advisors to complete prerequisite coursework while pursuing a major they enjoy. Veterinary schools typically require courses in biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, microbiology, biochemistry, and English.
Our rigorous science curriculum, small class sizes, and individualized mentoring help students develop the knowledge and critical thinking skills needed for success in veterinary school. Students are also encouraged to gain hands-on experience through veterinary shadowing, animal care, research opportunities, and community engagement.
Veterinary medicine offers a wide range of career paths including companion animal practice, large animal medicine, wildlife conservation, public health, biomedical research, and food safety. Students interested in pursuing veterinary medicine should contact Dr. Scott Chirhart for personalized advising and assistance preparing for the veterinary school application process.
