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JuYeon Lee, Director
Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine. Optometry, Physician Assistant. Millikin University is dedicated to facilitating entry into and success in postgraduate programs in several areas of health care. This includes such diverse occupations as veterinarian, medical doctor, dentist, and physician’s assistant as well as other professional health care occupations. Students should consult with the Director of the Pre-Professional Program on the sequence of their Millikin course work, as well as their choices of professional schools to ensure that they will meet the specific entrance requirements of their chosen schools. This is especially important if the academic major is not in a science discipline.
The professional schools believe that the selection of an undergraduate major should be a careful and considered decision. A major in one of the science disciplines is not a pre-requisite for medical school although an adequate number of science courses are necessary to meet professional school requirements and to perform well on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) or other admission examinations. A broad cultural education in the arts, humanities and social sciences, as well as the biological and physical sciences, is desirable. The minimum requirements for entrance into most post-graduate professional schools require that each student demonstrate competency in biology, inorganic and organic chemistry, physics, mathematics and statistics. Specific sequences for the biology and chemistry major with emphasis in health care are described in the Department of Biology and the Department of Chemistry sections of this bulletin. Please note that the admission requirements for professional school also require that each student demonstrate a core of personal competencies. Both of these competency requirements can be met in a variety of ways. Each student in the program needs to work closely with their academic and Pre-Professional Program director to ensure that both the academic and personal competency requirements are met.
While learning is emphasized and important, it is also crucial to set high achievement standards. We encourage students to develop excellent study habits and a disciplined approach to learning. At the same time, we provide a nurturing atmosphere and individualized attention for each student, allowing each person to develop at his or her own pace. Students are encouraged to do research in collaboration with members of the science faculty and are encouraged to apply for summer research programs at other universities, medical and research centers as well as participates in health care programs abroad. Many students wish to spend a semester abroad. This requires some careful planning, especially in terms of application, interviews and admission to professional schools.
Professional school admission committees also look for evidence of other characteristics such as leadership, social maturity, purpose, motivation, initiative, curiosity, common sense, perseverance and breadth of interests that demonstrate a commitment to people.
The admission examination for professional school is usually taken in the spring semester of the junior year or during the summer between the junior and senior years. Both commercial and in-house preparation courses are available. An interdisciplinary Pre-Professional Committee provides guidance to the preprofessional program and letters of evaluation to professional schools for students who request them as a part of the application process. The format of these letters is undergoing examination and review as the professional schools evaluate and change the manner in which Millikin University students are evaluated and the manner in which that information is communicated to them. Please consult with the director of the program in regard to this area.
Allied Health. Millikin offers Pre-Professional Programs in several allied health fields, including medical technology, occupational therapy and physical therapy. These programs are described in the Biology Department section of the College of Arts and Sciences in this Bulletin.
Engineering (4-year Physics BS + FE/PE). Following a standard, 4-year physics BS degree, physics alums interested in engineering can take the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) and Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exams. Scheduling, studying for, and taking the FE and PE entails about 1- month and 5-month commitments, respectively, after graduation. Upon passing the FE alone, students will become an “Engineer in Training”, and can be hired as such for engineering jobs. After 4 years of work in an approved, professional engineering capacity and passing both the FE and PE, students can apply for a professional engineering license. Consult Dr. Casey Watson, Chair of the Physics Department, for further details.
Students earn between 90 and 100 credits from Millikin in the first three years, and transfer sufficient credit back from Washington University at the end of the fourth year to complete their Millikin degree. Engineering areas available for study at Washington University are Biomedical, Chemical, Computer, Electrical, Mechanical, Systems Science and Engineering, and Computer Science. On completion of one of these programs, the student earns a second B.S. degree from Washington University in a particular engineering field. Further information on programs at Washington University can be found at http://engineering.wustl.edu.
Students benefit from the dual-degree program over traditional engineering curricula in many ways: a broader education, two degrees in two different areas, a sound technical education as well as a strong liberal arts background that is often needed in management positions, and the personalized environments of two small universities. Consult the College of Arts and Sciences, for further details.
Engineering (2-2 program). In the 2-2 transfer Engineering program, students complete their Millikin Program of Student Learning courses at Millikin University as well as a year each of chemistry and physics, and two years of mathematics. After completing two years of studies, students can apply to transfer to the engineering school of their choice for completion of their engineering degree. Students should maintain a high grade point average since admission to engineering programs is highly competitive. On completion of the program at the transfer institution, the student earns a baccalaureate degree from that institution. Consult the College of Arts and Sciences, for further details.
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