CAS CONNECT 2018

NewDegrees, NewOptions Pre-health majors prepare students for professional graduate studies T he health care industry is on the rise, and so is the demand for qualified workers. The College of Arts and Sciences has created two new pathways to meet this need — a pre- pharmacy option in the Plant Biology Department, and a Medical and Biophysical option in the Chemistry Department. Both help students fulfill their pre-health goals. “If students’ interests lie in plant biology or chemistry, these two newmajors provide an opportunity to plan for the required medical, dental and some other professional school prerequisites within the degree,” said Jessica Priddy Bullock, OSU’s director of pre-professional academic support services. “We recommend that students choose a major based on their academic interests rather than one they think looks good to professional schools.” Through the Plant Biology: Pre-Pharmacy program, students learn a skill set that prepares them for graduate-level pharmacy studies. “We teach courses on fundamental knowledge and practical hands-on experimentation,” said Dr. AndrewDoust, head of the Department of Plant Biology, Ecology and Evolution. “It’s the skills in experimentation and lab skills that allow us to discover newmedication and understand and measure their effects.” The courses are designed around the basis of pharmacology. By understanding the relationship of plants within the medical field, students can further excel in pharmacy school. “Seventy percent of medications come from plants,” Doust said. “We are able to use the knowledge of our relationships between plants to predict what species of plants hold the keys to pharmacological benefits. Taxol, one of the most- utilized cancer medications in the U.S. and derived STORY LONNA FRESHLEY | | PHOTO I STOCK PHOTO from the bark of the Pacific yew tree, is a great example of this.” Pharmacy school is just one option for this program. According to Doust, Plant Biology: Pre- Pharmacy is also a great fit for students interested in forensics. “Forensics is an emerging field that relies on modern instrumentation,” Doust said. “In all the courses we emphasize conceptual material as well as the skills that make the craft of science. It’s also important that students gain a deep understanding of the molecular level of plants while still being able to communicate in layman’s terms. Students need to be able to take descriptions the public gives them and translate that into meaningful questions and be comfortable working with scientific data.” The Medical and Biophysical Chemistry program is geared toward pre-pharmacy students interested in drug design or drug discovery, along with students interested in gaining an edge for medical school. “When we designed the program, we took the pre-health degree requirements and Chemistry —American Chemical Society degree, and made a hybrid program that includes what you need for pre-med,” said Dr. NickMaterer, head of the Department of Chemistry. “This spring, one of our students in chemistry scored in a very high percentile on the MCAT.” By understanding medications from a chemical perspective, students learn about drug synthesis while developing the skills necessary to be professional chemists. “It’s challenging to get into medical school with any degree,” Materer said. “Having a strong degree makes a big difference. It puts you in a higher tier 24 CONNECT 201 8