Description
The Pre-Professional Studies: Optometry Pathway Minor is an interdisciplinary minor, drawing courses from a variety of disciplines. This minor is an intentional collection of mostly upper-level courses and experiences in the behavioral, social and hard sciences with a primary focus of preparing students with the critical thinking skills necessary for solving problems in human medicine. It is not intended to satisfy the list of to satisfy the entire list of prerequisite courses needed to apply to optometry school or take the OAT exam.
Admission to the Program
Any undergraduate student intending on applying to optometry school is encouraged to declare this minor. Students will need to take the following prerequisite courses to be able to complete the minor: ENG112 and PSH110. Upper-level science course choices will depend on the student’s major. Physics majors could easily choose PHS328/329 as part of their program, Biology and Neuroscience majors could choose from the BIO electives as part of their majors, and Biochemistry majors could choose CHM467/468 as part of their majors without adding courses to their advisement path. Students outside of these majors will be required to complete the necessary prerequisites for taking those upper-level courses by advisement. Students not intending on applying to Optometry School should instead explore the Pre-professional Health Minor.
Program Requirements
The minor requires 19-23 credits. Students design their course of study in close consultation with their minor advisor.
Required Core (13 cr)
- PSH 397 Health Psychology
- SOC 211 Social Disparities Health OR SOC 332 Health Medicine & Society
- PHL 321 Medical Ethics
- ENG 300 Adv Composition
- PPH 400 Pre-professional Health Seminar*
Career Shadowing: Choose one (0-3 cr):
- PPH 300 Oak Orchard Health Shadowing
- PPH 399 Off Campus Internship/Shadowing
- Equivalent experience as determined by the PPH Program Director
Upper-level Science Electives: Choose two (4-7 cr)
- BIO 407 Adv Cell Biology
- BIO 414 Immunology
- BIO 415 Molecular Biology
- BIO 423 General Microbiology
- BIO 475 Cancer Biology
- CHM 467 Biochemistry I
- CHM 468 Biochemistry II
- PHS 328 Modern Physics
- PHS 329 Modern Optics Lab
*Exit Requirements:
- Only students preparing applications to professional schools will be allowed to enroll in PPH 400, since this course is mainly focused on helping students prepare for the application portfolio and anticipated interview process.
- For permission to enroll in PPH 400, students must have an overall GPA of >3.00 and be working with a PPH Advisor on a Dental school application timeline.
- Satisfactory completion of the minor does not guarantee SUNY Brockport PPH Advisory Committee support for application to optometry school.