SPECIAL ADVISING AREA

Academic Preparation

Our health professions need insightful, capable, and experienced changemakers.
We’re here to help you be one.

As a Pre-Health student at Warren Wilson College you will:

• Prepare for your choice of medical school, pharmacy school, dental school, public health graduate school, physician assistant studies program,  physical therapy program, or nursing school.
• Learn from alumni such as Dr. Jack Allison, a retired emergency medicine physician with extensive clinical and academic credentials, who shared his experiences in health care and his tips for preparing a successful application to a health profession graduate school.
• Attend small classes, work one on one alongside faculty, and have access to academic support throughout your pre-health requirements.
• Attend guest lectures from respected professionals in a variety of health fields. 
• Go on to attend graduate schools for Medicine, Public Health, Dentistry, Nursing, or Pharmacy such as:
  • Eastern Tennessee State University
  • Loma Linda University
  • Oregon Health and Sciences University
  • Rocky Vista University
  • University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
  • Washington University in St. Louis
  • Western Carolina University School of Nursing

I could speak on the scientific rigor and curiosities that sparked and flourished during my years at WWC, but perhaps more important to my success in medical school were my experiences with the community. I worked in Residence Life, served as a Student Health Ambassador, and worked in the Student Government Association, but the point is that through those positions I found opportunities to better understand social dynamics. When is it appropriate to speak up in advocacy, or when is it wiser to listen for now, and act later? And of course, there was the fun I had in those community spaces, which have translated well to inspire a good work-life balance in medical school.

Bassam Shawamreh '22 (medical student at U. of North Carolina School of Medicine)

Your Application will Stand Out

Our professors will push you and your classmates will inspire you. But everything you’re studying will come into play and take on real meaning through your work crew involvement and community service engagement. 

By the time you graduate you will have:

• Completed original research with your faculty mentor and presented to an audience of your peers
• Had the opportunity to do additional summer research with faculty on campus or at other universities
• Completed Internships, Shadowing, and Volunteer work at clinics, private practices, and hospitals with physical therapists, dentists, surgeons, family practice doctors.
• Worked on Work Crews such as the Health Center, Local Foods, Herb, Garden, Farm, Chemistry, Biology, Chemistry Research Lab and Genetics Research Lab
• Worked with local community organizations on projects in many of your classes (since community engagement activities are integrated into every major)
• Developed long standing and close relationships with faculty who can speak directly to your strengths and research accomplishments

These experiences, which you will carefully select in partnership with your advisor, will enhance your graduate school application. You’ll apply to the health program of your choice with not only a strong GPA but real-life experiences that distinguish your application.