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Pre-Health Medical Professions
For students who are thinking of entering the field of medicine, La Sierra University’s Pre-Health programs are the ideal preparatory program for the competitive environment of med schools. The programs do not offer any degree but offer all the necessary courses to increase your chance of admission and to enable you to thrive in your med school program.
Programs Offered
Medicine
Pre-Professional Program
Quick Facts
Level
Pre-Professional Program
Location
La Sierra Campus
Accreditation
WASC
- Curriculum Sheet
Description:
Students enrolling in the pre-medicine program at La Sierra University are taking the necessary classes to prepare them for the study of medicine. Anatomy, chemistry and biology are just as much part of the curriculum as psychology and sociology to prepare them for the stressful everyday life of medicine. The pre-medicine program requires a degree program to be completed concurrently.
| MDCN204 | Introduction to Medicine | 2 |
| MATH155 | Introduction to Statistics | 4 |
| SOCI104 | General Sociology | 4 |
| PSYC104 | General Psychology | 4 |
Dentistry
Pre-Professional Program
Quick Facts
Level
Pre-Professional Program
Location
La Sierra Campus
Accreditation
WASC
- Curriculum Sheet
Description:
The pre-dentistry program at La Sierra University prepares students thoroughly for the demanding discipline of dentistry. Entrance at med schools is competitive and the pre-dentistry programs offers students the knowledge required to get the competitive edge. The pre-dentistry program requires a degree program to be completed concurrently.
| DENT103 | Introduction to Dentistry | 2 |
| ACCT221 | Financial Accounting 1 | 4 |
| MGMT304 | The Practice of Management | 4 |
| BIOL446 | Human Anatomy | 4 |
| BIOL434 | Histology | 4 |
| BIOL474 | General Microbiology | 4 |
| BIOL448 | Neuroanatomy | 5 |
| MATH131 | Calculus | 4 |
| CPTG104 | Introduction to Information Systems | 4 |
Pharmacy
Pre-Professional Program
Quick Facts
Level
Pre-Professional Program
Location
La Sierra Campus
Accreditation
WASC
- Curriculum Sheet
Description:
The pre-pharmacy program at La Sierra University offers students the required knowledge to excel not only in med school but in their careers. The pre-pharmacy program helps students gain a thorough understanding of chemistry and biology required for deeper studies. The concurrent completion of a bachelor’s degree is not required but highly recommended for the pre-pharmacy program.
| BIOL302 | Genetics | 4 |
| BIOL434 | Histology | 4 |
| BIOL436 | Immunology | 4 |
| BIOL466 | System Physiology | 4 |
Nuclear Medicine
Pre-Professional Program
Quick Facts
Level
Pre-Professional Program
Location
La Sierra Campus
Accreditation
WASC
- Curriculum Sheet
Description:
The pre-nuclear medicine program at La Sierra University prepares students thoroughly in the field of anatomy to enable them to thrive in their advanced studies. The concurrent completion of a bachelor’s degree is not required.
| HLSC214 | Dimensions of Health | 4 |
| ANYEXSC | Any Activity/Exercise Classes | .5 |
| ANYEXSC | Any Activity/Exercise Classes | .5 |
Veterinary Medicine
Pre-Professional Program
Quick Facts
Level
Pre-Professional Program
Location
La Sierra Campus
Accreditation
WASC
- Curriculum Sheet
Description:
Students who enroll in the pre-veterinary medicine program at La Sierra University are taking an in-depth curriculum to prepare them for the highly competitive field of veterinary medicine. Classes range from biology to statistics to give students the necessary edge when it comes to med school admission. The pre-veterinary medicine program requires a degree program to be completed concurrently.
Physician Assistant
Pre-Professional Program
Quick Facts
Level
Pre-Professional Program
Location
La Sierra Campus
Accreditation
WASC
- Curriculum Sheet
Description:
Physician Assistants (PAs) have become a valuable and essential part of the health care team. While working under the supervision of a physician, PAs provide diagnostic, therapeutic, preventative and health maintenance services. They work primarily as primary care providers but are not limited to this area. They can work in any specialty and are trained to handle medical emergencies. They can also serve as first or second assistants in surgery, and provide both pre- and post-operative care. Physician assistants can relieve physicians of several general duties including taking medical histories, ordering and analyzing lab tests, while maintaining the same quality of care for all the patients.
| ENGL111 | College Writing I | 3 |
| ENGL112 | College Writing II | 3 |
| ENGL113 | College Writing III | 3 |
Career Outlook
About 1.9 million job openings are projected each year
$80,820 Average Median Salary
Many Research Opportunities
The median annual wage for healthcare practitioners and technical occupations (such as dental hygienists, physicians and surgeons, and registered nurses) was $80,820 in May 2023, which was higher than the median annual wage for all occupations of $48,060. Healthcare support occupations (such as home health and personal care aides, medical transcriptionists, and occupational therapy assistants) had a median annual wage of $36,140 in May 2023, which was lower than the median annual wage for all occupations.
Wages for physicians and surgeons are among the highest of all occupations, with a median wage equal to or greater than $239,200 per year. Median wages showing the differences in pay between types of physicians and surgeons are not available, but mean (average) annual wages for physicians and surgeons in May 2023 were as follows:
- Pediatric Surgeons $449,320
- Cardiologists $423,250
- Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric $378,250
- Radiologists $353,960
- Surgeons, All Other $343,990
- Dermatologists $342,860
- Anesthesiologists $339,470
- Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric $312,120
- Emergency Medicine Physicians $306,640
- Obstetricians and Gynecologists $278,660
- Neurologists $271,470
- Physicians, pathologists $270,560
- Psychiatrists $256,930
- Physicians, all other $248,640
- General internal medicine physicians $245,450
- Family medicine physicians $240,790
- Pediatricians, general $205,860
The median annual wage for dentists was $170,910 in May 2023. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $82,760, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $239,200.
Median annual wages for dentists in May 2023 were as follows:
- Oral and maxillofacial surgeons $239,200 or more
- Orthodontists $239,200 or more
- Prosthodontists $234,000
- Dentists, all other specialists $227,690
- Dentists, general $166,300
The median annual wage for pharmacists was $136,030 in May 2023. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $89,980, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $168,650.
In May 2023, the median annual wages for pharmacists in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
- Ambulatory healthcare services $150,110
- Hospitals; state, local, and private $144,460
- General merchandise retailers $141,880
- Pharmacies and drug retailers $131,290
The median annual wage for nuclear medicine technologists was $92,500 in May 2023. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $69,300, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $123,910.
In May 2023, the median annual wages for nuclear medicine technologists in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
- Outpatient care centers $139,320
- Medical and diagnostic laboratories $93,830
- Hospitals; state, local, and private $93,450
- Offices of physicians $85,280
The median annual wage for veterinarians was $119,100 in May 2023. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $72,360, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $201,440.
In May 2023, the median annual wages for veterinarians in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
- Veterinary services $119,720
- Social advocacy organizations $110,590
- Educational services; state, local, and private $108,950
- Government $104,420
Program Stats
Our Alumni Work in these Occupations
- Dentists5
- Clinical Pharmacists2
- General Office Clerks1
- Mobile Application Developers1
- Pharmacists1
- Program Managers1
- Secretaries and Administrative Assistants1
Our Alumni Work Here
- Adventist Health2
- CVS Health Corporation2
- Telecare Corporation1
- Helium Inc1
- Western University of Health Sciences1
- INTERNATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL1
- Salvatore Ferragamo1
Partial information in this page was retrieved from Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook:
- Healthcare Occupations
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/ - Medicine
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physicians-and-surgeons.htm - Dentistry
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/dentists.htm - Pharmacy
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/pharmacists.htm - Nuclear Medicine
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/nuclear-medicine-technologists.htm - Veterinary Medicine
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/veterinarians.htm
(visited April 17, 2024).