Ripon College is an excellent place to prepare for a career
in the health professions.
Each year, a large number of our first-year students begin their studies towards a career this area. Although
most of our these students are interested in allopathic medicine, many
also are preparing themselves for careers in dentistry, veterinary
medicine, optometry, podiatry, physical therapy, pharmacy, nursing,
chiropractic medicine and sports medicine, as well as other health
and allied health fields such medical technology or physician assistant.
There is much to learn about preparing for a career in the health
professions. Medical schools and other health professional schools
have numerous entrance requirements to fulfill. These include obtaining
a specific and diverse academic background, evidence that you are a
critical thinker and have good problem-solving skills, demonstration
of a sincere commitment to a health career, leadership capabilities,
an indication that your are giving of your time, adequate performance
on standardized tests, completion of long application forms and submission
of several letters of recommendation.
Ripon College is ideally suited to prepare you for these requirements.
We are highly committed to quality teaching. We use a pedagogy that
stresses hands-on learning which will hone your critical thinking and
problem-solving abilities. We also stress communication (oral and written)
skills across our curriculum. Ripon's small size allows our faculty
to get to know our students, permitting them to write specific and strong
letters of recommendation. In addition, we take advising very seriously.
Every Ripon student has a faculty adviser to provide help and counsel
in planning a suitable academic program. You will find that our advisers
are genuinely interested in you and your career goals.
Part of this advising program includes the Health Professions Advisory
Committee (HPAC). At Ripon College, the HPAC advises students interested
in preparing for a career in the health professions. The HPAC also
organizes seminars and programs of interest to prehealth students.
Further, the committee helps students prepare for standardized tests
and interviews, and facilitates applications to medical and other health
professional schools. One testament to the success of our program at
Ripon College is the high rate for acceptance of our graduates into
health professional schools. The national average for acceptance into
medical school is approximately 40 percent, whereas the acceptance for Ripon
students has been more than 75 percent; and for all other health related programs,
the acceptance rate has been more than 85 percent.
Your Ripon Experience
There is no premed major at Ripon College and this is for two very
important reasons. One, although certain courses are required for
entrance into health professional schools, no specific major is required.
Two, as a liberal arts college, Ripon seeks to give its students
an appreciation and awareness of the major areas of human intellectual
endeavor and to provide a broad foundation upon which specialized
studies may be based. For this reason, we encourage you to avoid
a "premed pitfall" of
viewing your undergraduate years as a hurdle placed in your way.
Instead, we recommend that you view your college experience as an
opportunity to pursue in-depth an academic area of interest (your
major) and to obtain a broad background in important areas of study
(college distribution requirements). In doing so, you also will be
obtaining a solid foundation for pre-health study.
It is important to realize that preparation for a career in the health
professions does not involve merely the study of science and technology.
It also encompasses many aspects of human nature and knowledge. Professional
schools are looking for well-rounded individuals who not only have
good analytical and problem-solving skills, but also who are articulate,
well-read, caring, giving of their time and have a good historical
and philosophical background to help place scientific and technological
discoveries in an appropriate context. The liberal arts approach at
Ripon is ideally suited to providing this critical balance between
human interaction and specialized knowledge. Thus, your undergraduate
years will provide you with an opportunity to sample subjects from
a wide variety of areas and prepare you for a health-related career.
The Ripon College Curriculum
The Ripon curriculum is divided into roughly three major components.
About one-third of your time will be spent sampling the wide range
of human achievement. These graduation or distribution requirements
include courses in English, the humanities, behavioral and social sciences,
natural sciences and mathematics, fine arts, foreign language, global
studies and physical education.
The second third of your time will be spent on a major. The major
gives you the opportunity to dig deeply into a single area. Because
you will be taking a number of courses in the major area, it is important
to choose it carefully. As stated above, entrance into a health professions
program does not require a specific major. However, because most programs
require students to take at least one year of biology, two years of
chemistry, one year of physics and some mathematics, many students
choose to major in one of the natural sciences or mathematics disciplines.
The last third of your time will be comprised of elective courses.
Students are free to sample other areas and take support courses for
the major or preprofessional development. For pre-health students,
some of the elective component necessarily will be devoted to courses
required for admission into a health professions school.
Our curriculum also provides ample opportunities for students to conduct
independent and original research. This may be conducted full-time
during the summer or part-time for credit toward graduation during
the school year. By conducting research, students will hone their problem-solving
skills, and by presenting your findings to others you will improve
oral and written communication skills. In addition, students interested
in a health professions career should conduct a formal internship with
a health professional. The HPAC will facilitate setting up these internships
which also will provide you with credit toward graduation.
Co-Curricular Activities
Most professional schools also are concerned with your life outside
the classroom in addition to your academic work. This is a way in which
you clearly show the kind of person you are, what leadership qualities
and skills you have, and how well you deal with other people. The Ripon
College community and the city of Ripon provide a multitude of activities
in which students may participate and assume leadership roles. This
include a number of campus organizations and groups such as athletics,
student government, intramural sports, music and drama groups, tutoring,
the student newspaper, etc. Because of our small size, you will find
that you will easily be able to participate in whatever co-curricular
activity you enjoy.
It also is important to show that you are giving of yourself and your
time. One of the best ways to accomplish this is to do volunteer work.
This may be done in the city of Ripon or in your home town.
Conclusion
Preparation for entrance into medical and other health professional
schools is demanding and arduous. It requires a sincere commitment
from students as well as good organization skills and perseverance.
The classroom and extra-curricular opportunities at Ripon College will
provide students with all the resources they will need for their prehealth
preparation. In addition, because of our commitment to quality teaching,
research and advising, you will find Ripon College creates an environment
that encourages students to work hard and perform well.
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