Health Professions: Pre-Clinical Laboratory Science www.career.vt.edu/OHPA
Dr. Judith A. Wubah
Smith Career Center (0128)
231-6241 jawubah@vt.edu
Office of Health Professions
Advising
(OHPA)
Meet with your departmental Academic Advisor on a regular basis in addition to meeting with Dr. Wubah once
a semester.
MAJORS INFORMATION
Any major is acceptable as long as certain specific admission requirements are met
Common Majors: Biochemistry (BIOC) and Biological Sci (BIOL).
SPECIFIC COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Course Number
Title
Credits
CHEM 1035, 1045 (lab)
CHEM 1036, 1046 (lab)
BIOL 1005, 1015
BIOL 1006, 1016
OR
BIOL 1105, 1115
BIOL 1106, 1116
General Chemistry, General Chemistry Lab
8
General Biology, General Biology Lab
OR
Principles of Biology, Principles of Biology Lab
8
CHEM 2535, 2545
CHEM 2536, 2546
MATH 1015, 1016 or other
calculus sequence
Organic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry Lab*
4-8
Elementary Calculus with Trigonometry*
OR
Other calculus sequence
Microbiology *
Microbiology Lab*
Immunology *
1
3
3
BIOL 2604
BIOL 2614
BIOL 4704
* Program Specific
Requirements
Prerequisites
Must be taken in
sequence.
CHEM 1036,
CHEM 1046
CHEM 2536, BIOL
2604
Recommended: Anatomy and Physiology, Genetics,
Molecular Biology, Pathogenic Microbiology,
Statistics
Course and credit requirements vary by program.
Please check with the program you are interested in
for their specific requirements.
COMMUNITY COLLEGE / SUMMER COURSES INFORMATION
Yes, community college courses are acceptable as transfer credit.
ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP) or INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE (IB) INFORMATION
Check with specific schools to make sure that credit from a community college, Advanced Placement, or International
Baccalaureate are accepted. Some schools prefer that science courses are taken at a four-year institution with a normal
credit load.
GET INVOLVED!! VT Student Organizations, Courses, and Opportunities
Course: UH 2004: Careers in Medicine 1 credit, sophomore or higher (Fall only)
Office of Health Professions Advising http://www.career.vt.edu/OHPA
Alpha Epsilon Delta Pre-Med Fraternity http://www.alphaepsilondelta.org.vt.edu/
American Medical Student Association (AMSA) www.vtamsa.org.vt.edu
Minority Assoc of Pre-Health Students (MAPS) http://www.snma.org/premedical.php
INFORMATION SESSIONS
Health Professions: Pre-CLS
July 2012
rev: JAW
Health Professions Group Information Sessions: Twice per week in the Smith Career Center
Online registration required, there will be specific sessions for Freshmen/Sophomores (Wednesdays at 8am) and
Juniors/Seniors (Fridays at 8am).
Check the OHPA website frequently for dates and times.
APPLICATION & ADMISSION INFORMATION

Admission Test – No admission test is required.

GPA: While lower GPAs are considered, a GPA of 3.0 or higher is generally a competitive candidate.

Experience: It is highly recommended that students participate in volunteer service and/or apply for a semester
preceptorship in local hospitals and clinics. The Office of Health Professions Advising will work collaboratively
with students to assist them gain the necessary practical experience. Certifications (EMT, paramedic, nursing
assistant, etc.) can help for gaining experience.

Application: Application and admission requirements vary by program. Go to www.naacls.org and select
‘search,’ ‘find a program,’ then select program type ‘CLS/MT.’ Contact the program to which you are applying to
determine application/admission requirements.

Campus Interviews: Conducted by the Health Professions Evaluation Committee in the spring of each academic
year (March - May)

School Interview: Required as part of admissions process.
OTHER RESOURCES







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www.ExploreHealthCareers.org, an exceptional resource for students
National Institutes of Health Career Finder, http://science-education.nih.gov/LifeWorks.nsf/feature/index.htm
National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences, www.naacls.org
American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science, www.ascls.org
Lab Careers, http://www.jobtarget.com/home/home.cfm?site_id=108
American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Certification, www.ascp.org/boc
Available Laboratory Jobs
ASCLS, http://www.ascls.org/?page=career_center&terms=jobs
Advance for Medical Laboratory Practitioners, http://health-care-jobs.advanceweb.com
Selected Program Websites:
Augusta Health School of Clinical Laboratory Science, www.augustahealth.com/cls,
Jefferson College of Health Sciences Medical Laboratory Science Program,
http://www.jchs.edu/page.php/prmID/904
Virginia Commonwealth University Clinical Laboratory Sciences, http://www.sahp.vcu.edu/cls/
The Office of Health Professions Advising assists students and alumni pursuing a health care career in medicine,
dentistry, optometry, pharmacy, chiropractic, occupational therapy, nursing, physician's assistant, veterinary medicine,
or other graduate health professions.
Any student of Virginia Tech, regardless of major, can use the services of OHPA. Although the majority of pre health
professions students major in a science field, it is not required.
Students should meet with their departmental Academic Advisor on a regular basis to ensure requirements are being met
for graduation. The Office of Health Professions Advising is an important complement to academic advising.
Health Professions: Pre-CLS
July 2012
rev: JAW