Why a public health undergraduate degree is a smart path to medical school
Pre-med preparation beyond just science requirements
Jillian McConville, Assistant Director of Undergraduate Education
For students considering a career in medicine, the stakes feel incredibly high to make the right decisions during your undergraduate degree. One of those big decisions is selecting the right major.
As the assistant director of Undergraduate Education at Michigan Public Health, I’ve talked with countless students who are trying to figure out the right major for their academic interests and career goals. One of the most common questions I get from students interested in medicine, nursing, dentistry and other health careers is what they should study as an undergrad. I always recommend that they seriously consider public health as their undergraduate major.
A well-rounded foundation for your future career
The field of public health encompasses much more than you might think. It draws from biology, sociology, environmental science and policy, preparing you with a well-rounded education. You’ll learn the hard skills that will prepare you for your future career like data analytics, disease monitoring and program evaluation. You will also gain a critical eye for the root causes of illness and disability and foundational skills such as effective communication, teamwork and strategic problem-solving.
In our curriculum, you’ll have the ability to customize your course plans to your future goals. Our team meets with you individually to help optimize your course plan to meet pre-med requirements through the program. We offer a range of medicine- and science-focused courses on topics from the US healthcare system to cancer prevention to pathogenesis. Many of these courses even count towards the BCPM (biology, chemistry, physics, math) GPA or Science GPA—key parts of the medical school application.
Plentiful opportunities for support, hands-on training and networking
As an undergraduate student at Michigan Public Health, you have access to countless resources and opportunities to help you reach your goals as a student and into your career.
- Career Support: The Michigan Public Health Careers Office hosts workshops, alumni networking opportunities and other events to help students bridge the gap between training in school and their professional aspirations. They are also available for one-on-one consultation to help students prepare for interviews, complete applications and more.
- Research Experience: If you are interested in gaining research experience, many faculty members accept undergraduate students in their labs.
- Alumni Mentorship: Our Student-to-Alumni Mentoring program, which matches current students with a Michigan Public Health alumni in their future field, is also a great way to network and gain valuable advice from alumni who were once in your shoes and are eager to help.
- Faculty Connections: Compared to many other cohorts and class sizes at the University of Michigan, public health undergraduate students benefit from a close-knit community and smaller classroom environment. This can make it easier to connect with faculty members and gain experiences that will help with future applications. In fact, data from our students consistently shows that their faculty instructors are open, accessible, and make them feel welcome.
A preventionist viewpoint
While the field of medicine traditionally aims to treat diseases and injuries, public health aims to proactively prevent them and keep populations healthy. By studying public health before pursuing a medical career, you will gain a more holistic viewpoint of the populations and people you treat. You’ll be able to answer not only what condition does this patient have but other important questions like ‘why is this disease more common among some populations?’; ‘what social or societal factors are contributing?’; and ‘what factors might make this course of treatment more or less obtainable for someone?’ With an undergraduate degree in public health, you will learn to see health not just as an individual matter, but as a combination of social, environmental and scientific factors that shape entire populations.
Consistently ranked among the top schools of public health in the US, Michigan Public Health prepares students to pursue positive, transformative change through its rigorous curriculum, engaged learning opportunities with top faculty, access to innovative laboratory and field settings, and community-based training.
And, because public health is needed now more than ever, our undergraduate program is growing! We always enjoy learning how applicants see a public health undergraduate degree setting them up for future success in medicine, nursing, dentistry or other health professions.
For students interested in learning more, a great next step is to register for an upcoming event for prospective undergraduate students and join our interest list. You can also learn more about majoring in public health as the foundation for a career in medicine on the Code Maize Podcast:
Listen to Code Maize: A Podcast for Future Wolverines in Healthcare
Building a Medical Career: How Public Health Lays the Groundwork
Join Professor Emily Youatt, Director of Undergraduate Education and Clinical Associate Professor of Health Behavior & Health Equity, and Dr. Lewis Morgenstern, Professor of Epidemiology, Neurology, Emergency Medicine, and Neurosurgery, and Director of the Stroke Program at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, as they discuss how students can pursue a major in public health as a foundation for careers in medicine and other health professions. This episode explores pathways into the undergraduate public health program, interdisciplinary approaches to healthcare, and the broader social context of health and healthcare. Discover the opportunities that await in this dynamic field.
Listen Now on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
About the Author
Jillian McConville
Assistant Director of Undergraduate Education
University of Michigan School of Public Health
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Learn more about our application requirements and deadlines and start your application today. If you’re not ready to apply yet, but would like to receive more information about Michigan Public Health and the program(s) you’re interested in, join our prospective student interest list.