Greetings from St. Olaf: Leon Clark, Junior
1. Why is you school good for pre-meds?
From the website:
“St. Olaf College has long been nationally recognized for its commitment to the sciences. From the extraordinary number of Ph.D. candidates in mathematics and the natural sciences who have received their undergraduate education at St. Olaf to the college’s consistent success at winning national science grants, St. Olaf College is known for its innovative teaching and flagship undergraduate research programs.
According to the National Science Foundation’s Survey of Earned Doctorates, St. Olaf ranks eighth overall among baccalaureate colleges in the number of graduates who earn advanced degrees. St. Olaf has the highest number of graduates who earn mathematics and statistics Ph.D.s, and the college ranks in the top 10 for several other scientific disciplines, including physics, chemistry and the life sciences.
Forty percent of all St. Olaf students pursue a major or concentration in the natural sciences or mathematics, and nearly 5 percent of each graduating class goes on to medical school. Approximately 9 percent of our students earn mathematics degrees compared to the national average for liberal arts colleges of 2 to 3 percent. Approximately half of St. Olaf math majors are women, and 75 percent of all St. Olaf students take a mathematics course at the calculus level or above.
The college also has a distinguished history as a source of top-flight chemists, and the American Chemical Society consistently identifies St. Olaf as one of the most prolific sources of chemistry majors in the country.
Three of St. Olaf College’s nine Rhodes Scholars have been science majors. Since 1995, 26 St. Olaf students have received Goldwater Scholarships, awarded to sophomores and juniors majoring in mathematics, science and engineering, and selected on the basis of academic merit.
Three St. Olaf physics majors have been recipients of scholarships from the ELCA Foundation through the Rossing Fund for Physics Education Endowment which was established in 2005. St. Olaf College graduates are leaders in science education and research, medicine and public health administration, marine biology and natural habit restoration, biostatistics and geophysics.
They are nationally known AIDS researchers, genetic counselors, advocates for protecting our nation’s groundwater and committed to providing third-world health care. They are Peace Corps volunteers, Fulbright Scholars, university professors, climatologists, actuaries, neurosurgeons and robotics engineers.”
2. What are some clubs pre-meds should be involved in?
St. Olaf provides a variety of clubs that are ran by pre-med students which include: the Pre-Med Club, Biology Club, Chemistry Club, and various Volunteering Clubs.
3. Who are some good advisers?
Ted Johnson is the director of Biomedical Studies and St. Olaf. However, you will find that just about every faculty advisor in the sciences will be well versed in knowledge of pre-med requirements, because it has been a common career aspiration for St. Olaf students.
4. Who are some good professors?
Being a small liberal arts college, you will find that the faculty at St. Olaf is extremely committed to undergraduate teaching and all have proven to be great mentors their students. Preference to professors are usually correlated to a preference in teaching style.
5. What classes do you recommend taking, especially for MCAT prep?
Along with the required courses, I would suggest taking a genetics course for the MCAT.
6. What majors do you recommend?
It is a common myth that acceptance into medical school is contingent upon graduating with a B.A. in a science. So, choose whichever major peaks your interest. Just remember to complete the course requirements for medical school. It is a good idea to do some research into schools because different schools require different courses.
7. What are some research and paid job opportunities available for undergrads?
With a shared commitment to undergraduate research and rich diversity in faculty research, St. Olaf has built a vibrant Summer Research Program of investigative experiences for undergraduates in the natural and mathematical sciences. Summer research at St. Olaf is a coherent 10-week program in which students work either with an individual faculty mentor or as part of an interdisciplinary team.
The Summer Research Program is characterized by passionate faculty mentoring and thoughtful programming designed to create an inclusive investigative community. Together, they seek to provide engaging and rewarding investigative experiences for undergraduates by connecting our passion for meaningful student-faculty interaction with a dedication to enlightening scientific inquiry. Along with St. Olaf research, there are hundred of other research opportunities available for undergraduates. Here is a helpful wesite developed by a St. Olaf graduate for finding internships: www.premednetwork.com
8. Anything else you would like to add.
St. Olaf is a great institution for someone seeking a rigorous undergraduate education in a small college atmosphere.