Frequently Asked Questions

 

Admissions, Academics, and Advising

There are a couple of ways you can check on the transfer of your courses to UW. 

1. You can utilize WyoTransfer to check transfer of courses between Wyoming institutions.

2. You can use the UW Transfer Catalog to check transfer of credits to UW from your previous institution.

3. Please contact your academic advisor for help with the process of having a course reviewed for transfer if it does not appear to be a course that typically transfers to UW from your previous institution(s). 

Check out the FIG website for more information. 

No. Most universities don’t have a “pre-medicine” or other “pre-health” major. Professional schools don’t care what you major in as long as you acquire quality, high-value experiences, such as community service, shadowing, some kind of health care experience, and do well in completing the prerequisite courses for their programs. It is wise to choose a major that maintains your interest and in which you think you can do well. Having alternative career options is always a good idea, since many students end up changing their minds about pursuing graduate education or choose to work for a while before applying to professional schools. A pre-health advisor would be happy to discuss this with you individually, since each student’s journey is unique. Schedule an appointment today!

Majors:

You can view the College of Health Sciences Degree Programs in the current University of Wyoming Catalog for a list of degrees, minors, and certificates offered in the College of Health Sciences and their required curriculum. Don’t see what you’re looking for? Contact an academic advisor.

Minors & Certificates:

The College of Health Sciences offers a minor in Disability Studies, a certificate in American Sign Language, and a graduate certificate in Community and Public Health. All can be found in Degree Programs in the University of Wyoming Catalog under the College of Health Sciences. 

UW Casper in conjunction with the School of Pharmacy offers a Minor and Certificate in Health Leadership.

To change your major or add/drop a minor/certificate or a concentration, you must submit an electronic form to the Registrar's Office. This form will be reviewed by all involved departments and then processed by the Office of the Registrar. The Change of Major form is available on the Office of the Registrar’s Forms and Petitions page.

Check WyoRecords or Navigate in WyoWeb. If not listed, view our Find Your Advisor page. You may also contact the Pre-Health Advising Office at hsadvise@uwyo.edu.

The University Studies Program requires students to develop skills necessary for full participation in a technologically complex world. These skills are developed through six categories that focus on Communication, Human Culture, the Physical & Natural World, Quantitative Reasoning, the U.S. & Wyoming government. In these courses, students learn the ability to express themselves in speech and writing, to locate, evaluate, and effectively use information, and to examine problems from quantitative, qualitative, and scientific perspectives. A general education encourages students to become active citizens in a diverse democracy. Through multi-and inter-disciplinary inquiry, students gain the perspectives necessary to deal with complex issues, appreciate the viewpoints of others, function effectively in multicultural communities, understand the responsibility to participate in democratic society, and communicate clearly in a civic environment. The University Studies Program ensures that each student's program includes the elements essential to a lifetime of personal and professional growth: habits of mind, practices of active citizenship, and development of intellectual skills. The University of Wyoming is currently operating under USP 2015.

Academic dishonesty is defined by University Regulation 2-114. Be aware of what qualifies as academic dishonesty and avoid it. The consequences are severe and can impact your future in college and career. If you are found in violation of UW's academic dishonesty policies, you may have to give up your chosen career path, especially in healthcare.

FIRST: Check with your academic advisor and instructor before making this decision. Withdrawing from a course can have serious ramifications for financial aid and scholarships, students on the GI Bill, student athlete eligibility, or international student status.

Drop Period: You are allowed to drop a course within the first few days of the semester through Register for Classes in your WyoRecords Account on WyoWeb. If you do this by the drop deadline, the course will not show on your transcript, and you can potentially receive a refund.

Withdraw Period: After the drop deadline, a withdrawal is required. Withdrawals show up as a "W" on your transcript, but do not affect your GPA. Up until the withdraw deadline, students can withdraw from classes in WyoWeb and can find instructions on the Forms and Petitions website. After the deadline, students must file an Exception Request Form with the Office of the Registrar. 

All School Withdraw: If a student needs to withdraw from all classes for the semester, they should follow the All School Withdraw Process through the Dean of Students Office or email the Dean of Students Office at dos@uwyo.edu.  

See the University of Wyoming's Academic Calendar, which provides up-to-date information about drop and withdrawal deadlines.

Early Alert is an opportunity for students to understand how they might be doing within the first 4-5 weeks of the semester. Watch this short video to learn how to see your Early Alert grades.* If you have a D, F, or unsatisfactory in any of your courses, be sure to talk with your instructor to determine how to turn things around in their course. Your academic advisor also receives your alert message and may reach out to you by email. Talk with your academic advisor, who will be able to direct you to some useful resources on campus to assist you in improving your grades. 

 *The screens shown in this video may vary slightly from how WyoRecords looks now, but the names of the links should be the same.

To find your midterm and final grades, first select “Students” from the WyoWeb page. Then select the following: Student Records=>Grades=>Final Grades OR Midterm Grades. This short video gives an alternative way of finding final grades on your academic transcript.*

*The screens shown in this video may vary slightly from how WyoRecords looks now, but the names of the links should be the same.

First: Go see your instructor or professor at the very first sign of trouble. Don't wait for the problem to become so big it can't be fixed. Go to office hours or make an appointment. Go in and express your concern, ask where you went wrong and what you can do to fix it.

Additionally, Take advantage of the STEP Tutor Center available in Coe Library, and see if you qualify for additional services such as Student Success Services. Talk with your academic advisor for help locating campus resources or, if you will not be able to pass the class, to learn what options are available to you.

A final exam schedule can be found each semester online on the Office of the Registrar’s website. If you have more than two finals in one day or two finals scheduled at the same time, you can fill out an Exception Request Form with the Office of the Registrar. The request must be made prior to the last day of classes to ensure your request is processed in a timely manner.

 

To see the most up-to-date information on experiential and academic prerequisites and expectations for professional schools please visit our Health Professions page.

Other programs in the College of Health Sciences also have prerequisite and GPA requirements, specifically, Social Work, Kinesiology and Health Promotion, Nursing, and Pharmacy. Please visit their websites or reach out to an advisor for more information. 

It is important to know how to calculate your GPA for professional school application as schools are more interested in an overall GPA than your cumulative GPA. They are also interested in a GPA for your Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Math (BCPM) courses. Tracking your GPA will help you see what professional schools will see when looking at your GPA. Ask a Pre-Health Professions Advisor for the Action Plan for Pre-Professional Students in which you can calculate both your overall and BCPM GPA. However, it is valuable to know how to manually calculate a GPA and what the difference is between a cumulative and overall GPA.

Each letter grade carries a grade point value calculated by multiplying the total grade points earned by the total credit hours earned.

Grade points: A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0.

Example: The point value of a 3-credit hour course in which you earn an A is 12 points, since the value of an A is 4 and 4x3=12.

Your semester GPA is the sum of all grade points earned in a semester divided by total credit hours earned. Courses with “grades” of X, W, S, or U are excluded from your GPA.

The average of all grades earned by a student is termed as the cumulative GPA. In a cumulative GPA, grades can also be included or excluded in certain situations. For example, if you retake a class, the most recent grade will be included and your previous grade will be excluded, changing your GPA. In an overall GPA, every course attempt with a letter grade is included in the GPA calculation. The BCPM GPA is also an overall GPA calculation.

Let’s do an overall GPA calculation of a recent semester in which a student took 15 credit hours.

Class                Credits            Grade              Total Grade Points Per class

ENGL 1010     3  x                   A=4                 12

LIFE 1010       4  x                  B= 3                12

POLS 1000      3  x                  C=2                 6

CHEM 1020     4  x                  D=1                 4

UWYO 1019    1  x                  A=4                  4

Total Credits earned=15                        Total Semester Grade Points = 38

Semester GPA: 38/15 = 2.5

Watch this video* to learn more about your Degree Evaluation! Your degree evaluation is what determines graduation, so it’s a good idea to look at it whenever you are preparing for advising or course registration for the next semester.

*The screens shown in this video may vary slightly from how WyoRecords looks now, but the names of the links should be the same.

To create a full academic plan, you can utilize the Navigate Planner by accessing the Student Web Version of Navigate. In this Planner, you can add templates for any major, minor, or certificate you want to earn and create a plan to complete them. These plans are not tied directly to your Degree Evaluation, so you will want to use your Degree Evaluation in conjunction with this planning tool to create the most accurate academic plan. You can create multiple plans and have your advisor review them by clicking on the Raise Hand feature and choosing the appropriate item from the drop-down menu.

You can also create semester plans in the Plan Ahead feature which you can find on the Register for Classes page in WyoRecords

Preparing for Health Careers

The pre-health advisors support and coach students on their journey to a health professions program beyond the bachelor's degree. We help you explore options, understand the process of becoming a strong applicant to a professional school, and address questions you might have along the way. We conduct relevant workshops for pre-health students, sponsor visits from various professional schools, and discuss any number of opportunities that can help students grow professionally. The pre-health advisors also teach a class every spring for students who are applying to their professional program soon: HLSC 4010. Visit the Pre-Health Advising Office website to schedule an appointment and sign up for our e-mail list.

The College of Health Sciences offers many majors that can prepare you for specific health careers. We have a School of Nursing and a School of Pharmacy. The College of Health Sciences also offers degrees to launch you into careers in kinesiology, medical laboratory science, communications disorders and social work. If you are interested in a career as a chiropractor, dentist, physician (MD/DO/Podiatry), optometrist, physical therapist, or any medical profession outside of what our college offers, you can explore these options through our pre-health advising website.

ExploreHealthCareers.org is also a great place to explore what is out there in the healthcare world. Searching online for videos about health professions and national associations that support healthcare providers in their fields is a great way to get information.

A background check is a comprehensive report about your background that is designed, in part, to determine whether an individual has a criminal history. In 2005, the College of Health Sciences instituted a college-wide policy stating that any student applying for admission to any of the college’s programs would need to provide at least one background check. This policy was created in response to many educational and clinical settings that require a background check for individuals who intern or work at their facilities. You may be required to obtain more than one background check as you progress through your education. In addition, this is preparation for what you will face as a professional, since background checks are a normal part of life as a healthcare provider, allied health professional, or a professional in human services. Please consult your program for specific information, and do not be surprised if asked to do a drug screening or provide immunization records, as well. When your program asks you to complete a background check, click on the image on this page to get started.

NOTE: If there is something you know will show up in your background check that you feel may be an issue, please reach out to your academic advisor for direction.

Although this is a difficult concept to define, it often has to do with the way the general population believes a “professional” should appear or behave within any given field. Patients and clients must have confidence in their practitioners, but they may not if you do not look and act “the part.” Personal hygiene and a sense of confidence are definite musts. However, there is more to it than that. Take the time in college to develop professional skills as you prepare for a career in healthcare, also referred to as professional competencies. Many of the required experiential prerequisites for professional schools help students develop these professional competencies and learn what is expected of them in healthcare spaces.

Involvement and Opportunities

Most scholarships are awarded through our academic programs. Reach out to your major’s department to inquire about specific scholarships. Visit the Financial Aid and Scholarships page to find opportunities. Explore the links that fit your situation for more information and look for the WyoScholarships link. Check out this list of Pre-Professional Health Scholarships that you can access through WyoScholarships.

If you are a pre-health student, you can find information about College of Health Sciences and campus-wide clubs and organizations on the Student Organizations website by searching in Cowbell. If you can't find what you're looking for, you can start your own. For more information about organizations in your own field of study, see your major’s department or division website. For majors in divisions and department of the College of Health Sciences visit our home page.  

Opportunities for research can be found by visiting our High Value Opportunities page to learn about some great ways to get research experience. Join our pre-prof email list to stay informed about experiential learning and funding opportunities we often share with students. We also encourage you to talk to faculty, lab TAs, academic advisors, and fellow students to see what other opportunities may be available.

Check out our High Value Opportunities page! You can also see what other opportunities might be available for volunteering and community service through a Student Organization or the Student, Leadership, and Community Engagement Office (SLCE). You can also engage through various non-profit organizations in Laramie and beyond. A pre-health professions advisor would be happy to discuss any number of volunteer opportunities with you, based on your particular values and interests.

Shadowing professionals in an area of healthcare can help you determine if that field is right for you. Reaching out to ask for shadowing opportunities doesn’t have to be daunting. Download our Shadowing 101 sheet that provides a professional sample email, tips for preparing for shadowing, what to expect in an experience, and how to get the most out of your experience.

Always talk to a pre-health advisor if you have any questions or are experiencing challenges in gaining shadowing experience. Schedule an appointment or email your pre-health advisor. 

We try to keep our College of Health Sciences home page up to date with the latest about our programs. If you are in a College of Health Sciences program, you will automatically be added to our Health Sciences email list, where you can stay informed about various activities.

We recommend pre-health students join our pre-health email list for regular updates and information about opportunities. Also follow up on Instagram@prehealthuwyo.

Studying abroad or elsewhere within the U.S., whether it's for a summer, J-term, a whole semester, or year, can be a wonderful, enriching experience. Check out the opportunities available through the UWYO Abroad Office or National Student Exchange. If you are a pre-health professions student, please notify your advisor right away of your interest in studying abroad to talk about how to fit studying abroad around your goals. With careful planning, the UW Abroad Office can help you structure an experience to meet your needs; however, in some circumstances, it might mean that it will require additional time to obtain your degree.

Student Wellbeing

The Student Resources page at the Dean of Students website is a good place to find the information you need. If something does not seem right, but you don’t know exactly to whom to turn, please reach out to a trusted adult or older student on campus who can steer you in the right direction. These may include academic advisors, residence assistants, the University Counseling Center, or the Dean of Students Office.

If you are having emotional difficulties, are stressed out, or are just in need of someone to talk to, please go to the Counseling Center. They are warm and welcoming and will help you. This is a free service for UW students and a confidential resource. The Dean of Students Office helps with situations involving accessibility, sexual misconduct, violence, and student conduct.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Contact Us

College of Health Sciences
Pre-Health Advising Office
Health Sciences 110
University of Wyoming
Laramie, WY 82071
Phone: 307-766-3878
Email: hsadvise@uwyo.edu






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