Health Professions...Brace yourself Pursuing a career in any medical field is intense. You need all the right courses, great grades and the right experiences to prepare you for graduate

College of Human Sciences

Health ProfessionsPrepare to excel in medical school or another professional health program.

“As I prepare for medical school, the combination of coursework and opportunities to do hands-on procedural work — such as working in a research lab or participating in classes like Principles of Fitness Assessment and Exercise Prescription — has been a huge plus.”—Safwan Elkhatib Kinesiology and Health

Is Human Sciences the right choice for you?Today’s cutting-edge medical professionals and researchers understand that healthy eating and regular physical activity are vital for disease prevention and helping people thrive. No wonder so many successful health professionals get their start as Kinesiology and Health or Nutritional Science majors at Iowa State University.

A student from any major can be accepted into a health-related graduate professional school, as long as they are appropriately prepared. Iowa State University’s Kinesiology and Health and Nutritional Science programs share exceptional reputations for ensuring students are prepared to excel in advanced health studies. After all, if you want to improve people’s health, it makes sense to study a human science.

Studying the workings of the human body and the contributions of good nutrition to health builds an excellent foundation for health-related graduate-level professional school. Our academic advisers are experts at assisting students in selecting appropriate courses, finding relevant work or volunteer experience, and connecting with professionals in the field. Graduates of our programs go on to attend:

• medical schools

• physician assistant programs

“I plan on going to pharmacy school. Most of the prerequisites are already in my course of study, which makes planning easier.”

—Tolu Awokoya Nutritional Science

• physical therapy and occupational therapy graduate programs

• dental, optometry, chiropractic, and pharmacy schools

Brace yourselfPursuing a career in any medical field is intense. You need all the right courses, great grades and the right experiences to prepare you for graduate professional programs. Medical careers are not for everyone, but if your ability is high, your self-discipline is strong, and you are ready for the time and dedication a medical career will require — then go for it!

Choose a major

Seek a major that excites you and equips you with high-demand skills that you can use regardless of whether you choose to pursue further medical study. You can draw from countless aspects of kinesiology or nutrition to help people become and stay healthy.

• Kinesiology graduates pursue careers in fitness, health, and wellness, as well as graduate programs in medicine. If you are intrigued by the ways physical activity can impact health and human diseases, then the Kinesiology and Health major might be right for you.

• If exploring the role that diet plays in the cause, treatment, and prevention of disease stirs your curiosity, then consider the Nutritional Science major. Nutritional Science graduates seek to understand the connection between food and health, as well as the effect of various nutrients on diseases.

With either choice, you have a top-notch human sciences program in a university known for science and technology and a college acclaimed for advancing science to improve people’s lives.

Difficult to choose? Consider setting yourself apart by majoring in one and minoring in the other.

Lead

Demonstrate your willingness to volunteer for the greater good. Hone your leadership skills as a peer mentor, student ambassador, teaching assistant, or research assistant. Get involved in campus organizations, such as:

Connect with faculty

Join the Honors Program. Land a Rosenfeld internship. Assist world-renowned faculty as they conduct research on the forefront of health and wellness, in areas such as:

Get clinical

Job shadow a physician or physician’s assistant. Work as a nursing assistant or emergency medical technician so you can gain experience in the healthcare field. Clinical experience — time spent actively observing or working in a medical setting — is not just recommended, but required for entry into many graduate health programs. Recommendations or requirements for clinical hours can vary widely. Our advisers can help you determine what you will need to reach your unique goals.

• physical therapy and occupational therapy graduate programs

• dental, optometry, chiropractic, and pharmacy schools

> Alliance for Health and Fitness Professionals> Body Image and Eating Disorder Awareness> Cy’s Gluten Free Friends> Diabetes Education Club> ExerCYse is Medicine> Health Promotion Club> Kinesiology and Health Club

> Pre-Dental Club> Pre-Occupational Therapy Club> Pre-Optometry Club> Pre-Physical Therapy Club > Pre-Physician Assistant Club> Pre-Medical Professions Club> Pre-Pharmacy Club

> Alzheimer’s disease> Cancer prevention> Cardiovascular disease> Exercise> Immunology

> Metabolism> Parkinson’s disease> Physical motor control> Pregnancy and health> And much more...

“My program’s preventative care ideology prepares me for the next level of education. It’s not enough to identify a disease or illness and care for it. It’s just as important to prevent it from returning — and prevent the contraction of other diseases and illnesses.”—Molly Goltz Kinesiology and Health

“Iowa State offers hands-on research opportunities targeting future biomedical scientists. Faculty members challenge students, empowering us to explore innovative ideas and their real-world applications, gearing students to expand human potential.”—Joe Webb Nutritional Science

“If I had majored in anything else, I would have studied many of the same fundamental sciences, but I would have missed out on countless opportunities to apply that knowledge to the human body.”—Andria Knutson Kinesiology and Health

Iowa State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, ethnicity, religion, national origin, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. veteran. Inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies may be directed to Office of Equal Opportunity, 3350 Beardshear Hall, 515 Morrill Road, Ames, Iowa 50011, 515-294-7612, email [email protected] of Human Sciences

College of Human Sciences

Iowa State University118 MacKay Hall2302 Osborn DriveAmes, IA 50011-1078Phone: 515 294-7838Toll free: 800 522-0683Email: [email protected]: hs.iastate.edu

“Nutritional Science plays a crucial part in our health, but it’s an area that isn’t emphasized enough in medical school, so this is an amazing opportunity.”—Lulu Johnson Nutritional Science

Reach outThink globally. Enhance your cultural understanding by working with the diverse community that makes up Iowa State or look abroad for opportunities. Iowa State offers short-term and semester-long study abroad programs to help you learn new perspectives about health and the varied needs of populations around the world. Even if you choose to stay in Ames, our faculty members will bring diversity and international perspectives to your classroom learning through their research and collaborations with scholars and institutions abroad.

Network with health professionals. Take advantage of speaker panels and career events. Collaborate with our career services staff to research career possibilities, draft resumes and personal statements, prepare for graduate or professional school interviews, and connect with potential clinical experience providers.