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PROGRAMS / COURSE DESCRIPTION
MEDICAL AND HEALTH PROFESSIONS
Common lower division course requirements for most
Occupational Therapy Assistant programs:
BIOL 211, 231
The following California Community colleges offer
Associate degrees in Occupational Therapy Assistant:
• Santa Ana Community College
www.sac.edu
• Grossmont Community College
www.grossmont.edu
• Sacramento City College
www.scc.losrios.edu
Pre-Optometry (O.D.)
Optometry is a health care profession that focuses on
the prevention and remediation of disorders of the vision
system. Optometrists examine, diagnose and treat eye
diseases, determine appropriate prescriptions for
glasses and contacts, and handle the overall eye care of
a patient.
Entrance into the Doctor of Optometry degree
completion of a minimum of 90 units of which 20 must
be from a four-year university.
Because admission has become increasingly more
difficult, having completed the equivalent of a bachelor’s
degree is now imperative for the two California Schools
of Optometry. While many successful applicants major
in one of the natural sciences, a science major is NOT
required for admission to optometry schools. Besides
the bachelor’s degree being important, a high score on
the Optometry Admission Test (OAT) and a high GPA is
recommended for preliminary screening. The average
cumulative GPA for accepted students to U.S.
optometry schools ranges from a 3.0 to 3.7.
Common lower division course requirements for most
schools of optometry:
BIOL 201, 202, 221; CHEM 201, 202, 206 or 281; ENGL
101, 102 or 104; MATH 120, 226; PHYS 221, 222; PSY
101, 110 or PSY 204 or PSY 213
University of California, Berkeley also requires the
additional courses: CHEM 282; MATH 227; ENGL 245
or ENGL 246
The following California schools offer programs leading
to a Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) degree:
• Southern California College of Optometry, Fullerton
www.scco.edu
• University of California, Berkeley
http://optometry.berkeley.edu/
For more information on schools of optometry, visit:
www.opted.org
Pre-Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) (also see Medicine)
A Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) diagnoses and
treats diseases and injuries of the human body, relying
upon accepted medical and surgical modalities. The
emphasis of osteopathic medicine is holistic medicine.
While many successful applicants major in one of the
natural sciences, a science major is NOT required for
admission to osteopathic medical school. Entrance into
the intense four-year program is based on a minimum
requirement of 90 semester units or 3/4 toward a
bachelor’s degree, a high score on the Medical College
Admissions Test (MCAT), and a high GPA. The average
GPA for accepted students to U.S. osteopathic medical
schools is a 3.35.
Common lower division course requirements for most
osteopathic medical schools:
BIOL 201, 202; CHEM 201, 202, 281, 282; ENGL 101,
102 or 104; PHYS 221, 222; MATH 226, 227
Highly recommended courses: BIOL 221; MATH 120.
Courses in the Social Sciences, Humanities, Languages,
and computer skills are also recommended: PSYC 101 or
SOC 101 or ANTH 102; SPAN 101, 102; CIS 101; PHIL
101
The following California schools offer programs leading
to a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree:
• Western University of Health Science
www.westernu.edu
• Tuoro University College of Osteopathic Medicine-
California
http://www.tu.edu/
For more information on osteopathic medical programs,
visit: www.aacom.org.
Pre-Pharmacy (Pharm. D.)
A pharmacist compounds and dispenses prescribed
medications, drugs, and other pharmaceuticals for
patient care, closely following professional standards
and state and federal legal requirements.
Admission to schools of pharmacy is highly competitive.
Schools of Pharmacy offering the Doctor of Pharmacy
generally require the completion of a minimum of 60
semester units of pre-pharmacy coursework. Most
students who are admitted into pharmacy schools have
a bachelor’s degree; therefore, a bachelor’s degree is
highly recommended. Since requirements for pharmacy
school places emphasis on biology and chemistry, most
students choose to pursue a bachelor’s degree in
biology or chemistry. While many successful applicants
major in one of the natural sciences, a science major is
NOT required for admission to medical school. The
260 2012-2013 Victor Valley College Catalog