Pre-Health Sciences Pathways Programs

Why should I take a pre-health program?
The Pre-Health Sciences programs are ideal for students that wish to apply to a health-related program but may presently be lacking pre-requisite credits, a sufficient GPA for admission, or are simply not ready to pursue vocational study at this time.  Pre-Health Sciences is a two-semester certificate program that provides students with a strong foundation in math, biology, chemistry, physics, and communications needed to be successful in a wide variety of health programs.

To best suit your educational goals, there are two streams of the Pre-Health Sciences program. 

  • Pre-Health Sciences – Pathway to Certificates and Diplomas (340) is best suited for students that wish to apply to RPN or other college diploma programs in the health field. 
  • Pre-Health Sciences – Pathway to Advanced Diplomas and Degrees (339) is best suited for students that wish to maintain eligibility to apply to a four-year degree program, such as the Mohawk-McMaster Collaborative BScN program.

 

What do I do if I fail a course?
You may re-take a failed or withdrawn course during the next semester that course is available.  Speak to your program coordinator to make a plan to re-take missed courses.

If you are in the Pathway to Advanced Diplomas and Degrees stream and you intend to apply to the collaborative Mohawk-McMaster Bachelor of Nursing program, you must complete all of your Pre-Health courses within 12 months of the start of your nursing program.  This means that any failed or withdrawn courses will make you ineligible for that program unless you re-take the entire Pre-Health program.

 

Can I use my university credits towards my program applications?
Some programs will include credits from college, university, and high school together to produce a combined applicant profile.  However, the Mohawk-McMaster collaborative Bachelor of Nursing program will only consider credits from college if no university credits have been earned.  A single university credit, regardless of the subject, will mean that the applicant is considered a university applicant, and college grades of any kind will no longer be considered.

 

Is there an advantage to taking Pre-Health Sciences Pathway to advanced diplomas and degrees to gain entry into a 2-year diploma program? Would this be considered a more competitive applicant?
While admissions procedures can vary across institutions, there is no universal benefit to taking the Pre-Health Sciences Pathway to Advanced Diplomas and Degrees (339) if Pre-Health Sciences Pathway to Certificates and Diplomas (340) will be sufficient for admission to a given program.  At Mohawk specifically, there is no favourable admission status granted to applications from 339 over qualified applicants from 340.  However, program 339 does maintain eligibility for university degree programs, such as bachelor of nursing programs, and as such may be beneficial to maintain eligibility if university studies are of interest to you.

 

What programs at Mohawk College can I apply to from pre-health sciences (both programs)?
The following lists are for Mohawk-related programs only, and are not designed to be exhaustive.  These lists do not imply that you would be ineligible for any programs that are not listed.

 

If I take the Pre-Health Sciences Pathway to advanced diplomas and degrees, can I get into Medical Radiation Sciences collaborative Mohawk/ McMaster program?
No, college programs cannot be used as a pathway to the Mohawk-McMaster Medical Radiation Sciences program.

 

Will I be eligible for health sciences programs at other colleges/universities if I take pre-health at Mohawk?
Eligibility to programs outside of Mohawk and our formal admission agreements are entirely at the discretion of the receiving institution.  Students intending to apply to programs outside of Mohawk should inquire with that institution’s admissions staff to determine eligibility.  If information is needed by the outside institution to evaluate our program, if can be provided by the program coordinator (Joel St Pierre, joel.st-pierre [at] mohawkcollege.ca (joel[dot]st-pierre[at]mohawkcollege[dot]ca) ext. 3071).

 

How many seats in health sciences are allocated for pre-health students?
Admissions to health sciences programs at Mohawk are fully merit-based, and seats will not be reserved specifically for Pre-Health students.  However, Pre-Health students are fully eligible for admission into any of the programs listed above with competitive qualifications.

 

What degree program opportunities exist for pre-health students?
Pre-Health Pathway to Advanced Diplomas and Degrees provides a broad foundation in maths and sciences, they may be helpful in accessing a number of university programs in science, technology, engineering, and math.  Eligibility will vary by program, and it is the responsibility of the student to research these opportunities. 

In addition, a number of specific agreements exist for pre-health students to access university programs.

 

How competitive is the pathway to BScN (nursing)?
Nursing programs, both BScN and RPN, are highly competitive, and class sizes are limited by the availability of work experience placements.  As such, admissions are highly competitive, and fluctuate with each admission cycle based on the number of qualified applicants received.  Typically, we suggest that students target an overall grade-point-average of mid-to-high 80’s to have a good change at admissions into these programs.  To achieve your best results please be sure to take advantage of the learning resources provided by the college.

 

If I complete a pre-health program and choose not to pursue health sciences, are there other diploma completion opportunities?
The Pre-Health Sciences program provides a solid foundation in math, science, and communications.  As such it can be a useful launching point into many career fields. 

Students interested in pursuing a degree in the social sciences or humanities may complete the second year of the General Arts and Sciences program and then may be eligible to transfer with advanced standing into degree programs at select universities, including McMaster.

 

Why doesn’t Mohawk College’s pre-health programs have any labs?
The purpose of the Pre-Health Science program is to teach the fundamental concepts needed by applicants to a wide variety of health-related programs.  The vocational programs that follow are specialized to develop applied skills.

 

Can pre-health courses be used for exemptions in health science programs?
Exemptions using credits from preparatory programs are rare, and advanced standing is not the goal of preparatory study. However, there are specific cases in which transfer credits or exemptions may be granted. The most common example of this is the use of Pre-Health Sciences credits for exemption from general education electives. To evaluate your eligibility for credit transfer, bring your Mohawk transcript and all course outlines to the credit transfer office at the institution delivering your next program.