Pre-Health | Luther College

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Get excellent preparation for a career in the health sciences.

Why Pursue Pre-Health Studies?

Are you thinking about becoming a doctor, physician’s assistant, veterinarian, optometrist, dentist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, or pharmacist? A pre-health studies program would be a good fit for you.

Pre-health studies provides challenging academic courses that give you a solid foundation of knowledge for professional school, whatever your major. You’ll also gain professional experiences that help you work in a team and with patients.

Why Pursue Pre-Health Studies at Luther?

With graduates in all health professions, Luther has a strong record of preparing students for careers in the health sciences. At Luther, you’ll find challenging courses, hands-on research opportunities, internships in healthcare, strong advising, and an education that draws connections among disciplines and to the larger world.

Our students strengthen their professional competencies through off-campus study, internships, work in clinical settings, and research.

Beyond pre-health courses, Luther’s liberal arts curriculum will help you grow as a person. Luther’s cross-disciplinary emphasis will equip you with strong communication skills to help you work effectively with teams and patients. You’ll also learn analytical and problem-solving skills and develop your ability to apply your knowledge in real-world settings.

Hands-on Learning

Apply your classroom knowledge to real-life settings. Get academic credit for health-career internships. Complete research alongside experienced faculty members. Gain insight into different career paths by shadowing professionals in their field. Give back and gain experience through service opportunities with the on-campus group Students Helping Our Community or the Decorah Free Clinic.

Health Sciences Club

Pre-health students enjoy the Health Sciences Club as a way to connect, learn about different career paths, and gain valuable perspectives. Join to hear professional panels and take part in various workshops.

Facilities

As you learn and grow in your abilities, you’ll have access to ample laboratory space and an impressive array of instruments for instruction and research. Study human anatomy through cadaver dissection in the Human Anatomy Laboratory. Our nursing simulation lab will prepare you to join the front lines of patient care.

student using a microscope to examine a specimen

Pre-Med

two athletic trainers assist two students with physical therapy exercises

Pre-Physical Therapy

an long-haired, orange cat on a table looks toward the camera

Pre-Veterinary Medicine

a male student wearing a gloves, goggles and mask, puts a solution into a beaker

Pre-Pharmacy

a female student with a mask looks up from a computer in a lab classroom

Pre-Dentistry

a student intern uses optometry equipment to examine a patient

Pre-Optometry

White man wearing swim cap with goggles, plus a stethoscope

The Luther biology major equips you with the knowledge and skills you need to get into medical school, from introduction to biology to advanced classes like human anatomy and dissection.

Matt Benson '22

BIOLOGY MAJOR, SWIM & DIVE TEAM CAPTAIN

Read Matt's story

Luther prepared me exceptionally well for life as a medical student and physician. My biology and chemistry courses built a solid foundation of knowledge that equipped me for the rigors of medical school.

McKenna Campbell-Potter '16

CHEMISTRY & BIOLOGY MAJOR

Learn more about McKenna

Careers and Outcomes

Recent Luther alumni have gone on to a variety of health-related professional programs in top-tier schools throughout the United States.

Professional Programs

Chiropractic medicine
Clinical lab science
Cytotechnology
Dentistry
Genetic counseling
Health psychology
Human anatomy
Medical lab sciences
Medicine
Nuclear medicine technology
Optometry
Osteopathic medicine
Prefusion technology
Pharmacology
Pharmacy
Physician assistant
Physical therapy
Podiatry
Veterinary medicine

Professional Schools

University of Minnesota
University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Iowa
Iowa State University
Des Moines University
Mercy College of Health
A.T. Still University
Creighton University
University of Colorado
Duke University
University of Michigan
Indiana University
University of South Florida
Mayo Medical School
Loyola University

Gene Expression and Function

Luther students and faculty used C. elegans (a type of worm) to investigate the expression and function of a family of genes. Their research examined how stress impacts gene expression and how reduced expression impacts an organism’s development. Their findings can help to explain how human diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s form.

Read the story