Being Pre-Med at Whitman

Since I was 12, I knew I wanted to become a doctor. When I was deciding which college to go to I was interested in going to a private Liberal Arts college but being pre-med concerned me a little. I wasn’t sure if going to medical school was feasible if I went to a Liberal Arts school. However, I learned I would actually be considered a better candidate!

My first week at Whitman, I met up with the health advisor Kimberly Mueller and she helped me plan out my entire four years at Whitman. Since then we meet at least once a semester to make sure I am on track to graduate while fulfilling my pre-med requisites. 

Initially, I thought I would be majoring in Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology but as I started experiencing the courses Whitman had to offer, I ended up falling in love with the integration of arts and humanities in medicine. I decided to create my own major—Global Health—after taking classes like Anthropologies of Cancer, Cultural Politics of Science and Translation: Healthcare and Science as well as double major in Hispanic Studies. I was hesitant because I thought that I had to major in one of the science majors in order to get accepted to med school but that is not the case. Whitman prepares you to be a well-rounded individual and, personally, I think learning how different disciplines interact with a person’s overall health is a lot more important and will help me to serve patients more holistically.

I have also interned with a variety of organizations, thanks to the help I got at the Career and Community Engagement Center. Some include the Washington Alliance Immigrant Solidarity Network, Walla Walla SOS Health Services Clinic, and Seattle Children’s Research Institute.

Pre-med is definitely feasible at Whitman College and the staff and resources here have been able to support me every step of the way.

Katie Jose ’23 (she/her) is from San Diego, California and is double majoring in Global Health and Hispanic Studies. While at Whitman, she was able to get an internship in Granada, Spain while studying abroad!