Although future doctors and lawyers can’t finish their education at Iowa State, there are plenty of opportunities for them to learn while they are here.

Beverly Madden, director of career planning and placement services, said it is impossible to count the number of students in programs that will need additional schooling, such as pre-law, pre-med or pre-physical therapy. It is also difficult to pinpoint the number of programs Iowa State offers students in pre-professional majors, she said.

“There are many career paths that will require additional degrees,” Madden said. “Iowa is fortunate to have three Regents institutions and we want to compliment each other, not duplicate. University of Iowa has a medical school, and we have the College of Veterinary Medicine.”

Jennifer Owens, an academic adviser for liberal arts and sciences, works primarily with pre-med students.

She said there are about 500 students who are pre-med, but many will change their minds.

“We have about 75 to 100 apply to medical school each year,” Owens said.

Owens said it is important for students who plan to go to medical school to do well in their classes.

“Schools look for a 3.5 GPA or above most often,” she said. “But it is also important to get experience in a hospital or do a research internship. They will want to know what else the student has done.”

Owens said ISU students have historically beaten the average score on entrance tests to medical schools, such as the MCAT, DAT and PCAT.

There are various reasons why students in pre-professional programs not offered here still decide to attend Iowa State.

Nick Borsdorf, sophomore in exercise and sports science, plans to pursue a career in physical therapy.

Borsdorf looked at other schools, mainly in Wisconsin and Illinois, before deciding on Iowa State. He said he felt more comfortable at Iowa State than any other school.

“Some schools seemed too close to home,” he said. “I come from a small town, so the size of the town was also a factor. Milwaukee was a little intimidating. Iowa State definitely felt more comfortable and I thought that would be a factor in how well I did at the school.”

Borsdorf said he is taking a wide variety of classes to help him decide what career path to take.

He said he plans to start out in his career field with a bachelor’s degree after finishing four years at Iowa State, but would possibly attend University of Iowa or Marquette for further schooling.

Aaron Knapper, sophomore, said he decided to major in biology last year after making the decision that it would be good preparation for medical school.

However, he said that is not the only possible major for pre-med students.

“I’ve been told you can major in anything as long as you take the courses required for admission,” he said.

Knapper was concerned at first that attending Iowa State would put him at a disadvantage when compared with people who went to a college with a medical school.

“I visited Iowa State and talked with a couple advisers, and I was assured that it wouldn’t be a problem,” he said. “I also liked the Iowa State campus and the fact that it is a little closer to home than the University of Iowa. Then I received a scholarship from Iowa State and that made the decision quite a bit easier.”

Knapper is in the Honors Program and has also chosen to minor in economics.

“I’ve taken general and organic chemistry, calculus, physics, economics, some English and history and a whole lot of biology,” Knapper said. He said he plans to attend medical school, possibly at the University of Iowa, after finishing his four years at Iowa State.

There are also clubs and organizations available to students in pre-professional programs.

Bruce Allen, an academic adviser for liberal arts and sciences, is the adviser of the ISU pre-law club.

“I help students prepare for the LSAT and help them apply to law school,” he said. “I also teach a pre-law orientation class for freshman.”

Allen has advised students interested in going to law school to research law schools as much as possible. He said there are about 200 students recognized in the pre-law program.