2008-2009 Catalog - Virginia Wesleyan College

48 CAREERShat kind of job can I get with a major in“WFrench?” “If I want to be a lawyer, whatmajor is appropriate?’’ “What kinds of careers areavailable working with children?” “What is the correctadmission test for entering a graduate business school?”These are just a sampling of the kinds of questions studentshave while in college. The efforts of the Career ServicesCenter at Virginia Wesleyan College are devoted to helping.Students decide on a college major and career, gainexperience while a student, search for employment and/orapply to graduate school. Following are some of theprograms and services that are offered.INDIVIDUAL APPOINTMENTS: Career counselingis available on an individual basis, to discuss the student’smajor, career, job search and graduate school concerns.Interest inventories are available to help students identifycareer and major options.CAREER RESOURCES: Makes available a library andcomprehensive website with specific self-assessment,occupational, graduate school, internship, and job searchinformation. Copies of selected publications are available,free of charge.WORKSHOPS: Offered numerous times throughout theyear. Topics include: Choosing a Major; Job SearchStrategies; Resume Writing and Job Search Correspondence;Business and Social Etiquette; Choosing andApplying to Graduate School, and Interviewing Skills,including videotapes of practice interviews.EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING: Students may open thedoor for employment after graduation by participating ininternships and shadowing externships while in school.Through these learning experiences, students gain exposureto fields of interest, relevant work skills, and professionalcontacts. Career Services advises students on locating andestablishing an experience to meet individual needs.Listings are maintained by the office. Many major areas ofstudy at Virginia Wesleyan provide students with theopportunity to participate in an internship for credit duringthe junior or senior year. Check with each academicdepartment to learn about their criteria for completing acredit bearing internship.JOB SEARCH ASSISTANCE: Part-time, summer, andfull-time job leads and internships are provided to studentsthrough job fairs, networking events, listings of currentopenings on the Career Services Center website,employment activities on campus, and Resume Referral.Virginia Wesleyan College is an active participant in Career15, sponsored by the Virginia Foundation for IndependentColleges. Through this program, seniors may interviewwith selected Fortune 500 companies.While Virginia Wesleyan offers a significant number ofcareer preparation possibilities, the majority of the College’smajors are not designed as instruments of “technicaltraining” for specific jobs. Rather, students are expected toCAREERSacquire and to develop abilities in written and oralcommunication, research, critical thinking and decisionmaking which provide the flexibility that will prepare themto cope with a world of constant change.Pre-ProfessionalInformationMedicine, Dentistry, and Veterinary Medicine:Students who wish to pursue careers in these fields mustmeet the admissions requirements for the professionalschool of their choice. Those standards include interest ingrades, relevant co-curricular activities and appropriateinternships, externships, and research. At VWC, the Pre-Professional Committee assists in the application process byproviding guidance to students and by conductinginterviews with students during the fall semester of thesenior year. In addition, the Pre-Professional Club is astudent-run organization that sponsors a variety of activitiesincluding seminars by professionals from various fields,campus visits and meetings with admissions officials frompre-professional programs, and student volunteer activities.The club meets at least twice each semester. Students whohave an interest in pursuing a career in dentistry, medicine,or veterinary medicine are encouraged to consult with Dr.Victor R. Townsend, Jr.Medical School: Students applying for medical schoolare expected to have gained a broad exposure to medicineprior to the submission of their application. Students arealso expected to attain a satisfactory score on the medicalschool admissions test (MCAT) and to complete thefollowing courses: General Biology, 2 semesters (BIO 131,BIO 132); General Chemistry, 2 semesters (CHEM 117,CHEM 118); Organic Chemistry, 2 semesters (CHEM 311,CHEM 321, CHEM 312, CHEM 322); and Physics, 2semesters (PHYS 215 and PHYS 216 or PHYS 221 andPHYS 222). It is also strongly recommended that studentscomplete the following courses: Human Anatomy andPhysiology (BIO 221); Comparative Anatomy (BIO 372);Histology (BIO 371); Biochemistry (CHEM 437); andEthics and Health Care (PHIL 221/321). These additionalcourses are not required but may have a major effect upona student’s success on the MCAT.Dental School: Students applying for dental school areexpected to attain a satisfactory score on the dental schooladmissions test (DAT) and to complete the followingcourses: General Biology, 2 semesters (BIO 131, BIO 132);General Chemistry, 2 semesters (CHEM 117, CHEM 118);Organic Chemistry, 2 semesters (CHEM 311, CHEM 321,CHEM 312, CHEM 322); and Physics, 2 semesters (PHYS215 and PHYS 216 or PHYS 221 and PHYS 222). Somedental schools may also require additional courses inbiochemistry, psychology, and English.