Notre Dame students wanting to prepare for medical school while simultaneously majoring in an additional area of interest — from Africana studies to theology — have an extraordinary option: the Arts & Letters pre-health supplementary major.
That’s the path that Colin Stoll ’22 and Olivia Hsin ’24 chose. In addition to being a pre-health supplementary major, Stoll majored in psychology. Hsin is majoring in film, television, and theatre.
“A huge benefit of being in Arts & Letters is having a more diverse schedule,” Hsin said. “You can really design it toward what you’re interested in.”
A&L pre-health supplementary majors take all the prerequisite courses to prepare for medical school or a career in other health professions — including Organic Chemistry, Physics and Calculus — while still having flexibility in their schedules to delve into other academic areas that intrigue them.
“I actually think that being in a different major makes you a better physician,” Hsin said. “You’re going to learn how to communicate with different people and that’s what’s most important.”
Stoll, who now attends UMass Chan Medical School, liked examining broader questions about life, which shaped him as a person and future doctor.
“Being in the College of Arts & Letters,” he said, “also allows you to explore what other factors go into being a physician than just treating a person for their physical ailments.”
“I actually think that being in a different major makes you a better physician. You’re going to learn how to communicate with different people and that’s what’s most important.”
