Overview
The Health Sciences concentration features a STEM- and biomedical-focused curriculum with an expanding range of courses that prepares students in clinical healthcare, human health and disease, immunology, applied anatomy, integrated physiology, pathology, and cultural knowledge. These courses build upon the strong foundation in biology, chemistry, physics, and calculus provided by theBachelor of Science in Natural Science core. The capstone experience is intentionally designed to accommodate the significant clinical hours required for application to health professional graduate schools while exposing students to biomedical research.
Upon completion of the BSNS with a Health Sciences concentration, students will demonstrate competency in laboratory techniques, CPR/AED/First Aid, bloodborne pathogen safety, and foundational triage skills. The concentration also offers a clinical cognate that provides students hands-on experience in patient care, simulated medical procedures, and healthcare privacy protocol aligned withHIPAA requirements. Through problem-based learning, students develop professional communication, effective teamwork, cultural competence, and critical thinking skills essential for healthcare environments. Graduates are well prepared for advanced study or careers in areas such as research assistant, pharmaceutical sales, government employee, clinical lab assistant, health education, health and wellness, and school health programs.
Students within the BSNS-Health Sciences have the opportunity to participate in health-related student organizations, undergraduate research, and practicum or internship experiences with UH West O‘ahu and UH System faculty and community partners.
Students can choose to specialize in one of several plans of study including:
- Pre-Physicians assistant
- Pre-Pharmacy
- Pre-Medicine
Specializations, or tracks, allow the student to follow a clear career path and fulfill potential prerequisites necessary for graduate and/or professional school in medicine and health sciences. Each track aligns with prerequisite coursework for professional programs and provides a structured pathway toward career goals. The Pre-Medicine track prepares students for medical school admission, including prerequisite coursweork aligned with exams such as the MCAT. The Pre-Physician Assistant track focuses on preparation for PA programs and careers in patient-centered care under a physician’s or surgeon’s direction. The Pre-Pharmacy track includes all prerequisites required for Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) programs and offers an optional pathway to the UH Hilo Pre-Pharmacy Preferred Admissions (PPA) Pathway. The programs provide tailored academic advising and pre-health mentoring to help students meet admission requirements for medical, dental, PA, pharmacy, and other health professional schools. Across all tracks, the curriculum emphasizes scientific rigor, ethics, research methods, biostatistics, and behavioral sciences to ensure students are competitive applicants and well prepared for the demands of health profession training. The program curriculum goes beyond the minimum requirements to prepare students for the rigors of a professional program across any of the biomedical health sciences and graduates are prepared for entry-level career opportunities in healthcare and health-related services or for entry into graduate and professional programs.