Health-Related Electives to Consider for Pre-Health Students

Health-Related Electives to Consider for Pre-Health Students:

No matter what your major is at MSU, everyone must take at least a few electives in order to graduate. Here are some options for electives that are healthcare related and may be helpful and interesting as you prepare for a career in medicine!

Medical Ethics Courses: These courses can help you understand important, debated topics and logistical issues in medicine. 

• PHL 344 - Ethical Issues in Healthcare

This class looks at a variety of ethical issues related to healthcare such as end of life care, informed consent, resource allocation, reproductive issues and justice and health disparities.

*I personally took this class and really enjoyed it! I learned a lot of new information about the medical field from a different perspective.

• LB 240 - Bioethics: Theories and Methods (Summer only)

This class looks at various theories and methods in bioethics. Some key topics covered include aging, cultural diversity and health care policy. 

• SOC 475 - Health and Society

This class looks at health disparities related to race-ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender and family. Organizations, professions and institutions of health care, medical standards and evidence, and global public health.

• PHL 453 - Ethical Issues in Global Public Health (Spring only)

Ethical issues about public health from a global perspective. Health and illness in the context of development, poverty, technological change, resource conflicts, the distribution of power, and social violence. Values and policy issues regarding resources, environment, and the distribution and quality of health care. 

 

Psychology: These courses can be a nice break from rigorous science courses and they are often interesting.

• PSY 280 - Abnormal Psychology

This class looks at characteristics and treatment models of various psychological disorders.

*I personally took this class and found it to be super interesting!

• PSY 209 - Brain and Behavior

This class looks at structure and function of the nervous system and how this biologically relates to behavior.

*I personally took this class and enjoyed it as well as found it helpful in preparing me for nervous system related anatomy concepts!

• PSY 320 - Health Psychology

This class looks at social, psychological, and biological factors affecting health, illness, and use of health services. Stress and coping processes, lifestyles, and illness management.

 

Business: These courses are a great option if you hope or plan to own your own practice some day.

• ACC 230 - Survey of Accounting Principles

This class is designed for non-business majors and covers basic concepts in financial and managerial accounting.

• FI 320 - Introduction to Finance

This class is also designed for non-business majors and covers an overview of finance. Concepts include stocks, bonds, mutual funds, financial statement analysis, capital budgeting and financial planning.

• LB 268 - The Business of Medicine (Summer only)

This course goes over introductory theories, concepts, and processes for policy, organization, and administration in health care. 

• MGT 325 - Management Skills

This class goes over managerial skills and processes in goal-directed institutions.

• EC 201/EC 202 - Introduction to Microeconomics/ Introduction to Macroeconomics

201: Economic institutions, reasoning & analysis. Consumption, production, determination of price & quantity in different markets. Income distribution, market structure & normative analysis.

202: Determinants of Gross National Product, unemployment, inflation & economic growth. National income accounting & fiscal policy. Aggregate demand, supply management & monetary policy.

 

Anthropology: These courses are also in the realm of social science like psychology. They can be particularly interesting and help you to gain new perspectives.

• ANP 204 - Introduction to Medical Anthropology

This class goes over concepts, methods and theoretical approaches of the field of medical anthropology.

• ANP 206 - Introduction to Physical Anthropology

This class looks at Problems, data, and methods of physical anthropology. Human genetics, hominid evolution, primate studies, human osteology, and human diversity.

• ANP 270 - Women and Health: Anthropological and International Perspectives (Summer and Fall) 

Cross-cultural perspectives on the health implications of differing life circumstances for women. Women as health-care consumers & providers. Health & women's life cycles.

• ANP 370 - Culture, Health and Illness

This class looks at cross-cultural perspectives on the definition and treatment of illness. 

• ANP 441 - Osteology and Forensic Anthropology (Spring only)

This class includes analysis of human bone & skeletal biology, methods of forensic anthropology and analysis of skeletal remains & forensic pathology. 

 

Miscellaneous: These classes do not fit into a neat category but are still healthcare related!

• ENT 460 - Medical Entomology (Spring only)

This class covers Transmission & management of infectious diseases involving insects & acarines

• HST 425 - American and European Healthcare since 1800 (Summer and Fall only)

This class covers social and cultural transformation in health care delivery since 1800, primarily in North America and western Europe. Therapeutic revolutions. Medical education and professionalization. Social and alternative medicine. Managed care.

 

This list is not exhaustive, and there are many more electives to choose from at MSU (both healthcare related and not). However, this is a good place to start! 

For more health-related electives and descriptions, visit: https://natsci.msu.edu/academics/prehealth/explore/health-related-elective-courses/ 

Business electives information for non-business majors: https://broad.msu.edu/undergraduate/advising/major-changes/ 

 

By Mikayla