Pre-Health Tracks at UT Austin
Select your track to see a custom roadmap: required courses, recommended activities, key experiences, and more.
Pre-Medicine
MD / DO
Prepare for medical school admission. UT Austin feeds directly into Dell Medical School and top MD/DO programs nationwide.
Avg GPA
~3.73 avg
AAMC 2024
Experience
700â1,500+ total clinical hrs
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Pre-Dentistry
DDS / DMD
Prepare for dental school. Strong DAT scores and hands-on dental experience are key differentiators.
Avg GPA
~3.67 avg
ADEA 2024
Experience
100+ dental shadowing hrs
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Pre-Pharmacy
PharmD
Prepare for pharmacy school. Texas has strong PharmD programs at UT, UH, and TTU.
Avg GPA
~3.37 avg
PharmCAS 2024
Experience
Observation hrs required (varies)
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Pre-Nursing
BSN / MSN / DNP
Prepare for nursing school. UT Austin School of Nursing is one of the top programs in Texas.
Avg GPA
3.2â3.5
competitive
Experience
Varies by program
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Pre-Physician Assistant
MPAS / MHS
Prepare for PA school. PAs are among the fastest-growing healthcare professions with flexible specialization.
Avg GPA
~3.6 avg
CASPA 2024
Experience
~2,700 direct care hrs avg
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Pre-Optometry
OD
Prepare for optometry school. The University of the Incarnate Word and UHCO are major Texas programs.
Avg GPA
~3.57 avg
ASCO 2025
Experience
100+ optometry obs hrs
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Pre-Veterinary
DVM
Prepare for veterinary medicine. Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine is the flagship Texas DVM program. Note: Animal Nutrition (required by TTU-SVM) is not offered at UT Austin â plan to take it at a community college or through a summer program.
Avg GPA
3.5â3.7
school-specific
Experience
300â1,000+ animal experience hrs
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Pre-Physical Therapy
DPT
Prepare for physical therapy doctoral programs. Observation hours in diverse PT settings are critical.
Avg GPA
~3.55 avg
PTCAS
Experience
40â150+ obs hrs
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Pre-Occupational Therapy
MOT / OTD
Prepare for OT programs. OTs help patients regain independence across physical, cognitive, and mental health domains.
Avg GPA
~3.5 avg
Experience
40+ observation hrs
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Pre-Public Health
MPH / DrPH
Prepare for public health graduate programs. UTHealth Houston School of Public Health has a regional campus in Austin, and Austin Public Health offers direct internship experience.
Avg GPA
3.0â3.5
varies widely
Experience
Varies widely
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Pre-Podiatry
DPM
Prepare for podiatric medicine. Often overlooked, podiatry offers a surgical specialty with strong job security.
Avg GPA
~3.4 avg
AACPM 2024
Experience
100+ podiatry obs hrs
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Pre-Chiropractic
DC
Prepare for chiropractic college. Texas Chiropractic College in Pasadena is the primary in-state option.
Avg GPA
~3.15â3.3 avg
Experience
100+ observation hrs
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