Pre-Professional Programs

Position Yourself for Success in Some of the Most In-Demand Healthcare Careers

Are you interested in a career in dentistry, medicine, veterinary medicine, or pharmacy? Keuka College can help you get there. 

As a Keuka College student interested in attending graduate school for one of these disciplines, you'll work with your pre-professional advisor to determine the best major (usually biology with a concentration in biomedical biology) for you.

Your advisor will also work with you one-on-one to select the best possible Field Period® experiences that will help you get into your graduate program of choice.

Felicia Lenzo, a biology degree graduate, looks through a microscope

Real-World, Hands-On Experience

Real-world, hands-on experience is an important part of your pre-professional degree. 

The Keuka College Field Period® gives you the chance to have four separate internships, starting your freshman year.

This means you can explore different career options and decide which one is the best career for you.

Learn More

Program Overview

As a pre-professional student at Keuka College, you'll be part of a unique program designed to help ensure you are an attractive candidate for graduate study in your field of choice.

Pre-professional is not a separate major, but a custom-tailored advising sequence that compliments your chosen major with intentionally selected Field Period®, research, and extracurricular activities and opportunities. 

Your academic advisor will assist you with:

  • Preparing and studying for standardized tests, such as the MCAT (medical school), PCAT (pharmacy school), etc.
  • Researching and applying to graduate programs
  • Finding opportunities to research—and possibly publish—in topics related to your field of interest

With the exception of those students who have an interest in law, your academic advisor will be a professor from the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. The pre-law minor is designed specifically for those students who are interested in a career in law.

In keeping with Keuka College’s emphasis on experiential learning, you’ll also become a scientist outside the classroom. You’ll be encouraged to work professors on independent research projects, and many students have had the opportunity to present the results of their work at professional conferences.

Keuka College is on the shore of Keuka Lake—arguably the prettiest of the Finger Lakes. The College’s Sunset Woods and the nearby Penn Yan Outlet Trail are home to thousands of species of plants and animals, providing an ideal environment for biology students. Ornithology students are able to work in the field, identifying birds native to the area.

You’ll get to study in the Jephson Science Center, where students hang out in the Chiral Center or at the Math Table in between classes and labs. A highlight of the building is that the laboratories weren’t simply designed in collaboration with architects, but by the professors who use and teach in them.

As a student, you will have access to a wide range of instruments, including:

  • Ultraviolet - visible spectrophotometers
  • Sorvall High-capacity Centrifuge
  • Opti-sciences Chlorophyll Fluorometer
  • Kodak Gel Imaging and Documentation Systems
  • Bioradgelelectrophoresis and Western-blotting Apparatus
  • High Pressure Liquid Chromatograph
  • Gas Chromatograph - Mass Spectrometer
  • Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer
  • Environmental Chamber and incubators
  • Biosafety Cabinet
  • Nikon Compound and Stereo Microscopes with Digital Camera
  • Nikon Inverted Microscope
  • End-point Thermal Cycler
  • Real-time Thermal Cycler

Chi Beta Phi, the natural science, math, and psychology honor society offers students the opportunity to network with like-minded peers and have their scholarly accomplishments recognized.

Pre-professional advising focuses on some of the most in-demand health care professions of today and tomorrow, including medicine and pharmacy.

Dr. Catherine Abbott

Professor of Mathematics

Academic Credentials

University of North Texas
Ph.D.
University of North Texas
M.A.
University of Texas at Tyler
B.S.

Dr. Ramana Callan

Visiting Assistant Professor of Environmental Science

Dr. Dominique Derminio

Assistant Professor of Biology

Academic Credentials

Keuka College
B.A. in Biochemistry
University of New South Wales
M.S. in Res. in Psychiatry/Molecular Biology
SUNY ESF
Ph.D. in Biochemistry

Biography

Dr. Derminio teaches general chemistry, organic chemistry, and nursing chemistry, and has previously taught introductory biology courses. Her primary area of expertise is photosynthetic biochemistry in cyanobacteria. She loves teaching and talking to students about a wide range of sciences. 

Dr. Andrew Geragotelis

Assistant Professor of Chemistry

Academic Credentials

Siena College
B.S. in Chemistry
University of California Irvine
M.S. in Chemistry
University of California Irvine
Ph.D. in Chemistry

Biography

Dr. Andrew Geragotelis joined the faculty at Keuka College in 2023, teaching chemistry and additional courses. He actively pursues research in the field of computational chemistry, using computer simulations and molecular modeling methods to study how biomolecules interact with one another and how properties of their dynamics can be better understood. He is also interested in chemistry and physics education research.

Jessica Katolik

Instructor of Biology

Academic Credentials

University of Rochester
M.S. in Pharmacology and Physiology
Rochester Institute of Technology
B.S. in Biotechnology

Dr. Michael Keck

Chair of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Professor of Chemistry

Academic Credentials

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Ph.D.
University of California at Berkeley
B.S.

Biography

Dr. Keck joined the faculty at Keuka College in 2008 after 13 years teaching at Emporia State University (Kansas). He teaches chemistry and biochemistry, and has also taught analytical chemistry and inorganic chemistry. His primary area of expertise is nucleic acids biochemistry. He loves teaching, and he is also eager to work with students on research projects. He and his students are presently collaborating with colleagues at RIT to design and evaluate compounds that have potential as photodynamic therapy agents.

Gylla MacGregor

Instructor of Biology

Academic Credentials

Lehigh University
M.S. in Microbiology with Integrative Biology Emphasis
Clarion University of Pennsylvania
M.S. in Biology with Ecology Emphasis
The College of New Jersey
B.S. in Biology
Mercer County Community College
A.S. in Chemistry

Biography

Gylla has been with Keuka College since 2017, teaching a wide range of classes in the biological sciences.

Prior to Keuka College, she spent 12 years as GIS Project Director/Conservation Ecologist with New Jersey Audubon, where she engaged in habitat restoration, invasive species management, reptile and amphibian studies, and wildlife monitoring in everything from grassland birds to insects. Her broad academic training has allowed her to incorporate disciplines such as anatomy and physiology into her research activities.

Professional Interests

Behavioral Ecology and Restoration Ecology. 

Dr. Luciana Parent

Associate Professor of Biology

Academic Credentials

University of Sao Paulo/Cornell University (Sandwich Program)
Ph.D.
Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG)
M.S.
Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG)
B.S.

Dr. Andrew Robak

Professor of Chemistry

Academic Credentials

University of Oregon
Ph.D.
University of Oregon
M.S. in Chemistry
Rochester Institute of Technology
B.S. in Environmental Chemistry

Biography

Dr. Robak started teaching at Keuka College in the Fall of 2007 and is the primary instructor for organic chemistry at Keuka.

He is the adviser for Keuka's chemistry club and also directs a number of undergraduate research projects. Active research projects include: Exploring click chemistry for organic synthesis, developing new surfboard coatings from polyurethanes, designing chemistry experiments for home-schooled children at the high school level and a project using chemistry and photography to promote both art and science.

Other research interests are: designing more environmentally friendly lab experiments

Professional Interests

chemistry, organic chemistry, science based medicine, green chemistry, science in popular culture, science as art, polymers/plastics, science education, explosive chemistry demonstrations, inorganic chemistry

Contact Information

Dr. Michael Keck

Chair of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

Professor of Chemistry

(315) 279-5267
[email protected]