Are you thinking of medical school? A minor or dual degree in philosophy from West Virginia University just might be the perfect prescription to get you on your way.

The Department of Philosophy is hosting a pre-medicine panel discussion from 4-5:30 p.m. Tuesday (April 11) at E. Moore Hall on the Downtown Campus.

Students will hear practical, frontline advice from physicians, professors, medical students and medical school admissions personnel on all the things that must mesh for one to become an M.D.

Critical thinking is just as important as clinical prowess, philosophy chair Dr. Sharon Ryan said. That’s where a degree from her department comes in.

Students entering medical school are required to major in one of the sciences, like chemistry or biologybut Ryan said a second major in philosophy or a philosophy minor could be a wonder tool for the literal life-and-death decisions doctors face every day in hospitals and clinics.

Philosophy teaches students logical problem-solving skills in an environment with disagreement, uncertainty and fragmentary evidence,Ryan said.It teaches students to pay attention to both the details and the big issues. We also have a very strong ethics component, including healthcare ethics, in our curriculum.

Sitting on the panel will be WVU medical students Thomas Caranasos and Jonathan Pratt, who both earned undergraduate degrees in philosophy and biology; Dr. David Morgan, who chairs the admission committee for the WVU School of Medicine; Dr. Mark Wicclair, a WVU professor of philosophy who specializes in medical ethics; and Dan Carrier, a WVU Outstanding Senior and Order of Augusta recipient whose degree is in chemistry with a minor in philosophy.

For more information, contact Ryan at 304-293-3641, ext. 33305, or sharon.ryan@mail.wvu.edu .