Biology – Student Organizations

What is Ars Medica? Ars Medica has been in existence at Francis Marion University since 1974. Its primary goal is to bring in outside speakers for health-related career planning and information. This serves to inform students of career options and provides a venue for social interaction with other students having similar interests. Guest speakers are invited regularly to share their knowledge and experience of different medical careers. Ars Medica typically hosts 4 – 5 speakers per semester, and is open to all students interested in health profession careers.

The Tau Omicron chapter of Beta Beta Beta (Tri-Beta) has been in existence at FMU since 1995. It is a national biological honor society for students. It seeks to encourage scholarly attainment in biology by reserving regular membership for those biology students who achieve superior academic records (a G.P.A. in Biology of 3.0 or higher) and who have completed at least one course at or above the 200 level. Associate members are any interested students who have completed biology 105/115 and have an overall G.P.A. of at least 2.5.

Tri-Beta aims to cultivate intellectual interest in the natural sciences and endeavors to extend knowledge of the natural world through scientific investigation, and to this end encourages undergraduates to conduct research and report their findings in the journal of the society – BIOS.

Many of the Francis Marion Biology faculty are members of Tri-Beta. Tri-Beta meets frequently during the academic year and often features outside speakers at meetings.

The Biology Club functions to inform students of career options in the biological sciences, and provides an opportunity for students having similar interests to meet and interact. The club holds 4 – 5 meetings per semester, and hosts many campus and community activities. These activities often involve socials, off-campus trips, guest speakers, community service, and many other things. (Website)

The Pre-Veterinary Club has been in existence since 2014. The club provides a venue for students interested in veterinary medicine to become better acquainted with various aspects of the veterinary medical profession, to learn about preparing for and applying to vet schools, and to provide intellectual stimulation that occurs when interacting with like-minded students. The club typically meets 4 – 5 times each semester, and hosts many campus and community events. Most of the events involve education about animals, veterinary work, and also function to promote animal welfare by directly working with animals or by helping organizations that are dedicated to animal welfare (ex. like raising funds or supplies for local humane societies). (Website)