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 How Many Letters of Recommendation Do I
Need and From Whom?
Which Courses
Do I Need to Take in Order to be a Doctor, Dentist, Vet...?
What Should I
Major In?
Will I Need to
Take an Entrance Exam?
I'm Really
Busy With My Classwork, Do I Really Need to Get Experience in the Health
Field?
Will I Need a
Formal/Exit Interview?
Getting Started:
Health professions students are
encouraged to stop by the office located in Nelson Labs Room A-207,
Busch Campus to open a file or the Satellite located in Chemistry Annex
Bldg. Room 217, Douglass Campus. Once a file has been established,
students may begin asking their instructors for letters of
recommendation. Advisors, however, are available to all students with or
without files; in addition, a knowledgeable staff is on hand to help
with the more basic questions
.
Letters of Recommendation:
Students are expected to have five or six
confidential letters of evaluation submitted to this office. At least
three letters must be from faculty with two of them from science
instructors. The most meaningful and useful letters are those written by
faculty who know about you and your aspirations. Speak with your faculty
early in a semester, see him/her often so that they know who you are,
and provide them with a brief resume to help them write about you. Feel
free to ask if they can write a positive statement. If they cannot, then
you should thank them for their time and seek out someone else. Teaching
Assistant letters are acceptable if you cannot get them from full time
faculty. A letter must be obtained from your advisor if you are doing
research and from a supervisor certifying that you have done the
volunteer health care work which you claim.
Preprofessional Courses:
Course requirements for different professional
schools and for various professions may differ, but most require that
you have the following: General Biology I and II with lab, 8 credits;
General Chemistry I and II with lab, 8-10 credit; Organic Chemistry I
and II with lab, 8-10 credits; General Physics I and II with lab, 10
credits; Two semesters of college-level English or equivalent; some
mathematics at the college level, with at least one semester of
calculus. Some schools and majors require a year of calculus. In
addition, it is helpful to students, regardless of major, to take a
course in biochemistry, physiology, and genetics. These courses will
help on the MCAT and in professional school studies.
Choosing a Major:
In general,
students are not required to major in any particular area because the
demonstration of competence in an area of study is more important than
the particular subject. A liberal arts and sciences curriculum
(including biological sciences, biochemistry, and chemistry) is the
recommended and sought-after background for medical and other health
professions schools. Select a major in a subject that you will really
like.
Entrance Exams:
Most health professional schools require scores
from a standardized admission test. The results of these tests are used,
in combination with grades, recommendations, personal statements, and
interviews to evaluate candidates for admission.
Health Care Experience:
While not required, it is strongly recommended
that students perform some kind of work which provides them with the
opportunity to have some one-to-one contact with patients or others.
Volunteer or paid employment in a health care setting demonstrates
interest in gaining some experience and provides the student with a
chance to sample the atmosphere. Research is not required but does
demonstrate an enquiring mind and an ability to work cooperatively with
others. If a student anticipates becoming a medical researcher, lengthy
undergraduate experience is necessary.
The Committee Interview:
After a student has completed all the requirements
for application to a professional school and the Health Professions
Office file is complete, an interview will be scheduled with a member of
the Health Professions Advisory Committee. This interview will lead to a
composite letter of evaluation which will be based on the performance
during the interview, confidential evaluations submitted by referees,
the student's autobiographical statement, and scores and grades. This
composite letter and several of the individual evaluations from the file
will be forwarded to each school to which the student is applying upon
the signed request by the student to do so. Sample interview questions
are available in the Health Professions Office.
   
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