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Four Year Plan for Future Health Professionals

First Year

  • Settle into your courses and college life in general
  • Consider engaging in a few extracurricular opportunities
  • Contact the health professions advisor if you have questions about course selection

Sophomore Year

  • Assess your academic and personal strengths and interests
  • Explore options in health care (see Exploration page for ideas)
  • Review the academic requirements for different health professions
  • Meet with the health professions advisor to discuss your interests
  • Select your major(s), based upon your strengths and interests
  • Decide if you will apply to study away, and map out courses accordingly
  • Participate in extracurricular activities
  • Engage in community service
  • Attend relevant informational programs on campus
  • Plan to make constructive use of your summer

Summer after Sophomore Year

  • Hold a pertinent internship, if possible, or try to volunteer in a health care field on the side
  • Lay the groundwork for an internship the following summer

Junior Year

  • Maintain a strong performance in the classroom and lab
  • Reevaluate the strength of your prospective candidacy
  • Discuss your intentions with the health professions advisor
  • Speak with health care professionals in your field(s) of interest
  • Continue extracurricular involvement; consider assuming leadership role(s)
  • Continue community service
  • Attend relevant panel discussions and info sessions on campus
  • Identify and apply for summer internships or relevant employment
  • Lay the groundwork for a senior honors project
  • If you hope to matriculate in a health professions program the fall after graduating:
    • Complete the academic prerequisites
    • Attend the HPA meeting on application procedures
    • Study for and take the April MCAT (if your interest is in medicine)
    • Request letters of recommendation
    • Write the personal statement for your application (plan on doing multiple drafts!)
    • Complete the candidate information form and meet with the health professions advisor

Summer after Junior Year

  • Hold a relevant internship
  • Complete your applications for med school, if hoping to go on right after graduation
  • Consider taking August MCAT, if you will be applying at the end of senior year
  • Take the pertinent test (i.e. DAT, OAT, GRE) for your field of interest

Senior Year

  • Maintain high level of academic performance
  • Put energy into your honors project or independent study
  • Continue extracurricular/community involvement
  • If you are applying to enter in the fall:
    • Complete your applications for health professions programs
    • Prepare for and go to interviews
  • If you hope to matriculate in a health care program after one or more years out of college:
    • Complete the academic prerequisites, if you have not already done so
    • Make preparations to take the appropriate test (MCAT, DAT, OAT, GRE…)
    • Request letters of recommendation
    • Meet with the health professions advisor before leaving campus