Pre-Health Student Checklist
Student Checklist
Year one
- Meet with a pre-health advisor to discuss pre-health curriculum
- Begin prerequisite coursework typically chemistry and biology courses
- Become involved with pre-health organizations and extracurricular activities
- Gain clinical experience in the health field (shadowing, volunteering, employment)
- Become familiar with the admissions process (and statistics) of your chosen field
- Consider your back-up plan and select a major (everyone needs a back-up plan!)
Year two
- Meet with a pre-health advisor to discuss curriculum, activities, and admission exam
preparation
- Continue completing prerequisite coursework and gaining clinical experience
- Build relationships with faculty, advisors, and health care professionals they are
future sources of recommendation letters
- Attend health career fairs to learn more about your schools of interest
- Stay involved in pre-health clubs and participate in community service
Year three - fall
- May not apply to allied health professions, such as nursing
- Meet with a pre-health advisor to ensure you are on track
- Continue prerequisite coursework
- Continue to gain clinical experience and volunteer
- Begin serious preparation for the admission exam required by your profession (MCAT,
DAT, OAT, PCAT, or GRE)
- Work on you personal statement
Year three spring
- Request letters of recommendation from faculty, advisors, and / or health care professionals
that know you
- Interview with the Pre-Health Advisory Committee (medical, dental, and optometry students
only)
- Decide which schools you want to apply to contact each school to learn about their
specific admissions criteria and visit their campus
- Complete prerequisite coursework and continue gaining experience and volunteering
- Take the admission exam required by your profession
Apply
- Submit an application to the centralized application site of your profession
- Submit supplemental application materials to each school
- Periodically contact each school to verify your application status
- Meet with a pre-health advisor to prepare for upcoming interview
- Continue involvement in clinical work and community service