The Pre-Health Pillars candidacy assessment incorporates three essential components of preparation to be successful in the application process to a health professional program. Let this model serve as a guide to understanding how to build a solid foundation for your development and growth as a pre-health student.
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Academic
Your academic performance at the undergraduate level demonstrates your capability to handle the rigor and demands of coursework and licensing exams required to practice in your health profession of interest.
Pre-requisite Coursework
Most programs require pre-requisite coursework, but they will vary from school to school. Some schools have very specific course requirements and others have no course requirements at all. As you begin to explore health professional programs, remember to pay attention to the pre-requisite coursework for the programs to which you are applying.
As always, when it comes to course registration and timelines for completion of pre-requisite courses, your major and graduation requirements should be the priority.
Requirements by Health Profession
- Dentistry
- Medical
- Occupational Therapy
- Optometry
- Pharmacy
- Physical Therapy
- Physician Assistant
- Podiatry
- Veterinary
Overall and Science GPA
Overall and science GPA highlight your academic performance over a period of time. Programs are generally most interested in the science or pre-requisite GPA. Programs calculate science GPA in different ways, so make sure to consult the centralized application service for your health profession. Common classifications include BCPM (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Math) and BCP (Biology, Chemistry, and Physics). Check out more information on the Calculating Science GPA page.
Entrance Exam
All programs require applicants to take an entrance exam. This is an important predictor for future licensing exams required for health professional practice.
Entrance Exams by Health Profession
- Dentistry
- Medical
- Occupational Therapy
- Optometry
- Pharmacy
- Physical Therapy
- Physician Assistant
- Podiatry
- Veterinary
Academic Trends
Trends and patterns in your academic record are important. Health professional programs are interested in seeing if your record displays positive, stable, and consistent performance throughout your undergraduate years. Ideally, you want to have a few solid academic years with consistently strong grades before applying to a professional program.
Career
Career exploration is essential in making an informed decision about your future career in healthcare. Your participation in clinical experiences in healthcare settings shows your commitment to the profession. Students who are dedicated to pursuing a health professional career will likely have hundreds of hours of experience devoted to career exploration. Journaling during your clinical and observational experiences is valuable as these experiences are likely to become a part of your personal statement and secondary application essays.
Required clinical hours can vary by program. Be sure to do your research!
Necessary |
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Clinical: Find out if you enjoy and are comfortable being around patients |
Athletic Trainer Assistant |
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Clinical: See what a healthcare practitioners' day-to-day life |
Shadow |
Optional |
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Research Develop the technical and analytical skills that cannot |
Clinical research with patient contact |
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Personal or Family Contribute to a greater understanding of the patient experience. |
Personal experience as a patient While these situations contribute to a better understanding of the patient |
Personal
Life experience and personal growth are important in the preparation process. This includes any aspect of you that contributes to your interest and fit for a clinical career in healthcare. Examples may include passions, extracurricular experiences, and skills beyond those directly relevant to the health professions.
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Competencies An observable behavior that captures your knowledge, skills, values, or attitudes. |
Interpersonal Competencies Intrapersonal Competencies Thinking and Reasoning Competencies Scientific Competencies |
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Non-Clinical Extracurricular Activities Activities you choose to participate in outside of your academic and clinical preparation that highlight you as a person and how that person is suited for a career in the health professions. |
Participation in a Student Organization |
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Questions for Consideration and Reflection Reflect upon these questions and discuss with a Pre-Health Advisor |
How has your upbringing and personal background influenced who you are today? How have you demonstrated maturity and strong decision-making skills? How would you present yourself in an interview? How comfortable are you presenting your strengths and areas of growth in an interview setting? |
