Preparing for Health-Profession School

Deciding to pursue a health profession can be a really exciting decision. The start of your journey takes one step, and that is preparation! Before applying to specific institutions, it is crucial to have enough preparation and experience to create a competitive application.
There are many, many factors that lead to what makes up a successful, competitive application, depending on whether or not the program reviews its candidates holistically or metrically.
A holistic review process is one that takes the "whole" applicant into consideration rather than basing admission on a limited amount of factors. Some questions a holistic institution would think about when selecting potential students are:
- What factors, life experiences, or motivations make you unique compared to the other applicants?
- Why should their institution accept you instead of the next applicant?
How will you help add diversity to the health field?
In general, all health professional institutions will review metrics to some degree. These factors are the most important, with some institutions reviewing metrics alone (which is rare but can happen!)
Provided below are resources for advisors and students to assist in the preparation for the health professions!
Post-Bacc Programs
The term "postbaccalaureate” describes programs that begin after you've completed an undergraduate degree and are designed specifically to support the transition to a professional school, such as a medical school, as well as enhance an applicant's competitiveness for admission (taken from AAMC).
Additional Resources
There can be many challenges, but our HPAC team can assist you with making informed decisions. When looking for a resource to help coast you through the preparation process, HPAC is here for you!