When it’s time to begin looking at medical schools or to pursue a professional degree in fields such as dentistry, pharmacy, PA, veterinary medicine, physical therapy, podiatry or optometry, you’ll be ready. As a pre-health student, you’ll receive expert guidance from our dedicated director of pre-health advising, Ms. Anna Gilmore, who provides a wide variety of programming and one-on-one advisement to help you to identify and pursue clinical exposure, research and volunteer experiences. In the increasingly competitive world of medical school admissions, strategically working with a pre-health advisor is critical to your success.
Interested in healthcare but not sure where to start? Go to www.explorehealthcareers.org to research a wide array of fields and career paths. Follow the links to educational associations for areas of interest to take advantage of student resources.
Pre-Medical Resources
Pre-Med FAQ’s for QU undergrad and prospective students
AAMC Website (pre-med resources from deciding on medicine to navigating the application process)
Pre-Med Navigator (subscribe to this free AAMC monthly publication)
Anatomy of an Applicant (discover what it really takes to go to medical school beyond GPA and MCAT)
Aspiring Docs (inspiring stories and fact sheets for pre-meds)
Recommended Pre-Health Books, Videos, and Podcasts
Follow “AAMC Pre-Med” on Facebook and/or Twitter for up-to-date advice, information and reminders.
Guide to 100+ Health Careers
How many careers in healthcare are you familiar with? Before deciding on one career track, explore and research all of your options.
Guide to Exploring Health Careers
If you are trying to decide what career you want to pursue in medicine and healthcare, you MUST perform a great deal of research and find ways to put yourself in healthcare settings. Online career research, shadowing, interviewing professionals, volunteering in medical settings, and working in healthcare are all great ways to gather information along the way.
Guide To Shadowing
Shadowing in healthcare settings allows pre-health students to gain insight into the realities of a career in medicine. The work and life of medical professionals will differ based on the degree of specialization, populations served, area of the country, and setting in which they work. In addition to strong, consistent academic performance and test scores, health professional programs (MD, DO, PA, DDS, OD, etc.) expect applicants to have first-hand exposure to the field and experience interacting with patients. To be a successful applicant down the road, it is imperative that you demonstrate you are knowledgeable of the demands and realities of your chosen career in healthcare. Getting first-hand exposure to the field of medicine is the only way to do this.
Pre-Health Guide to Academic Etiquette and Professionalism
The way in which you communicate and present yourself when interacting with faculty, advisors, or other professionals both on and off campus is extremely important. Little things matter. As students aspiring to careers in medicine and healthcare, you are expected to conduct yourselves professionally. Remember, the faculty and advisors you have now may be the key to a successful application or strong letter of recommendation down the road. When in doubt about how you should speak, write, or act, always err on the side of formality. You will never offend someone by being overly formal or polite.
101 Local Volunteer Opportunities
Committing significant time to volunteering and community involvement is a MUST for future medical, dental, PA, etc. applicants. Find a way to set yourself apart and get some great experience through volunteering. Attached is a guide to volunteering with 101 organizations near Quinnipiac. Take a look – what causes or populations are YOU interested in?
Guide to Gap Year Options
The terms “gap year” (also referred to as “building year” or “experiential year”) refers to a period of time, usually one or two years after college graduation, when students take a break from education to work, volunteer, or travel before continuing with graduate or professional school. These experiences can help students gain experience and credentials that will contribute their success in matriculating to medical school, dental school, or ANY other professional degree in medicine or healthcare. MANY pre-health and pre-med students choose to utilize a building year or two in order to further develop the skills and experiences expected of professional school applicants.
