Prehealth is a broad term that defines  students pursuing entrance into professional schools like medical, dental, optometry, podiatry, chiropractic, physical therapy, physician assistant, veterinarian and pharmacy school.  Note:  If you are a student interested in learning about Nursing or Allied Health Professions click here.  Admission into all health professions programs is quite competitive, thus only those students who are truly committed to becoming a health professional should pursue this goal. When choosing a career within the field of health care, or deciding whether a health career is appropriate for you, there are several points that you should consider. (The following questions are excerpts from Strategies for Success, NAAHP, National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions)
 
1. How much do you wish to deal with people? A great variety of skills, interests and personal characteristics are needed for various health professions. For many people, such as nurses, pediatricians or occupational therapists, a warm and caring personality is one of the most desirable attributes. Others, such as medical laboratory technologists, pathologists or medical illustrators, have little or no contact with patients. For a surgeon, it may be more important to have good manual dexterity and be calm under pressure than to have an outgoing personality. One of the first questions you should ask is how much you wish to deal directly with people.
 
2. Are you comfortable with science? You do not need to be a science “whiz” for all healthcare areas. Some programs demand much more science study than others, but preparation for all health care careers involves some laboratory science study.

  3. Are you prepared to enter an area where you will have to spend time and effort keeping up with developments in your field? Competent practitioners have an obligation to their patients to give the best care available. If you are not willing to continue studying throughout your career you will not be a competent health care provider, thus compromising your malpractice insurance and/or your license.

4. Are you comfortable in a health care setting? Some students fail to anticipate the effect of spending much of their life in the company of sick, disabled or dying people. With the aging of the American population, much of your work may be geriatric. Many students assume that they will be working in a comfortable, middle-class setting. However the greatest health care needs are in inner-city neighborhoods and isolated, impoverished rural areas. Do you have a spirit of service? Are you emotionally able to deal with a wide variety of people? You should consider exploring your future career and gaining a better understanding of the discipline by pursuing relevant extracurricular activities. For example, volunteer your time in a hospital, research laboratory, public health agency or clinical setting. You will gain insights that will permit you to make a more informed decision about the health career you wish to enter. Not all health care is as glamorous as sometimes portrayed on film and television.

5.  Are you a team player? Health care is increasingly becoming a group activity where a successful outcome depends upon each member of a medical team performing his/her specific function.

6. What lifestyle do you envision? Some health care careers include many emergencies and long hours.  Different specialties have varying levels of responsibility. Do you wish to deal with life-and-death situations? A career that involves long hours or high stress leaves you less time and energy for family life and leisure activities. Many of you have just graduated from high school and might not know the answers to these questions. Is that a problem? Of course not, but it means that you must find numerous activities and experiences over the next two to three years that give you perspective on what it means to be a health professional. Not only must you determine how and why this profession is right for you, but additionally you will need to articulate for the professional school committee why you are the best choice for the seat in their entering class.  Decisions about the acceptance and admission of applicants to professional school are based upon multiple criteria that are developed by the faculty of each school. In general, all schools admit applicants who, on the basis of materials presented during the application process, have documented that they possess the personal characteristics desired in future health professionals, the ability to successfully complete the academically rigorous curriculum, and the potential to fulfill the institutions’ mission and goals. 

Prehealth Advising at Utah State University

If you are visiting this site you are interested in or committed to a career in the health occupations field.  Exploring this website is your preliminary step.  The Biology Advising Office offers support for students pursuing health occupations from every major on campus and our mission is to keep you apprised of changes and current events at USU and in the prehealth field.  The Advising Office utilizes numerous resources to get information to students, however, this process is complex and there is no one certain way to accomplish it.  Students must be proactive and learn from all the resources provided.  How do you go about getting information?

1) Attend a Prehealth Orientation Meeting.  This orientation is ideal for new students, but applicable to students that have never visited the Biology Advising Center.  The orientation meeting is an overview of what students need to do to prepare for application to professional school.  The basic topics encompass choice of major, necessary extracurricular activities, development of a four year plan, preliminary admission test and application service information and resources to find more info.  The Advising Center provides this information weekly:

Monday and Thursday at 3 pm in BNR 101 

Please plan on attending a meeting prior to scheduling an appointment with advisors.

2) Subscribe to the Prehealth Listserve.  Throughout the year important prehealth professions information, such as job opportunities, undergraduate research opportunities, professional school visits, speakers, and prehealth club activities, will be sent to your designated email account.  To subscribe or unsubscribe visit: 

http://lists.usu.edu/mailman/listinfo/prehealth_list

3) View the PDF’s provided under the Professional Schools link.  Prerequisites course work requirements vary by type of professional school, i.e. medical vs. dental vs. pharmacy, but they also vary within the professional schools themselves, i.e. each medical school has specific requirements. Vast amounts of material are available for students to learn more about this process; however the student has the responsibility of becoming informed.

Events

News

Introduction

Suggested 4-year Plan

Extracurricular Opportunities

Professional School

Supplemental Information