Health Professions Overview
Preparing for a Career in the Health Professions
The Office of Pre-Professional Programs and Advising supports pre-health students as they prepare for a career in the health professions to make informed decisions in their pre-health course planning, engage in health, service, and other experiences that promote personal and professional development, and navigate the application process. Our mission is to empower students to “pursue a holistic approach to their education, to be reflective about their learning and decision-making, and to demonstrate social responsibility and a commitment to service in preparation for a career in medicine.” In helping students prepare for and proceed through the application process, we advise with holistic principles of admissions in mind.
Majors for Pre-Health Students
Choosing a major is an exciting decision for any student. As a pre-health student, you can choose to study any major, from Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, to English and Anthropology. Health professions programs want students who follow their interests and course work in STEM, the humanities and social sciences. Students are encouraged to explore an academic area outside of their major to demonstrate the breadth of their intellectual interests. All pre-health students are encouraged to complete the recommended pre-health prerequisite courses.
While there is no required major for entrance into a health professions school, there are many skills, abilities, and values students can develop during their undergraduate years to help them succeed. These include:
- Mastery of basic scientific principles
- Demonstration of a broad exposure to the humanities and social sciences
- Demonstration of commitment to life-long learning
- An understanding of the physician/provider-patient relationship
- Demonstration of maturity, integrity, compassion, empathy, service-orientation and leadership
- Academic, research, clinical and other experience related letters of recommendation
- Demonstration of self awareness and and awareness of others
- Demonstration of an understanding of the health care profession of choice
How to be a Competency Driven Health Professions School Applicant
Health professions programs such as medical, dental, nursing, physician assistant, podiatry, veterinary, and many others value students with a demonstrated understanding of basic science foundation in biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics, who have also demonstrated self-exploration and reflection and demonstrate an understanding of their chosen healthcare field through meaningful experience and a commitment to service. Health professions schools seek students who demonstrate maturity, honesty, a sense of responsibility, ethical decision-making, intellectual curiosity, and leadership.
Hopkins students have a wonderful opportunity to pursue foundational and upper-level sciences. Blue Jays have the opportunity to take advanced seminar, engage in independent research faculty mentored research, clinical and service related experiences, and much more! Health professions schools value students who have demonstrated a commitment to lifelong learning, seeking opportunities to grow academically and in professional skills.
Health professions programs want to know that you understand your strengths, areas of growth, and also how you learn. Utilize your resources and be open to learning new ways to learn!
Applicants to health professions programs need to provide strong evidence of motivation to pursue a career in healthcare by engaging in health and service related experiences. Through experience reflection applicants can their empathy, compassion, teamwork, leadership, critical thinking skills, and many other professional competencies essential in the practice of healthcare. Through their experiences, students also gain and understanding of the opportunities for change and the challenges faced by today’s health professionals and system.
Establishing substantive relationships with faculty members, supervisors, research PIs, etc., will provide applicants to health professions programs with strong letters of recommendation that highlight the applicant’s academic and professional development.
The Office of Preprofessional Programs and Advising is dedicated to supporting pre-health students in exploring their interests and providing resources to assist applicants in their preparation and navigation of the application process.
When to Apply to Health Professions School
Applicants can apply to some health professions programs such as medical and dental school as early as their junior year. The majority of candidates of Blue Jays (and nationally as well) apply in their senior year or as as alumni, taking one or more years between the completion of their undergraduate degree and beginning a health professions program.
Fun fact: The average age of a matriculating medical school students is 24!
Many students committed to careers in healthcare spend their time between completing their undergraduate education exploring opportunities that will continue to aid in their growth and preparation for their chosen health professions program.
Blue Jay alumni have engaged in community service programs such as AmeriCorps or Teach for America, while others pursued master’s degrees, engaged in research, health care policy, clinical care or pursued a life-long passion. As advisors we encourage students follow their own path and provide support throughout their preparation and navigation through the application process. We work closely with applicants to help them build a strong application to maximize their opportunity for success!
It’s important to remember that this is a process that takes times, not everyone follows the same path, there is no rush and applicants should apply when they are ready.
