Pre-Health Puzzle
Think of your journey toward becoming a successful competitive applicant as putting a puzzle together. The pieces include:
Application Process
Applying to a health professional school is basically producing a résumé to be entered on an application. Most students apply to their desired health professional school during the summer after the junior in college. The application includes your GPA, test scores, your personal history, and an essay.
Strong GPA
Achieving strong academic credentials goes without saying. Schools will split your GPA into two categories, a science GPA known as the BCPM which reflects courses in Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics and an overall or cumulative GPA.
Test Scores
Each health profession will require an entrance exam:
Medical schools, either allopathic (MD) or osteopathic (DO), the MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test).
Podiatry (DPM), the MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test).
Dental Schools, the Dental Admission Test, DAT.
Pharmacy Schools, the PCAT, Pharmacy College Admission Test.
Optometry Schools, the OAT, Optometry Admission Test, Occupational Therapy (OT), Physical Therapy (DPT) and Physician Assistant (PA), the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
Credentials (Letters of Evaluation or Letters of Reference)
LEO is a web-based to establish a Credential File at The Career Center. LEO contains your letters of evaluation, otherwise known as Letters of Recommendation that you can use when applying to graduate or professional schools (i.e. medicine, dentistry, optometry, law, psychology, speech and hearing). This file of letters CANNOT be used for employment, scholarship applications, including internships, externships, or fellowships.
If you are applying to physical therapy, occupational therapy or physician assistant programs, we recommend you DO NOT open the Credential File. These programs have specific guidelines and forms for receiving letters of evaluation. Please check each school for specific application directions.
Interview Skills
First impressions do count! The interview is the opportunity to express your accomplishments and desire to enter a health profession. The interview also shows your personality and how you express yourself with "future patients". You can prepare for the interview by participating in a Mock Interview provided by The Career Center.
Leadership Abilities
Leadership is vital to any profession. Leading is based upon listening and then taking action-"To lead is to listen. In times of crisis or concern, your patients will look to you for comfort and leadership to calm their fears. It is with your leadership you will "listen and take action". You can choose to perfect this ability while you're a student at UIUC, this is considered an essential career skill for the success of any student.
Commitment to Life Long Learning
Committing oneself to a life of service is noble. Learning does not end when you complete your professional training as a physician, dentist or other health professional but it is only the beginning. In the future, not only will you need to enroll in professional continuing education courses and seminars to keep your license current, you must also stay abreast of new procedures as well as issues that face your profession. Check out Yahoo Directory of Medical Professional Associations.
Exposure to the Health Field
Gaining practical experience in the health care field is essential in helping you de/cide if this is truly your calling. Getting exposure to the field can be originate from several avenues and at different times during your undergraduate career:
You can volunteer at a variety locations : hospitals, clinics or nursing homes, retirement villages, rehabilitation centers, shelters, crisis nurseries, special camps for children or adults, community outreach programs or public health centers for a few hours each week). (search the online phone book through the UIUC library for numbers and names) or check out www.cuvolunteer.org for community opportunities.
Work as a Personal Assistant (PA) to a disabled member of the local or campus community. PACE is a local organization that trains and places PAs, and the Beckwith Residence Hall community often has a need for PAs.
Internships during the summer is a great way to see the profession first hand at Health Professions Internships
Choose to become certified as a CNA, EMT, or PharmTech.
Shadowing: You can gain this experience by pursuing an externship or "shadowing" experience.
Look through Campus and Local Organizations for possible opportunities.
Anywhere you can have first hand experience will be an asset.Transferable Skills
What are transferable skills? These skills relate to Speaking, Listening, Organizational/Time Management and Writing. Practice, Practice, Practice.
Speaking Skills:
Public speaking is not easy, and takes practice and encouragement. Your speaking ability will be challenged in during your interview, visiting with admission officers and later in your practice.
How can you develop this skill?
- Take a speech class
- Give campus tours
- Introduce the speaker at your club events
- Take a leadership role in your living unit
- Practice a mock interview for your medical visit
How will you transfer this skill in your professional work? (speaking)
You will be a non-traditional teacher as a health professional i.e. Giving advice and explaining treatment, consoling patients, and sharing in spirituality if needed
- You will direct a team of professionals, consulting in care issues;
- You will be actively consoling not only your patient but the family members
- You will be out in your community as a spokesperson for issues that affect public health
- As you know health care is revenue driven and you will be asked to present seminars, outreach programs addressing prenatal issues, obesity, stress, or hypertension. Many are revenue driven by hospitals and clinics.
Listening Skills
Every day of your life as a health professional your first priority is to listen to the patient, whether you like it or not. You must listen to their concerns, their most intimate needs and ailments, make a diagnosis and a prognosis. You must listen with a humanitarian heart.
How can you further develop your listening skills?
- You learn to listen in your many leadership roles.
- You listen in your volunteer activities—on what needs to be accomplished
- You listen in class and group assignments and make contributions
- You listen in your work experiences and follow directives
How will you transfer this skill in your professional work?
- To listen is to understand the patients situation, listening to their concerns, struggles with life, their challenges, their fears
- To listen is to show your humanity and concern not only for patients but fellow colleagues and staff you supervise
- To listen allows you to analyze a situation thoughtfully and reasonably, to solve problems moment to moment.
Organizational /Time Management Skills
Many have to learn this skill especially during a busy professional life- through prioritizing. Each student has a busy schedule which includes classes, study, volunteering, leadership roles, working and conducting research, and yes, having a social life. You have truly begun to develop strong organizational skills.
How will you transfer this skill in your professional work?
- By becoming a team player working with your health care staff, be it nurses, specialists, clerical support
- By juggling your work schedule, family and community commitments.
- By organizing your time to take care of yourself- diet, exercise and stress relief, and possibly personal meditation.
Writing Skills
Your writing skills, the ability to express yourself in a written format, will be required both in your entrance exam (MCAT, DAT, PCAT) and when you submit your applications which will include a personal essay, or professional comments. You must make yourself clear, writing professionally and concisely.
You must be able to explain “how do you know health/medicine/dentistry is your passion?” and prove to the reader this is the right career path. No one else can explain this but you and your inner thoughts. When you are writing, YOU are making your transcript, experiences and life events “talk”.
This is just the beginning of your writing skills, if you are pursuing a MD/PhD. As a MD/PhD candidate you must propose your research, making it clear and concise. As many know-- writing your dissertation is truly your greatest skill in writing.
How will you transfer this skill in your professional work?
- As a health professional you will write patient directives by writing orders, assigning rehabilitation, and drug therapy for others to initiate
- You will write petitions to insurance companies in support of procedures which must be precise and descriptive as well as supportive.
Writing doesn't end upon your degree, it is just the beginning.
Stamina
Stamina includes your academic stamina which reflects your course loads, degree program and analytical skills. Emotional stamina is how you handle stress, crisis and the unexpected and physical stamina is affected on how you care of yourself and how you handle long hours of work.
Trust and Ethics
Obtaining the trust of your patient and acting ethically toward them is at the forefront of all aspects of medical education. As a health provider, you take an oath to respect the patient rights, obey the law; and follow professional standards.
Analytical Skills
The ability to analyze a situation under the stress and anxiousness of your patient is truly a skill. Being able to listen, ask the right questions, make an educated "diagnosis", and follow through with the correct treatment, medication or referral challenges your experience and your knowledge to the fullest. There is little room for mistakes in your judgment of helping a patient.
