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Preparing for a Health Professions Career

Admission Tests/Entrance Exams

Standardized, nationally administered tests, specific to the health profession are often a required part of the application for admission to professional schools. Admissions tests are another way for admissions committees to assess your academic abilities and determine whether you have the ability to complete a very demanding professional program in the health sciences. Although most schools will not publish how much weight they give to test scores, this is clearly an important factor. GPA and test scores are a way for admissions committees to screen out less competitive students.

It is important for you to prepare well for these exams so that your results are a true reflection of your abilities. Remember that these are achievement tests, for the most part. That means they measure how much you have learned or how well-prepared you are (rather than aptitude or learning ability). As such, preparation pays off.

Preparing for the exam

One of the first things a student who anticipates taking the test should do is to learn as much as possible about the test, both its content and format. Knowing how you will be tested is an important part of preparation. Next, you need to decide on the best method(s) for preparing yourself for the exam. Some of your options include:

  • studying material by yourself
  • Form a study group to prepare for the exam
  • taking practice tests
  • taking a commercially available prep course
  • learning strategies for taking standardized tests

There are many publications available which offer practice examinations, as well as handbooks which provide information about the examination and how it is scored. In addition, Cal Poly through Continuing Education offers a practice Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) Preparation Course which reviews the sciences topics (general chemistry, organic chemistry, biology and physics) that are covered on the test. This has been highly recommended by previous Cal Poly students who prepared for and taken the MCAT exam.

Whatever method you choose, it is best to begin well before the test date. A specific block of study time should be set aside, preferably one or two hours daily. It is much better to study on a daily basis rather than attempt to review huge blocks of material in a short time. The emphasis ought to be on familiarizing yourself with concepts learned previously rather than on learning new material. The health professions peer advisors or your health professions advisor are available to discuss the various methods and strategies with you.

Many health professions students must take one of the following exams listed below. Check the requirements of each school carefully, however, since not all schools require the same entrance exams.

Application Essays/Personal Statement

This is it: the section of your application that makes you special and sets you apart from other applicants. As record numbers of applications are being received by the health professions schools, it is important that you realize the weight that is given to your personal statement by the admissions committee. This is the first information the health professions schools will get about you that is "non-numerical", and until you are given the opportunity to present additional (secondary) information or interview in person, it is what is going to determine if the schools are interested in you instead of someone else with a similar GPA or test scores.

Do not underestimate the importance of taking the time to do a good job on your personal statement.

Remember, the personal statement is about YOU and should be PERSONAL. There is no universal formula; you could discuss things such as: your personal journey toward your chosen career, important moments and what you learned from them, the special strengths you feel you offer the profession, your future goals or how you will contribute to the diversity of the class. Anecdotes are often more effective than pure descriptive passages that simply list the qualities you possess.

Consider the following guidelines:

  • Personal Background
    Include mention of family here. Are you a first-generation college student? Is your family from a low-income background? Did your inspiration come from family members involved in a health field? The influences that your family or early experiences had on you often convey what you value.
  • Motivation for a Health Career
    When did your motivation begin? Did you first realize you wanted this career in grade school or college? Did you have a role model? Did someone inspire or influence you in a way, positive or negative? Use personal experiences to validate your reasons & commitment for your chosen career path. Select incidents/vignettes to support your claims that will help personalize your essay.
  • Extracurricular Activities
    Are you a student athlete? Have you been involved in community service? Are you involved in a club, student organization? Are you in any leadership roles? What did you learn from these experiences? Describe in a way that allows your reader to conclude that you are a mature, independent, & motivated individual.
  • Work Experiences/Volunteer Experiences
    Remember that it does not matter whether or not you were paid for an experience. If you have had to work many hours a week to put yourself through school, make sure you mention that. Discuss how you have matured as a result of these experiences.
  • Hobbies/Interests
    There is no right or wrong here. If your hobbies or interests have nothing to do with a health career . . . great! You will be considered well-rounded. If they are related, you may be considered devoted. Get it? It doesn't matter as long as you have a life!
  • Future Plans
    Do you plan to consider the option of research with a health profession career? Do you plan to practice in a rural or inner-city area? Devote space to this in your essay if you have a genuine interest, not because you think the admissions committee wants to read it.
  • Gaps or Problems in Your Background
    Have you been out of school for awhile? Did you have one bad quarter? Did you lack focus in your freshman year? For what reason? Poor grades? Why? What did you do about it? How did you grow or mature through these experiences? When you write, you want to give your reader an explanation, not an excuse. It is okay to have made mistakes, but be sure to explain what you are doing as a result of having learned from them. If you have anything in your background which you feels need to be explained, include it in your personal statement.

Preparation

You should be keeping a file or have developed another method where you can place notes and documentation regarding your thoughts about the health professions, keep copies of articles from a printed source that caught your attention, or write comments on your health experiences. Such a file will help you write your essay when the time comes much like research notes help you write a term paper.

Just start writing

If you are not sure where or how to start your statement, just start writing. You may end up with many pages, but you can go back later and consider what is important to you. Write a portion then write again at another time. Put the document away and come back to it later. Something you wrote earlier may seem unimportant. You may want to further develop an idea or concept. Rewrite. When you have edited your work to about two pages or less, it is probably ready to be shown to others.

Plan to edit and polish

Personal statements are usually limited to only one page. Obviously, you cannot fit your entire life story on this assigned space. The answer to this dilemma is to prepare your statement well enough ahead of time so that you are able to edit and polish it to the point that you are happy with the impression you are giving of yourself. You cannot tell the reader everything, but with advance preparation, you can be confident you have conveyed necessary and relevant information. Plan to spend quite a bit of time writing, editing, re-writing, and polishing. Your statement cannot be thrown together at the last minute!

People Who Can Assist You in the Writing Process

  • Members of the Health Professions Resource Committee
  • Health Professions or Academic Advisor
  • Career Services Career Counselors
  • Family or friends who can be honest
  • University Writing Lab

Publications to Help You in the Writing Process

Write for Success, by Harold Bardo. Geared to help you write the professional school application. Uses examples of both successful and unsuccessful applications, critical review of actual applications of admission deans, and offers advice on the writing and editing process. Published by the National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions. This book is available to read in the Health Professions Resource Center, the Health Professions office, or Career Services.

Supplemental application “Secondaries”

Upon receipt of the applicant’s materials from the centralized application service, each professional school will notify the applicant directly regarding the need for additional material. Generally, you will be asked to complete a secondary application with a variety of essay questions. Some of these questions will be specific to that school, call for your opinion, or ask you to deal with a controversial topic. It is in your best interest to complete and submit the secondary applications as quickly as possible.

Letters of Reference/Evaluation

Virtually every health professions program requires that you submit letters of reference. These letters form a crucial part of your application and provide a way of differentiating you from other candidates. You need to plan this part of your application as carefully as any other.

It is strongly recommended that you discuss the selection of the authors of your letters of reference with a health professions advisor. You are also encouraged to talk with your academic advisor or mentor.

Various health professions and individual admissions offices may refer to a letter of reference by a variety of terms. You may be asked to submit an evaluation form, a letter of reference, or another type of evaluation. Regardless of what the letter or evaluation is called, the point is the same: To provide more information on you that cannot be derived from GPA and test scores, or from your own personal information.

Why do you need to obtain strong letters?

Letters of reference are extremely important because they help you to become less of a statistic to an admissions committee. In gathering your faculty evaluations, the most important factor is that your evaluator knows you well and is not just going to submit a standard letter for all his/her A or B students. It is important that you ask people who can be descriptive and write from a personal and specific background, rather than someone who can just provide a class rank and grade received type of letter. This is why it is important to develop a relationship with faculty members and other selected authors of your evaluation letters early in your college career.

The process of obtaining letters of reference requires careful planning. From the beginning of your first year in college, you should get to know professors, advisors, health professionals, employers or others, and give them the opportunity to get to know who well enough that they would be willing to write you an excellent letter supporting your application to a health profession school.

How many letters do I need?

Three or four, depending on the health profession and/or the schools' preferences.

From whom should I request letters?

Many medical and dental schools have indicated they like a balance of 2 science letters, 1 non-science academic letter, and 1 letter from a non-academic source. Because admission committees have so many applications to read, most schools will only accept and read 3 or 4 letters. It is not advisable to have four academic letters.

In some circumstances, a school might require that your letters include a letter from a specific source (ex. schools with a religious or military affiliation might require a letter supporting your interest in their program). If they tell you they need this, it is best to submit an individual letter directly to the school.

With the possible exception of research advisors, any non-academic letters should be from people who have known you and seen your work for some considerable period of time, probably a year or more. A letter from a person who just saw you volunteer for one quarter or whom you just observed once a week for a summer are often unable to address the issues the professional schools want to hear about. To be blunt, it may look like you just did volunteer work or observation to get a letter. Students often ask if it is good to include a letter from a coach or family friend. If the letter addresses leadership skills, reliability and ability to get along with others it is fine. Letters that merely attest to being a good athlete or being "a nice guy" do not usually carry much weight with admissions committees.

How to ask for a letter of reference:

Always contact the chosen evaluators before you give them the evaluation form and ask if they feel they know you well enough to write a strong evaluation. You should feel comfortable enough to ask a potential evaluator the following questions:

  1. Will you write me a letter of reference?
  2. If yes, will you be able to support my application by writing a strong letter on my behalf?
  3. Do you feel that you can go beyond my grades to describe me by commenting on my academic abilities, problem-solving skills, integrity and leadership skills?
  4. What do you believe are the strengths and weaknesses of my application?
  5. Do you have any advice as to how I can strengthen my application?

Be prepared to furnish the evaluator(s) with additional information.

When it is time to ask for the formal letter of reference, you should prepare information to give to the author of the letter. This should include:

  • A resume
  • a personal statement regarding your interest in your chosen health profession
  • Unofficial transcripts
  • information on the course(s) you took if the evaluator is an academic instructor, including your grade and any special projects you completed
  • a stamped, addressed envelope if the evaluator is to mail the form/letter for you or specific instructions on where to deliver the letter (e.g Health Professions Office)
  • special evaluation forms, (e.g. Letter of Collection Reference Forms) necessary or provided by the institution

Always provide the evaluator with sufficient time (a month is an appropriate length of time) to write your letter. Also, it is courteous to always send a thank-you to your evaluators after you have asked for a letter to be written. Be sure to let them know when you have been accepted to a health professions school!

What is the privacy waiver/Buckley Amendment?

Letters of reference forms usually include a section where an applicant is given the opportunity to waive or not waive the right to read the letter. The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 provides students the right to access their educational records. This includes letters of reference. Because many schools prefer confidential letters, students are given a choice to waive or not waive their right to see a letter of reference.

Choosing whether or not to waive your rights is a personal decision you must make on your own. It's important for you to be aware that you make the choice regarding waiving your rights and that it is a voluntary decision. A range of sources reviewed regarding this issue appears to favor that you waive the right, the assumption being that the letter may be more candid, and that you had confidence in your selection of your evaluators. A good discussion regarding waiving your rights or choosing to retain your rights, can be found in the Premedical or Predental Planning Guides by Jane Diehl Crawford.

Cal Poly’s Letter of Reference Collection Service:

At Cal Poly, many students choose to use the Health Professions Resource Committee Letter of Reference Collection Service. Please visit the CSM Advising Office in Bldg. 53, Room 219 to sign up for this service during your application year. All current undergraduate students and alumni are eligible for this service.

Deciding Where To Apply

There is no valid ranking of health professional schools. The best advice to a candidate is to obtain information from the individual schools, talk to recent graduates, visit selected schools and ask pointed questions of faculty and students.

Candidates should be most concerned with the academic rigor of a program, the clinical experience offered, and the availability of faculty and support services. Of course, the cost of the program, availability of financial aid, and the location and environment of the college can be contributing factors in deciding which program is best suited to the candidate.

Deciding on the professional program that best fits the applicant's need is a very personal process. All accredited schools produce graduates who are competent and capable of providing quality health care. The applicant must decide what values are personally important and then use those as a basis for evaluating the various programs. Some of the factors to consider are:

  • What is the focus of the professional school's training and does it match the applicant's interests and needs? Clinical opportunities? Research opportunities? Specialty training? Options for a combined degree? Qualifications of both teaching and clinical faculty?
  • What is the structure of the curriculum in terms of what is taught and when? How early does the student see patients? Opportunity for electives? Externships? Community service? Part-time work?
  • What academic resources are available to students? Faculty availability? Numbers and diversity of patients? Community settings? Hospital settings?
  • What services are available to students? Tutoring? Peer advising? Student government? Stress counseling? Housing? Medical care? Extracurricular activities?
  • Where is the school located? Is a rural or urban setting more desirable? Cultural or sports availability?

Centralized Application Services

The Centralized Application Services that are used by various health professions provide standardized information to each of their participating health professions schools from a single form that you complete online. The benefit of applying through a centralized service is that initially only one set of application materials and official transcripts need be submitted, regardless of the number of schools to which you apply.

The application services provide detailed admission information to health professions schools and to undergraduate health profession advisors, in addition to processing the primary application. If a school participates in a centralized application service you MUST use that service to apply to the professional school. If a school does not participate in a centralized application service, you must apply directly to that individual school. Listed below are direct links to the centralized application services and the health professions associated with each service.

Check with the Health Professions Office regarding upcoming application workshops. Individual advising is also available in 53-219. Call 756-2615 to schedule an appointment to see the Health Professions Advisor.

Interviewing

When invited for an interview, you have every reason to be excited, since most schools only interview a fraction of their applicants. Your application and transcripts have been carefully scrutinized, and you have been selected as a potential candidate for the next entering class.

Most health profession schools use an interview to assess a number of personal qualities deemed necessary for successful academic progress and professional practice. The interview is your opportunity to present yourself as a “real” person with realistic goals and aspirations. Not only is the interview your single most important opportunity to express or explain yourself to the admissions committee, it is also your opportunity to learn something firsthand about the institution. It provides you with the opportunity to ask questions about its programs and faculty and to tour the facilities.

Practicing Interview Skills

No one should go into an interview cold. You should decide in advance what it is that you want your interviewers to know about you and your special strengths. A well-prepared candidate will have thought about and practiced answering most of the questions that can be expected. You want to be very familiar with how interviews proceed, and with how you respond to the interview situation. Because most of us are not naturally at our best in interviews, careful preparation can make a big difference.

Sample Questions from Interview Participants

Cal Poly students who are invited to interview at health professions schools are asked to complete a Post Professional School Interview Report. These reports are kept in the Health Professions Peer Advising Office or the Health Professions Office and you are encouraged to read through them. The report includes: general format of the interview process; information on the interview itself; interview questions the students were actually asked; their general impression of the interview; and other general information related to the interview.

The following are interview questions that Cal Poly students have provided in the Post Professional School Interview Reports. Some similar questions are repeated here as it may be useful for you to consider the many different ways the same question may be asked. The questions are listed under the health profession the student was applying to, but take the time to read through all of them, regardless of your health career interests.

If you have recently completed your professional school interviews and would like to give us feedback, contact the Health Professions Advising Office.

You can also find medical, dental, pharmacy and podiatry school interview feedback at The Student Doctor Network.

The Health Professions Interview Program

The Health Professions Resource Committee offers students an opportunity to participate in a practice or mock interview in preparation for their health professions interview. In addition, valuable advising on interview techniques, personal statements and school/program choices will be provided by the interview committee. For additional information on the Health Professions Interview Program, contact the Health Professions Office at 756-2615 or stop by Building 53, Room 219.