How to be a Competitive Applicant to a Health Professional School
Summary of key academic and non-academic factors to keep in mind as you prepare to apply to health professional schools.
Timeline
Semester by semester guide for students applying to medical or dental school for a Fall 2011 matriculation.
Letters of Evaluation
Learn more about the recommended process of asking for and collecting letters of evaluation.
How to Calculate your Science GPA
Admission Tests
Learn more about the admission tests for health professional schools.
DAT - Dentail Admission Test
OAT - Optometry Admission Test
PCAT - Pharmacy College Admission Test
GRE - Graduate Record Examination
Personal Statement
All health professional schools require applicants to submit a “personal statement” during the initial application phase. Learn more about items to consider when writing this statement.
Choosing a Professional School
Learn about key factors to consider as you decide where to apply and also where to matriculate.
Centralized Applications
Learn more about the centralized applications for the following health professions: medicine, dentistry, podiatry, pharmacy, physical therapy, physician assistant, public health, and veterinary medicine.
Five Key Components of a Centralized Application
List of Central Application Services for the Health Professions:
AACOMAS – Association of American Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service
AADSAS – Associated American Dental Schools Application Service
AACPMAS – American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine Application Service
PharmCAS – Pharmacy College Application Service
PTCAS – Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service
CASPA – Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants
SOPHAS – Schools of Public Health Application Service
VMCAS – Veterinary Medical College Application Service
Interview Preparation
Getting prepared for the interview is just as important as the interview itself. Review tips on how to prepare and sample questions you may be asked.
Interviews are generally conducted 6-11 months prior to the beginning of the fall semester in which an applicant would matriculate. For the majority of applicants, this would occur during the senior undergraduate year.
The interview process differs from school to school. Some schools will conduct interviews one-on-one, while others schools will schedule an applicant to meet with a panel of interviewers. Still other programs will have a combination of both. Information regarding a school’s specific interviewing policies and procedures should be provided to candidates in the initial stages of the selection process.
Preparing for the Professional School Interview
Read here for more detailed steps and ideas on how to best prepare.
Sample Interview Questions
Health Professional School Interview Workshop - Fall 2009
