Prepare for Health Professional School

It takes years to prepare for any health professional school. See the steps below to start preparing for your health professional school journey.

Most health professions require:

• One year of general biology with lab
• One year of general chemistry with lab
• One year of organic chemistry with lab
• One year of physics, including labs
• One year of college math
• College level writing (Most admissions writing course requirements can be fulfilled with your college's general education writing courses)

Additional requirements may include:

• Biochemistry
• Anatomy
• Physiology
• Microbiology
• Psychology
• Sociology
• Foreign Language

Gain Healthcare/ Clinical Experience

To be competitive applicants to health professional schools, it is critical you gain experience in a relevant healthcare setting. This can be volunteer work in a hospital, student-run clinic, pharmacy, dental office, or other health-related settings. Paid experience includes scribe, certified nursing assistant (CNA), medical assistant, pharmacy technician, EMT, paramedic, etc.

Most hospitals and clinics have established and structured volunteer programs that will provide you with shadowing and clinical experience.

• Find Clinical & Hospital Experience through UC San Diego Health
• For specific healthcare experience for a particular profession, visit the web page for your health profession of choice

Do Service/Volunteer Work

Many health professions expect applicants to have volunteer experience or work with underserved or marginalized communities. This is an absolute MUST for medical school. Overall, volunteer work and service demonstrates compassion and empathy, as well as shows commitment to helping communities with limited access to healthcare and vital resources.

Examples of service:

• caring for the elderly
• volunteering at food banks
• helping those with housing instability
• caring for people with disabilities
• tutoring in low-income high schools and communities
• providing health education to underserved communities

Take on a Leadership Role

Demonstrating leadership is essential in any health profession. Admissions committees want to see applicants who take initiative, manage a project, or execute an innovative idea.

There are many ways to gain leadership skills, but here are a few examples:

• Develop communication and leadership skills through the Center for Student Involvement
• Join a student organization and take on a leadership role
• Serve on a board or committee of student government, campus administration, or a community organization
• Tutor or train other students

Get Research Exposure

Research is generally not a requirement for entering health professional schools; however, many students participate in some form of research during their undergraduate years (particularly pre-med students). While it is not recommended to do research simply to “look good” on your application, there are many benefits:

• Exposure to a different part of science
• Understand the relationship between research and how it applies to your specific health profession
• Cultivate a strong mentorship with your principal investigator (PI), and potentially get a letter of evaluation
• Expand your network – oftentimes research can lead to other exciting opportunities (i.e. jobs, shadowing, etc.)

Find Research Opportunities:

• REAL Portal (database of research, service, and other opportunities at UCSD)
• Handshake
• UC San Diego School of Medicine
• Find a Mentor with the Faculty Mentor Program

Use Your Degree Requirements!

Some majors have courses for research and internships that are built in. Others have options like a research internship program or independent studies. You can also do an honors thesis if you qualify. Some College general education requirements require projects and active learning. All students also need at least 180 units to graduate, so if you need elective units you can add in research or internships. Consider these examples!

• Global Health - Health Field Experience Requirement
• Human Developmental Sciences - Field Research and Methods Elective
• Public Health - capstone
• Public Service Internship (minor)
• Internships
  • Biological Sciences - Biology Research Internship Program (BISP 197)
  • Chemistry Research Internships
  • Global Health Internships (GLBH 197)
  • Independent Study and Research: 199 classes (Ex: ANTH 199)
• Honors Thesis (ex: ETHN 100)
• Sixth College - Experiential Learning
• Seventh College - High Impact
• Eighth College - CCE 120
• Independent Majors or Minors

Develop Professional Relationships

If you are applying to any health professional schools, you will need 3-6 letters of evaluation/recommendation from professors, PI's, supervisors, etc. Because classes are large at UC San Diego, it can be challenging to get to know your professors unless you take intentional steps.

Here are some tips:

• Start by identifying mentors vs. "letter writers." Approach professors with sincerity and curiosity. This will lay the foundation for an authentic professional relationship
• Try Coffee with a Prof! Every college gives students opportunities to invite a professor to coffee each quarter
• Attend office hours and ask questions
• Participate in class or ask questions after class
• Take multiple classes from the same professor
• Take smaller classes (i.e. labs, senior seminars, etc.)