The Application Process

The application process to most healthcare programs begins approximately one year before the desired date of admission. If you want to go straight into your chosen program after you graduate, you will need to apply in June or July of your junior year and continue as an applicant into your senior year. There is no reason to rush into applying. Taking a gap year or two can often benefit your application. It’s better to wait until you are ready, rather than apply too early with a weak application.

There are four key components to the application process: the application form (usually within a centralized application system), test scores (such as MCAT, DAT, GRE, etc), letters of recommendation, and an interview. 

Almost all professional healthcare programs use a centralized application system, so you will submit one application to multiple schools. The application includes personal information about you, including name, address, academic background (including all college-level coursework), and experiences. The centralized application gives you an opportunity to explain why you are interested in your specific healthcare field and how your background and goals align with that area.

Once programs have had a chance to review your application, they determine whether to send you a secondary (or supplementary) application. This is where you’ll have the chance to explain why you are interested in that school specifically and answer questions relevant to the program’s mission and interests. It is important to return secondaries quickly (ideally within a week or two) in order for your application to be considered complete!

Health professional programs often require an admissions test as a standardized way to compare applicants. Some admissions tests are general, like the Graduate Records Exam (GRE), while others are more specific based on a professional area, like the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT).

Check individual program websites to understand what test may be required for you and how your score will impact your application.

A relatively new component of applications is the Situational Judgment Test (SJT). There are many types, but in general they are standardized exams that consist of hypothetical scenarios you may encounter with patients in the future. The exams aim to help admissions officers assess your professionalism and approach to solving problems. They also attempt to measure traits like professionalism, ethics, communication, and empathy. There are a variety of options, so research the programs that you are applying to in order to understand which SJT you will need to take.

Letters of recommendation are letters you request from professionals who know you well and who you feel can confidently recommend you for application to a particular program. Be sure to check each school’s website carefully to know how many letters to send. The most common requests include a letter from one science professor (chemistry, biology, or physics), and one additional faculty member from science or humanities. Other letters can come from a supervisor, volunteer coordinator, and/or others who know you professionally. It is essential to be interactive with faculty both in and out of the classroom in order to gain a strong letter of reference. Faculty will be less willing to write letters if they have had minimal contact with you and therefore do not know you well.

Compiling letters of reference takes time, begin sooner rather than later. Offer faculty a reasonable length of time to respond to your request and expect to do some direct follow-up with them to assure your letters are in progress or completed. It is also helpful if you limit the number of requests for letters from any person. Writing letters takes time; try to be considerate of your letter writers! 

If you've made it this far you are at the final hurdle of consideration. Your interview skills are very important and greatly influence an admission board's decision to admit you. Good grades and test scores are not enough to offset a bad interview. The best way to prepare is to know what to expect and use resources available to you to prepare.

Health Professions Advising offers practice interviews, sign up for one via Handshake! The Career Services Center also offers workshops on general interviewing skills.

The interview offers an opportunity to evaluate your suitability for the profession and school, as well as evaluate your interpersonal skills and professional conduct. Interviewers will ask about what you’ve said in your application and personal statement and try to understand more about who you are.

Some general recommendations about the interview include: be able to discuss in detail what you mention in your personal statement; show respect for the process with proper attire and speech; be prepared to discuss why you are better than candidates with equal or better credentials; be prepared to discuss the latest issues in health care; reduce the number of I's and my's; do not be too intimidated or shy but engage your interviewer in a conversation.