Mission
UC Merced Pre-Health Advising exists to serve all current students and alumni who are interested in pursuing a career in healthcare. Pre-health Advising promotes student success and professional development by empowering students to become self-directed learners and decision-makers. In an environment that is welcoming, inclusive and supportive, we provide quality pre-health advising and health career exploration to help students develop sound, realistic educational and career plans and to take full advantage of their university experience.
Pre-health Advisor Service Goals
- Provide students with pre-health advising resources and materials that are accurate, current, and understandable, using delivery formats that respond to student needs.
- Provide interactive pre-health advising in timely and effective ways.
- Provide pre-health advising that is tailored to the distinctive needs of specific student populations, and reflects the unique environment of a research university.
- Facilitate student learning and self-advocacy about reaching academic goals and career plans.
Pre-Health Advisor Services Provided
As a result of training, advisors will be able to:
- Assess, explore and evaluate advisee’s motivation, commitment and fit for a career in the health professions.
- Provide current course lists to satisfy professional schools’ admissions requirements and clarify professional schools’ academic requirements.
- Be available to meet with students each semester to discuss course selection and application timeline.
- Encourage advisee to gain exposure to the health profession settings through volunteer work and shadowing.
- Notify students of significant changes to professional school admissions practices, processes or requirements.
- Discuss academic performance and implications of students’ performance on professional school admissions.
- Help students explore interests, abilities and goals and how these translate into a career.
- Assist students facing difficulties that affect his/her education.
- Refer students to appropriate university support services as needed.
Pre-Health Student Learning Outcomes
As a result of pre-health advising, students will be able to:
- Explore different health career options. Reflect on their interests and values to pick a field that is a good fit for their strengths and values.
- Know the pathway from undergraduate study to graduate/professional study.
- Know and understand the admissions criteria and requirements of the professional school to which they intend to apply.
- Prepare for a successful application to a professional school by taking their academic work seriously, balancing their workload between academic studies and extracurricular activities, being conscientious and organized and making sure all deadlines are met.
- Understand the proper sequencing of preparatory courses about the timing of admissions exams, as appropriate.
- Develop relationships with faculty and campus resources.
- Explore extracurricular activities to enhance the application to graduate/professional schools as well as develop the necessary skills to be successful.
