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Your Path to a Healthcare Career

Brief Summary of Your Path to a Healthcare Career 

  Freshman Year

Freshman Year

  • Meet with your academic advisor to make a 4-year plan. Tell them you are considering a pre-health track.
  • Your #1 priority is to get A’s in your classes! GPA matters!

    • Take advantage of your professors’ office hours
    • Take advantage of free tutoring in the Student Success Center
    • College classes will only get harder in future years, so analyze yourself and your study habits honestly, then make changes to your behaviors to achieve mastery.
  • Introduce yourself to the Pre-Health Professions Advisors

    • Meet our Director of Pre-Health Advising in the Seaver College Career Center
    • Meet our Faculty Pre-Health Advisor in RAC110
    • Confirm your 4-year plan with one of the Pre-Health Advisors
  • Start a pre-health journal to chronicle your personal experiences and development
  • Investigate the range of health career possibilities

  • Check out and get involved with our campus pre-health organizations (Peppervine)

    • Pepperdine Pre-Medicine Club
    • Pre-Dental Society
    • Pre-Physician Assistant Society
  • Learn what qualities are desired in physicians, dentists, etc and start living it

    • Look up “Core Competencies for Entering Medical Students” in aamc.org
    • Search “Preparing for Dental School” in adea.org
  • Investigate and initiate possible summer experiences such as:

    • Summer Enrichment Programs
    • Shadow a Physician, Dentist, or Pharmacist
    • Volunteer at a hospital or clinic
    • Research
    • Get certified as an EMT or CNA
  Summer after Freshman Year

Summer after Freshman Year

  • If needed, take summer classes
  • Participate in the summer experiences you initiated
  • Maintain your pre-health journal to keep track of your hours and experiences
  • For the classes you performed well in, consider being a TA, grader or tutor
  Sophomore Year

Sophomore Year

  • Your #1 priority is to get A’s in your classes! GPA matters!

    • Never waiver in your ongoing honest assessment of yourself and your study habits. What was needed in previous courses might not be the same in your new, more advanced courses

  • Become a TA, grader or tutor to keep your previous science content sharp 
  • Continue to live and develop the core competencies (desirable qualities in applicants) 

  • Continue your involvement with your pre-health organizations

  • Develop relationships with your professors (i.e. your potential recommenders)

  • Start local community service, clinical volunteering or part-time clinical work or 

    internships

    • Check out resources available through the Career Center 
    • Ask your fellow club members
    • Ask a Pre-Health advisor
  • Investigate summer research opportunities and, if interested, apply for them

    • Check out resources available through the Career Center
    • Ask your fellow club members
    • Ask a Pre-Health advisor
  • Intitiate shadow opportunities wiht physicians, dentists or pharmacists
  Summer after Sophomore Year

Summer after Sophomore Year

  • If desired, return to last summer’s volunteer or clinical positions
  • Pursue the research and/or shadow opportunities you established during the year
  • Pursue EMT or CNA positions with your certification
  Junior Year

Junior Year

  • Meet with a pre-health advisor to strategize your next steps 

    • Will you take a gap year or apply this year?
    • When will you take the MCAT, DAT, PCAT, etc?
    • Start requesting recommendation letters 
  • Continue to get A’s in your classes
  • Your highest priority is to dedicate high quality study time to the MCAT, DAT, etc
  • Continue or become a TA, grader or tutor to keep your previous science content sharp
  • Continue to live and develop the core competencies (desirable qualities in applicants)

  • Investigate specific medical or dental school programs to determine (a) which program missions you align with and (b) if you are a competitive applicant for those programs

    • Subscribe to the Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR)

    • Search "aacom-reports matriculants” in aacom.org

    • Search “data-analysis-and-research/applicants-enrollees-and-graduates” in adea.org

  • Continue to gain clinical experience or research. Consider leadership roles
  • Start working on your personal statement
  Summer after Junior Year

Summer after Junior Year

  • Take and do well on the MCAT, DAT, etc (aim for ~510 or better on MCAT and 19-20 or better on DAT) 
  • Start filling out primary applications in early May and submit your applications early June 
  • Submit secondary applications as they come in
  Senior Year

Senior Year

  • Prepare for the interviews that you have been invited to

    • Schedule mock interviews with the Career Center
    • Gain interview insights from fellow applicants at Pepperdine 
  • Complete your prerequisite courses (and get A’s) 
  • If you are taking a gap year or two, start investigating opportunities that will strengthen your application and increase your competitiveness (research, clinical experience, etc.)