Co-Curricular Experiences
Health professional schools expect students to be well-rounded and require co-curricular experiences as part of the application process.
Programs seek out applicants with hands-on experiences who are dedicated to serving and assisting others. Grades and academics are important, but who you are outside of the classroom is equally important! Volunteering, job shadowing, and engaging in research provide opportunities for you to learn more about health-related careers while also serving others.
Additionally, hands-on experiences help you to learn about what a health field is really like. Volunteering in settings where practitioners work will help you understand their responsibilities. Volunteering helps demonstrate your dedication to serving others, which is important in a service-oriented field such as health.
Some programs require a minimum number of observation or clinical hours for admission. It is important to research potential programs early to determine their specific admission requirements.
Shadowing & Observation
Exposure to medical professions and experience in healthcare settings are important steps to take in your pre-health journey. Shadowing experience allows you to observe a professional at work first-hand. This will help you learn more about a specific profession and reflect on whether it seems a good fit for you. We encourage you to participate in a shadow experience early.
Shadowing in a variety of healthcare settings is required by some programs and is highly recommended for all programs.
Career Services is available to assist students in finding locations to volunteer or job shadowing. Student organizations are also a valuable resource for identifying locations to observe or volunteer, based on where other students have done so in the past.
Volunteering
Volunteering gives you the opportunity to serve and help others, which is a key component health programs look for in applicants.
The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley shares available volunteer opportunities.
Career Services is available to assist students in finding locations to volunteer or job shadowing.
Research
Participating in undergraduate research is a great opportunity to gain experience. We encourage students to connect with their academic program faculty to explore opportunities to participate in undergraduate research.
Leadership
Demonstrating your leadership skills and abilities are important as part of the application process. Some examples of leadership opportunities on-campus include serving in a leadership role in a student organization, becoming an ambassador for a group or organization, or getting involved with student government.