Get guidance early.
Give yourself as much time as possible to explore the many facets of healthcare by engaging with CXD and Health Professions Advising early in your time at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾. Learn how to get involved on-and-off campus and how to strategically use your summers to explore and build experience.
Talk to people in healthcare.
Do you want to treat patients? Are you thinking of becoming a nurse, a physician, or a dentist? Or maybe public health is more what draws you in? No matter the track you are considering, there’s a Polar Bear that has gone that route and wants to connect with you. Attend CXD events to meet alumni and learn about various fields. Meet with a CXD advisor for advice on networking with alumni. Hearing first-hand from someone doing the job you aspire to is incredibly valuable and will help your decision-making process.
Develop a short-term and long-term plan(s).
Your short-term plan should be about what experience you want right now to explore your interests: what kind of research or volunteering you can get exposed to next summer or during the next school year, and about how to secure those opportunities. Your longer-term plan should be about what your after-ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾ experience will focus on. Perhaps you want to work in clinical research while preparing applications for medical school, or maybe gain certifications to work as a nurse. Certain tracks have course requirements, especially the pre-med track, which you may want to fulfill while at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾. For both, get help regularly from advisors at CXD and with Health Professions Advising.