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Office of Post-Baccalaureate Studies

Pre-Health Professions Advising

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Dr. Bruce Liby, Chair and Associate Professor of the Physics Department is the Pre-Health Professions Advisor and Chair of the Health Professions Advisory Committee.

Students are encouraged to begin thinking about the process of gaining admittance to professional schools early in their undergraduate careers.

It is important not only to excel academically, but also to become a well-rounded individual. i.e. take courses in the humanities, volunteer to help others, work on research projects, become honor society members and student leaders.

 

Resources and Links

Pre-Health Professions Advisor

Dr. Bruce Liby advises Manhattan College students interested in attending health professions schools.  Feel free to visit him in Hayden Hall, room 305A, or contact him via email, bruce.liby@manhattan.edu or voice mail, 718-862-7899.
 

Pre-Health Professions Mailing List

To have your name added to the mailing list, email your name, major, year in school, field of interest along with your Manhattan College email address to Irene Snitkoff, M.A., Coordinator of the Office of Post-Baccalaureate Studies at: irene.snitkoff@manhattan.edu

You may come by to visit Ms. Snitkoff or call/email to arrange an appointment.  See room location and contact information above.

General Criteria for Admission

A Good GPA: Your GPA indicates if you are academically capable of successfully completing professional school. Admissions personnel will examine your natural science GPA, overall GPA and trends in your performance. Different health professional schools require different GPA ranges for admission, but typically a GPA of 3.5 or better is competitive.

Good Admissions Test Scores: Most professional schools require some sort of entrance exam, either the GRE or a specialized exam like the MCAT or DAT. Your scores on these exams will indicate whether you are capable of meeting the academic challenges of professional school and if you will be able to pass the national board exams in your field when the time comes. These exams will typically be taken late in the junior or early in the senior year, after the core courses have been taken.

Evidence of Commitment to Health Care: Awareness and commitment to health care as a career can be shown through first-hand experience. It is imperative that you find summer jobs, research opportunities and internships in the health professions. In addition, you should read articles on current issue, both scientific and social, in the medical and health field.

Personal Attributes Conducive to a Career in the Health Professions: The health professions demand superior personal attributes. Integrity and responsibility are expected. Schools also look for traits such as leadership, maturity, perseverance, breadth of interests, ability to relate to people effectively, and, perhaps above all clear motivation. A pre-health student should be very sure of his or her reason for pursuing a career in the health professions.

Extracurricular Activities: It is important to be involved in activities, which include service to others and/or those in which you have a leadership role are important. The level of participation is more important than the number of activities. Be selective and get involved, don't just be a name on a membership list.

Recommendations: A key component to a pre-health student’s application is his/her letters of recommendation. The Health Profession Advisory Committee (HPAC) provides a composite letter of recommendations and evaluations for all students in the program who are applying to health professions school. This composite letter is based on your answers to the HPAC’s Professional School Candidate Information Form, meetings with the pre-health professions advisor, and letters of recommendation from professors, employers and personal references.

Interview: If all application material is acceptable, you may be invited for an interview at a health professional school. The interview is critical for your acceptance into the school. Be ready to answer questions about your motivation for a career in the health professions, academic performance, health-related experiences and questions relating to issues in the field. You will make a positive impression at the interview through your ability to communicate, develop rapport, and demonstrate enthusiasm, poise and confidence. Mock interview sessions can be scheduled to assist students with the interviewing process. 

(Modified from a Stetson University webpage)
 

Irene Snitkoff, M.A., Coordinator, Office of Post-Baccalaureate Studies

Updated March 2008