Preparing to Apply

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Health Professions Application Info

As a pre-health student, there is a lot to do to prepare your application to professional school. If possible, start the application process early.

You’ll need time to build a competitive profile, gather materials, request letters of recommendation, prepare for your entrance exam, and more. It is imperative that your application is competitive and complete early in the application cycle.

For almost all health profession programs, students are encouraged to apply one year (or more) in advance of their intended start date. For example, if a student would like to start medical school in Fall 2023, it would be recommended that they submit their application in June/July of 2022. It is important to remember that health profession programs will generally not consider updates to an application after the initial submission. Therefore, students are encouraged to have a holistically competitive application at the time of submission. In the example above, this would mean that a student would need to have a competitive application by June/July 2022, not Fall 2023.

Sometimes students may find that their application is not competitive by their intended application date. In these instances it may be in a students best interest to wait to apply to professional school for another year, allowing them time to improve upon areas of weakness. Students in this situation should plan to see Ms. Albaum and/or their Advisor to discuss options. Many times a gap year will be recommended.

Many health profession schools use a "rolling admissions" process where applicants who submit their materials first get interviewed first. These schools select candidates for admission from interviewed and continue this process until the class if filled. Therefore some students will be admitted before others even get interviewed. It is to every student's advantage to get his or her application materials completed and submitted as early as possible.

Application Information Handout
 
Factors to Consider Before ApplyinG
 
Application Examples
Professional School Tracking Template*
   

Want One-on-One Help?

The Director of Career Development, Lauren Albaum, is available year round to help you submit your best application. Applicants are strongly encouraged to meet with the Director for the following appointment types prior to submitting their application:

  • Pre-Health Advising
  • Personal Statement Review
  • Application Review 

Additionally, Dr. Albaum is happy to provide mock interviews prior to your interview with a health profession program.

Make an Appointment

Also, be sure to check the Events page for helpful workshops, webinars, information sessions, and more!

Application Systems

Most health profession programs utilize a centralized application service for the primary application. The centralized application service is computerized and allows students to complete one primary application and designate which schools they would like the application sent to. The cost of the application is based on the number of schools selected. The individual schools then review the content of the primary application and makes a decision whether to send a secondary application. The secondary application is specific to the individual professional school, unlike the primary application which will not ask any school-specific questions. If a student receives a secondary application from an individual professional school it is recommended that they complete this application quickly and return to the respective professional school admissions office. Upon receiving the secondary application and letters of evaluation, the school reevaluates the entire application and decides which candidates to interview.

Allopathic programs (M.D.)

American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS), www.aamc.org

Osteopathic programs (D.O.)

American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS),www.aacom.org

Dental

American Association of Dental Schools Application Service (AADSAS), www.adea.org

Veterinary

Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS), www.aavmc.org

Physician Assistant

Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA), www.aapa.org

Pharmacy

Pharmacy Centralized Application Service (PharmCAS), www.PharmCAS.org

Optometry

Optometry Centralized Application Service (OptomCAS), www.optomcas.org

Podiatry

American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine Application Service (AACPMAS), www.aacpm.org

Physical Therapy

Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service (PTCAS), www.apta.org

Occupational Therapy

American Occupational Therapy Association Centralized Application Service (AOTACAS), www.aota.org

Students can contact individual schools to request information and application materials for the following programs:

Not all programs participate in their centralized application system. If a program does not participate, you will need to contact the program directly for application information.

ADDITIONAL Application Materials

 

Entrance Exams

Most heath professions programs require that you take a standardized test to be considered for admission. It is recommended that you study for this exam for 6 months to a 1 year prior to sitting for the exam, depending on the test being taken. These entrance exams are expensive, and influential in the admissions process so adequate preparation is needed prior to taking your first official test. Learn more about the exams, resources to prepare, and fee assistance programs below.

Personal Statements

The intent of the essay is to give you the opportunity to explain why you are a good candidate for professional school while focusing on your unique qualities. The personal statement should NOT be a reiteration of your resume. It is recommended that students identify a theme, or a few themes, to structure their statement around.

Letters of Recommendation

Most students will be required to submit letters of recommendation when applying to Health Profession program. Students will need to check the application requirements for each school they are applying to regarding the number and type of letter requested. Students in the FSC Pre-Professional Program (P3) may request a committee letter. All other students will need to request individual letters of recommendation from faculty and healthcare providers based on the individual requirements of their programs of interest. Email lalbaum@flsouthern.edu for more info.

P3 Students may request a Committee Letter of Recommendation when submitting their Part 2 Application. Learn more about this on the Pre-Professional Program (P3) page.

Interviews

The interview provides the admissions committee with an opportunity to get to know you better and to assess your suitability for a career in the health profession. It also gives you, the applicant, a chance to become better acquainted with the school and its programs so that you will be in a better position to choose the school most compatible with your personality and interests. Interviews may be held in the following format: one-on-one, group, multiple mini interview (MMI).