Pre-Med/Pre-Health Advising FAQs

Pre-Med/Pre-Health Advising FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Students and alumni are encouraged to meet with a Pre-Med/Pre-Health Advisor early and often and can make appointments on Handshake

A Pre-med/Pre-health Advisor provides informed guidance based on our past experiences with other students, knowledge of the expectations of graduate school etc..., and current acceptance rates. Advising is heuristic in nature in that the guidance is based on following general "rules of thumb" to steer students in the right direction. Advisors recognize that there are patterns of what typically works for successful applicants in pre-professional programs, so therefore we approach each applicant with non-judgement and genuine interest in their academic and professional development.

In the last application cycle, 2024-2025, approximately 30% of 95 SMC applicants or "advisees" opt-in to make appointments and consistently meet with one or both Pre-Med/Pre-Health Advisors from the Career Center. Since the introduction of a new "Gael Pre-Health Advising," and based on available data collected from the Career Center this past year, the overall outcomes have been outstanding: 

  • Over 50% of advisees have been accepted to medical school (DO and MD), about 20% increase in acceptance rate from application cycle 2023-2024
  • Approx 60% of advisees have been accepted into dental school, physician assistant master's programs, occupational therapy master's program, physical therapy doctorate programs, pharmacy school, PhD programs in STEM, or MFT Counseling programs.
  • The top 3 choices for SMC applicants (~20) to apply: medical school, physician assistant programs, or joint physical therapy doctorate programs
  • Each advisee met with the Pre-Med Advisor at least once during the application cycle for 1:1 interview prep, committee letter process, multiple personal statement revisions, multiple research statement revisions, and general application questions via email, in-person, and/or on Zoom. Over 300+ hours has been spent serving individual advisees throughout a school year. 

 

The First Year of college is a great time to focus on "exploration and building your academic foundation." Here is a general 10-point heuristic guide for your first year of college. Think of this as a "playbook:"

  • Register and do well in your science classes (Bio, Chem, Math)
  • Join pre-health or pre-med student organizations like St. Luke's Pre-Health Society
  • Make an appointment with the Pre-Med/Pre-Health Advisor in the Career Center
  • Start shadowing doctors, dentists etc... even if for a few hours. Ask Pre-Med/Pre-Health Advisor for the "Alumni Contacts list"
  • Get involved in volunteering--medical, community service, free clinics, food banks
  • Explore all the clubs and other student organizations at SMC--music, sports, student government, language clubs
  • Develop effective time management, consistent study habits, proper sleep hygiene
  • Meet with your First Year Advising Cohort Instructor (FYAC) to spread your science classes over your college academic plan
  • Get to know your professors early and form positive working relationships with them
  • Explore different majors (introductory classes) and seek out STEM tutoring/mentoring opportunities

In your Sophomore year, the focus is "building a track record" not only as an SMC student but as a pre-health student. Here are general ways to start crafting your presence in the healthcare industry:

  • Continue taking your prerequisites--organic chem, physics
  • Declare your major(s) by fall semester--biology, philosophy, French, health science, any field that you'd like to study
  • Start a spreadsheet tracking hours (shadowing, clinical, etc...)
  • Find meaningful volunteering experiences (food banks, coaching youth sports, mentoring)
  • Explore research opportunities--paid, credit, volunteer i.e. SMC Summer Research Program
  • Consider Executive Leadership roles in clubs and organizations--President, Secretary, etc...
  • Reflect on the kind of healthcare professional you might want to be (oncologist, zoo veterinarian, physician assistant)
  • Learn about the entrance exams for professional schools i.e. MCAT, GRE, TEAS/HESI
  • Attend the Pre-Health Fair and Industry Meetups in Healthcare hosted by the Career Center

During your Junior year, if you plan on attending right after graduation, then it is recommended to continue to do well in your academics, build your track record, and focus on "application prep + MCAT" during your Junior year at SMC. Let's look at a general guideline for a pathway into medical school:

  • Complete all prereqs by end of your junior year
  • Start test prep, MCAT for example, ~6months ahead of target test date in April-June
  • Take full-length MCAT practice exams
  • Decide on individual and/or committee letter process by spring semester
  • Draft a list of schools and research their mission/vision statements using MSAR/ChooseDO
  • Draft and revise your personal statement--"why do you want to be a ____?"
  • Begin primary applications (AMCAS/AACOMAS) in May
  • Submit applications early in June
  • Prep for secondaries/supplemental questions as they arrive mid-summer

During Senior year and beyond, the focus can be on "personal and professional growth and development." The following are typical outcomes of past SMC alumni to support their pathway into medical school:

  • Continue to consistently volunteer and/or work in healthcare (EMT, CNA, medical scribe, medical assistant)
  • Continue to consistently volunteer in your community (tutoring, mentoring, coaching)
  • Consider backup plans i.e. training programs, post-bacc/non-degree programs, re-taking pre-req classes at local community colleges however core pre-req classes may be preferred at a 4-year institution
  • Consider traveling and serving an underserved community or region like joining AmeriCorps, Teach for America, Peace Corps, Mercy Corps
  • Preparing for MCAT and application process

NOTE: The overall admission process is typically one year from the time of submitting your application to the final outcome. 

Yes, the Advisors can support with preparing for the different types of interviews like multiple mini interviews (MMI), traditional in-person, virtual, pre-recorded video [screening], ethical scenario questions, dress attire. Sometimes an SMC alumnus, in that profession, is invited to sit in on interview prep and provide real-time feedback as well.

Yes, as part of "Gael Perks," all alumni still have access to the Career Center services for free regardless of graduation year. All alumni can access Pre-Med/Pre-Health, Pre-Law Advising, and general graduate school advising and make appointments on Handshake with a non-SMC or SMC alumni email. Advisors are willing and able to support alumni in building a compelling narrative on why they're pursuing a career change whether it's in law, medicine, or another industry. Regardless of the professional school, applicants are encouraged to apply early and broadly and to use your life experience as a strength rather than a deficit. Advisors can support SMC Alumni with the following components:

  • Clinical & Patient Experience
  • Research & Extracurriculars
  • Volunteering & Community Services
  • Application & Personal Statements
  • Letters of Recommendation process
  • School List Strategy (reach, target, and safety) and so much more...

The Career Center offers the following FREE opportunities for students and alumni year-round:

  • 1:1 Advising with a Career Counselor
  • ~4 virtual Pre-Med/Pre-Health Series each semester on rotating topics: Careers in Healthcare; First-Time Application Strategies; Crafting a Unique Personal Statement; Obtaining Clinical Opportunities; Learning Strategies for MCAT, DAT & GRE; What does Holistic Admissions mean? Sample Schedule
  • Pre-Health Fair in Fall semester (Past Event)
  • SMC Alumni Industry Meet-ups throughout the year
  • Direct Doctor of Osteopathic (DO) Pipeline to Touro University (Vallejo)
  • SMC Alumni in Healthcare Contacts
  • Access to a list of free non-SMC sponsored webinars and events for pre-health students
  • Weekly Career Center Drop-In Office Hours @ STEM Center, Assumption Hall
  • Strong collaboration between School of Science faculty, STEM Coach, Career Center, and Pre-Med Advisor to support pre-med/pre-health students in medicine, dental care, nursing, vet med, pharmacy, optometry, etc..

The Pre-Med/Pre-Health Advisor in the Career Center works with the SMC Health Science Steering Committee to gather as much information as possible for students and alumni. In addition to the internship job boards and career resources on the Career Center website, please see the Department of Health Science website on your MySMC Dashboard to access more information on pre-health clinical internships and research programs.

Yes! The new SMC Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is ready to accept its first cohort for Fall 2025! Click here for more details. The Career Center is available to serve all prospective BSN students with career readiness in healthcare, 1:1 interview prep for entrance into the program, resume revisions, and job networking opportunities. 

Still have questions?

Contact Career Center at careers@stmarys-ca.edu or visit Ferroggiaro, 2nd floor