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 ³Õºº¾ãÀÖ²¿. 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-³Õºº¾ãÀÖ²¿ 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 ³Õºº¾ãÀÖ²¿. For both, get help regularly from advisors at CXD and with Health Professions Advising.