Pre-Health Timeline

• Register for the Pre-Health Program to receive a weekly newsletter with upcoming events, opportunities, and announcements.
• Attend the informational meetings for the Pre-Health Program. These meetings will be announced through the weekly newsletter and Instagram page, and you’ll receive notices about them after you register for the Pre-Health Program.
• Make an appointment with the pre-health advisor in the Office of Advising and Student Services through BlueStar or by calling 773-325-8490 to introduce yourself, discuss the best way to sequences your classes and get acquainted with campus resources.
• Investigate the career information to identify the admission requirements for your chosen professional health program.
• Start taking the core courses that need to be completed before taking the entrance exam required by the professional health program. Focus on classes and earn high academic grades.
• Seek professional development and leadership opportunities, i.e. to volunteer, shadow a health professional, and identify student research opportunities on campus.
• Start to develop relationships with faculty, staff advisors, and faculty mentors at DePaul.

Summer Suggestions:

• Work or volunteer for a position in the health field; consider internships, student research, and leadership opportunities on campus or in your local community.  Contact the pre-health advisor and Career Center for details.
• Take summer courses if desired or necessary.

If you are a Pathways Honors Student pursuing an Acclerated 3+ Program, you will need to complete the tasks of your 2nd and 3rd year during your 2nd year.

• Attend the informational meetings for the Pre-Health Program. These meetings will be announced through through the newsletter and you’ll receive notices about them after you register for the Pre-Health Program.
• Meet with your pre-health advisor in the Office of Advising and Student Services and make sure you’re progressing through your pre-professional program requirements. 
• Continue to investigate the career information to identify the admission requirements for your chosen professional health program.
• Look for opportunities to become involved in meaningful activities (e.g. volunteering at a hospital or in a research group) that will strengthen your application.
• Continue taking the core courses that need to be completed before taking the entrance exam required by the professional health program. Discuss with your faculty or departmental advisor the options for upper-level courses that will best prepare you for your intended professional health program.
• Attend graduate school and professional school workshops offered through the Pre-Health Program.
• Attend local graduate school fairs/open houses.
• Apply for student research, internship, or enrichment programs, such as the Summer Medical and Dental Education Program.
• The Office of Advising and Student Services will automatically connect you to a faculty mentor on the Pre-Health Advising Committee (PAC) after you’ve earned at least C grades in each general biology and general chemistry course, including labs, earned at least 32 hours in residence at DePaul, and achieved a cumulative GPA of a 3.0 or above.

Summer Suggestions: 

• Work or volunteer in the health field.
• Participate in a summer enrichment, research, or internship program.
• Start to investigate the professional school application process.
• Start looking into how to take the specific entrance exam related to your  health professions program (MCAT, DAT, GRE, etc.).
• Consider entrance exam preparation options and talk with the Office of Advising and Student Service’s pre-health advisor about them.

If you are a Pathways Honors Student pursuing an Acclerated 3+ Program, you will need to complete the tasks of your 2nd and 3rd year during your 2nd year.

• Meet with your PAC faculty mentor – by this time you will have been automatically connected (assuming you earned at least C- grades in each general biology and general chemistry course, including labs, earned at least 32 hours in residence at DePaul, and achieved a cumulative 3.0 GPA or above) to the PAC and assigned to a PAC faculty mentor just by being part of the Pre-Health Program – to discuss taking the entrance exam required by your chosen professional health program and applying to the program.
• Make sure you have established well maintained relationships with your staff advisors, professors, and PAC faculty mentor. Start to consider from which professors on campus you can receive individual letters of recommendation.
• Identify and pursue leadership opportunities within the pre-health student organizations on campus.
• Begin compiling a list of specific programs that will meet your professional objectives.
• Look for opportunities to continue to be involved within the community (e.g. volunteering at a hospital or in a research group) that will strengthen your application.
• Continue to participate in unique and meaningful experiences in student research, volunteering, shadowing, etc.
• If you’re prepared and ready, register and take the entrance exam that is required for the professional program of your choice.  
• Many programs require a "personal statement" as part of the application package. If this is true of the program(s) you're interested in, you should begin writing this statement early. Be prepared to make multiple drafts as this statement is critical in the review of your application.
• If you're intending to start your chosen program immediately following graduation from DePaul, you should begin the application process, including requesting individual letters of recommendation from your professors.
• If you need a committee letter of recommendation, meet with your PAC faculty mentor to discuss the committee letter writing process.
• All students should prepare a “plan b” if you are not admitted to the schools of your choice.

Summer Suggestions: 

• Double check dates and deadlines and see what each school requires for a supplemental application.
• Over the summer start compiling everything you need for the application process.
• Most applications open the end of spring or early summer; therefore, start applying to the programs of your choice.
• Complete the application.
• Work on secondary applications.

• Meet with your PAC faculty mentor to discuss the status of your application to your chosen professional health program.
• Prepare for your professional school interviews and campus visits.
• Continue with your meaningful health experiences, volunteering, and conducting student research.
• If admitted make final decisions about your choice of school and notify schools you will not be attending.
• If admitted to a graduate/professional program, apply for financial aid by March 1st (FAFSA deadline).
• If admitted pay seat deposit by deadline.
• Continue to focus on academic grades for remaining courses.

• Register for the Pre-Health Program to receive a weekly newsletter with upcoming events, opportunities, and announcements.
• Attend the informational meetings for the Pre-Health Program. These meetings will be announced through the weekly newsletter and Instagram page, and you’ll receive notices about them after you register for the Pre-Health Program.
• Investigate the career information to identify the admission requirements for your chosen professional health program.
• Look for opportunities to become involved with activities (e.g. volunteering at a hospital or in a research group) that will strengthen your application.
• Seek meaningful employment, education and/or experience.
• Meet with the Office of Advising and Student Service’s pre-health advisor through BlueStar or by calling 773-325-8490 to discuss taking the entrance exam required by your chosen professional health program and applying to the program.
• Attend professional school workshops offered through the Pre-Health Program.
• Attend local graduate school fairs/open houses.
• Apply for student research, internship, or enrichment programs, such as the Summer Medical and Dental Education Program
• The Office of Advising and Student Services will automatically register you with the Pre-Health Advising Committee (PAC) after you’ve earned at least C grades in each general biology and general chemistry course, including labs, earned at least 32 hours in residence at DePaul, and achieved a cumulative 3.0 GPA or above.
• Meet with your PAC faculty mentor – by this time you will have been automatically connected (assuming you earned at least C grades in each general biology and general chemistry course, including labs, earned at least 32 hours in residence at DePaul, and achieved at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA) to the PAC and assigned to a PAC faculty mentor just by being part of the Pre-Health Program – to discuss taking the entrance exam required by your chosen professional health program and applying to the program.

• Make sure you have established well maintained relationships with your staff advisors, professors, and faculty mentors. Start to consider which professors and faculty mentors on campus from whom you can receive an individual letter of recommendation.
• Identify and pursue leadership opportunities within the pre-health organizations on campus.
• Begin compiling a list of specific programs that will meet your professional objectives.
• Look for opportunities to continue to be involved within the community (e.g. volunteering at a hospital or in a research group) that will strengthen your application.
• Continue to participate in unique and meaningful experiences in student research, volunteering, shadowing, etc.
• If you’re prepared and ready, register and take the entrance exam that is required for the professional program of your choice.
• Many programs require a "personal statement" as part of the application package. If this is true of the program(s) you're interested in, you should begin writing this statement.
• If you're intending to start your chosen program immediately following graduation from DePaul, you should begin the application process, including requesting individual letters of recommendation from your professors.

• If you need a committee letter of recommendation, meet with your PAC faculty mentor to discuss the committee letter writing process.
• All students should pepare a “plan b” if you are not admitted to the schools of your choice.
• Prepare for your interviews and campus visits.
• Continue with your meaningful health experiences and volunteer and student research.
• If admitted make final decisions about your choice of school and notify the schools you will not be attending.
• If admitted to a graduate/professional program apply for financial aid by January 1st (FAFSA deadline).
• If admitted pay seat deposit by deadline.
• Continue to focus on academic grades for remaining courses.