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Establish your timeline

A page within Pre-Health Student Resource Center

Pre-Health timeline

Below is a generalized timeline a pre-health student might follow. Each student's situation varies! You can find a more detailed timeline in the "Pre-Health Prep" Canvas course. You can now self-enroll in the course!

Pre-health timeline

  • Meet with your assigned advisors and if you want additional perspectives, reach out to the Pre-Health Student Resource Center and/or the Academic Advising Center 
  • Attend events to explore careers, majors, and possible involvement opportunities 
  • Join a student organization that interests you, pre-health or otherwise 
  • Work hard in your classes and maintain a high GPA, and gain experience as able 
  • Consider enrolling in Introduction to Health Professions, HP 106 
  • Continue with previous commitments, plus anything you missed from Year 1 – it’s still a good time to join a student organization, for example 
  • Meet with a pre-health advisor in the Pre-Health Center 
  • Begin a rough plan of your next few years of coursework, if possible 
  • Develop alternative plans – what else would you be interested in doing if your main plan doesn’t work out? 
  • Do a job shadow or informational interview – reach out to your “network”, and see an advisor for help 
  • Start gathering information on programs you may apply to - this is often best done in a spreadsheet format
  • Talk with professors in their office hours to develop relationships 
  • Start tracking your experiences – it’s a good idea to also keep a journal of what you have learned 
  • Deepen your involvement - take student leadership positions that make sense for you
  • Strengthen your relationships with professors, advisors, and people you have met in the profession - a simple email update is sometimes appreciated
  • Do not lose focus on maintaining strong grades
  • See Pre-Health Center's information on applying with confidence!
  • Attend an interview workshop in the fall semester (these are usually coordinated by and marketed to specific pre-health student clubs such as pre-med, pre-PA, etc.)
  • If you get an interview offer, make an appointment with a career advisor for interview practice  
  • If you don’t get an interview offer or acceptance letter, consider the alternative options you explored in Years 2 and 3, and/or look into gap year plans, with the intention of applying again