Professional School Expectations

What are health professional schools looking for?

All health professional schools are looking for students who are well prepared in basically three areas:

1.  An experienced based understanding of the desired health profession, working with patients and the health industry -- Shadowing, Observation, Clinical Experience & Patient Contact

All health professional programs will expect students to have a thoughtful, experience based understanding of the profession prior to applying.  This can be obtained through a combination of shadowing health care professionals, and/or volunteer and work experience in health care settings involving patient contact.  Some schools, especially in physical and occupational therapy, will specify specific observation hours.  Physician Assistant programs will typically require a certain number of paid direct patient care hours.  While other fields will not typically be so specific, they all value these sorts of experience.   

Visit our opportunities page for a variety of organizations focused on health, well being, community service, cultural competency and research.  Additional community organizations (both in Laramie and your hometown) are also possibilities.  

2.  Skills and attributes such as leadership, cultural competency, a service orientation, the ability to apply research and statistics to real world problems and communication skills. 

3.  The demonstrated ability to succeed in the coursework and pass the licensure exam -- Academic prerequisites, competitive test scores, and a broad and rigorous undergraduate education.

 

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CAREER CHANGERS AND NONTRADITIONAL STUDENTS

Considering a new career in health care?  Need to seek additional academic qualifications to apply to a health profession?  We are happy to help!

The University of Wyoming Pre-Professional Health Advising Office is happy to work with students who are considering a change into a health care career.  We will assist you in determining what additional coursework you need, if some coursework may need to be redone or refreshed, how health professional schools will look at your previous experiences, and what competencies you may wish to develop further. Please call, email, or schedule an appointment with us to discuss your situation and next steps!

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TRANSFER STUDENT INFORMATION

While all pre-professional health students need to balance major and degree requirements with their prerequisites and other preparation for health professions, transfer students need to be aware of some additional considerations.

Along with the prerequisites coursework, and courses needed for majors and degrees, transfer students also need to carefully consider how courses will transfer to the University of Wyoming.  All Wyoming community colleges, and many other schools in the region have articulation agreements with the university that assure students who earn an Associates of Art or and Associates of Science have met most general education requirements. We strongly recommend that students considering transferring to the University of Wyoming contact BOTH their intended major department and the pre-professional health advising office as soon as possible (even years in advance) to make sure their coursework will help them move towards their academic and degree goals.  

Transfer students should also aggressively seek out leadership, community service,  and research opportunities, as well as health care experience, BEFORE they transfer.  If you choose to wait until you have transferred, it will be difficult to advance in opportunities quickly enough to avoid delaying admissions by possibly several years.  

Please call, email or schedule an appointment with us to discuss your situation and next steps!

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To make an advising appointment, click HERE.