About the Health Professions Advising Committee

The committee serves students interested in, but not limited to, medical school (allopathic and osteopathic), dental school, veterinary school, optometry school, and physician assistant programs. The co-coordinators of the committee serve as advisors for all students, hold group meetings, and organize speakers.

Advising begins as soon as you arrive at Ursinus, with an information session during the first week of school about preparing for a career in health care at Ursinus. Advising continues in the spring with small group meetings with first-year students and the co-coordinators.

During the second year, informal meetings are conducted to answer any questions students have about applying for medical school. In addition, assistance is provided to help students find experiences that can fulfill both their Experiential Learning Project (XLP) requirement and better prepare them for their career.

At the beginning of the junior year, students are assigned an adviser from the committee. Advisers assist in revising personal statements, team up to provide “practice” interviews for students about to apply, and write up composite recommendation letters to send to medical schools—letters that are increasingly rare because of the time and care required to craft persuasive and informative letters, and which give Ursinus applicants an advantage over other applicants. Students continue to receive support throughout the application process, including interview preparation.