Who are non-traditional applicants/students?
Non-traditional students or applicants may have been out of college for some time, started later, discovered their passion later in life, or want a career change.
To apply to professional schools, you will need the following:
- Completed the pre-requisites
- Have high overall and science/math GPAs
- Performed well on the entrance exam (if applicable)
- Have a balanced course load that is challenging yet realistic
- Participate in various experiences and opportunities
UHM Students and Alumni: Schedule an appointment with one of our advisors to discuss your road to health professional school.
Coursework
- Many professional health fields require prerequisite coursework that you will need to complete before attending professional school.
- Each school is different, so check their website to see what prerequisites are needed.
- Some schools have expiration times for classes (i.e., courses taken more than five years ago may not be accepted).
- Double-check the schools you are interested in attending.
Experiences
Reasons why gaining experience is essential:
- Determining what field is best for you.
- Provides a deeper understanding of the field.
- Meeting professional school requirement hours:
- Hands-on
- Patient-interaction
- Shadowing
- Demonstrate traits important for practitioners like:
- Empathy
- Compassion
- Commitment to public service
- High ethical and moral standards
- Strong work ethic
- Demonstrated maturity through judgment
- Responsibility
- Dependability
- Potentially gain strong letters of recommendation from supervisors.
Fitting in time to gain experience may be difficult. Some considerations include family obligations, financial needs, and other factors requiring time. Aim for a well-rounded and balanced life.