The Office of Career Development will host its first annual Pre-Health Day, an event for students who are interested in healthcare, on March 21 in the Horvitz Administration Building at 10 a.m.
Pre-Health Day will allow students to get their career in gear and engage in activities that will make them more marketable upon graduation, said Career Adviser of Undergraduate Studies Emilio Lorenzo.
“The event is an ideal avenue to network with professionals in the field and hear about their journey,” he said.
Gaby Teixeira, senior biology major, approached Lorenzo with concerns that there were not enough resources on campus to help the pre-health students get into professional school.
“Lorenzo told me he was thinking about organizing an event to help those very same students; I have been offering input as to what I think would be beneficial for students, as well as gathering resources for a database that will be made available for current students and beyond,” she said.
The Pre-Health Day will consist of mock interviews facilitated by faculty, breakout sessions led by healthcare professionals, a panel of Health Professions Division students who will share their experiences in their programs and a workshop on admissions and managing the application process.
“The presenters come from various backgrounds and will be sharing their own journey toward reaching their goals including struggles they faced,” Lorenzo said. “Considering that the presenters all come from various areas of the field, students will be provided insights to other options they can pursue with their science degree.”
The presenters include medical doctors, dentists, pharmacists, a family medicine resident, a program director for pediatric residency, public health epidemiologist, a strength and conditioning coach, an audiologist, surgeons and a current medical scribe who is entering a medical program.
Each session will last 20 minutes and students will choose which session they would like to attend on a first-come-first-serve basis on the day of the event.
“The sessions and presenters’ abstracts will be emailed to students two weeks before the event which will give students plenty of time to review and be able to select the session during the check in portion of the pre health day,” Lorenzo said.
The event is open to 60 students. The first 20 students who sign up will receive an invitation to be interviewed by a panel of three individuals, a mix of faculty, professional staff and current healthcare professionals. The 40 minute interview includes 25 to 30 minutes of questions and then 10 to 15 minutes of feedback.
“The interview will provide a good glimpse as to what you should be working on as you get ready to apply to these programs and provides a taste of how such an interview process is facilitated,” Lorenzo said.
Check in will be held on the first floor of Horvitz and will begin at 8 a.m. During check in, students will receive their schedule with rooms for all breakout sessions. Lunch will be provided and the day will wrap up around 2:30 p.m.
Lorenzo said, “Hopefully, students will leave with a better understanding of their profession and what steps are needed to reach their desired outcomes.”
“Applying or getting ready for professional school does not begin your senior year, and it’s important for science majors or students interested in a field of healthcare to have a day dedicated toward what steps they need to take to reach their professional goals,” he said.
Teixeira said the event is a chance for students who are interested in professional health care careers to learn more about the different fields and how to stand out as a competitive applicant.
“This is a unique opportunity for students to have all the necessary resources for their professional school applications and interviews,” she said. “Students will have a chance to get all their questions answered and to learn from those students and faculty who have gone through the process themselves; it’s going to be great.”
Students must register prior to the event. To register, Log in to CAREERShark at nova.edu/careershark. Select “Student,” enter your SharkLink ID and password, click on the “Workshop” events tab and search for “Pre-Health Day.”
For more information, visit nova.edu/career, email career@nova.edu, or call 954-262-7266.
