Parts of an Application

The application itself is a starting point for applying to any health professional program. It is a document that will include personal information about you (such as name, address, academics, and experience), as well as which program you are applying to. An application may require different documents to be attached. The form itself may be one that is to be completed online, downloaded and mailed in, or one that is part of a centralized application service. Supplemental applications may be required as part of the process, which would be a 'second step' application.

Deadlines, as well as other relevant information about the process, are usually on the application or on the websites with links to the application. Obtain a copy of the application or review the online application as soon as possible, so that you are able to identify what you need to do to be a viable candidate for the program.

Know that most health professional programs receive more applications than they have spots in their programs, so pay attention to all of the details in the application, so that you do not miss any critical information that would disqualify your application.

Prerequisite courses, also referred to as "requisite" or "required" courses, are typically defined as college-level courses needed for entry into a health professional program. Each health professional program will specify the prerequisite courses that are required for that program and when those courses need to be completed.

Look here for more information: Prerequisites

Grade Point Average (GPA) is often an important element in your application to a health program. There are many ways to look at a GPA. For example, you might consider your GPA for prerequisite courses, your GPA for your cumulative (overall) courses, or your GPA to measure science courses. (This last GPA calculation is referred to as “BCPM”, which is used by some medical schools and is a way to calculate your grades in Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Math courses.)

Each program will specify whether or not they have a minimum GPA requirement and the scale that the GPA is based on (such as a 4.0 system), if required. Keep in mind that the most applicants will want to exceed the minimum to be a competitive candidate. Additionally, some programs may consider other elements in an application in lieu of GPA or not have minimum GPA threshold at all.

Remember, check with each of the programs you are applying to, as the requirements may be different across programs. Ask what the minimum GPAs are for application, what competitive GPAs look like based on past admitted students, and what was the range of applicants' GPAs for those who were admitted. Remember that looking at past data is not a full indicator of the future, but it can give you some trending information to help you gain a clearer understanding of where you stand based on historical data.

Also, know that while GPA is often an important factor in admission committee decisions, there are also often other factors that are weighed into the decision of whether or not to admit a candidate to a health professional program.

Applicants to health professional programs will often have to take an admissions test. Admissions tests are a standardized way to compare applicants who may have vastly different profiles.

Some admissions tests are general, like the Graduate Records Exam (GRE), while others are more specific based on professional area, like the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT).

Some health professional programs (many medical and PA schools) also require a score from a Situational Judgement Test (SJT), such as the CASPer exam or the PREview Professional Readiness Exam. These consist of scenario-based questions designed to assess professionalism, problem-solving, and ethical decision-making.    

Each school will have its own requirements, allowances for how old test scores can be before they are no longer accepted, limits on how many times an applicant can take a test, etc. 

Learn more about Admissions Tests.

Gaining experience before you apply to a health professional program--whether volunteering, work, or both--can be a critical part of helping you to be a competitive candidate. Some programs will require a minimum amount of hours; others may require a certain kind of experience. Programs may even recommend (or require) shadowing experiences.

Look here for more information: Volunteering and Work Experience

Check with the program(s) you are applying to for details on what kinds of experiences are required to make you a competitve applicant.

The personal statement consists of a short essay (or more) required as part of the primary application or supplemental application to an academic program. It may be referred to as the admissions essay, statement of purpose, or letter of intent.

The personal statement serves an important role in the application process for both the student and the admissions committee.

For you, the student:
The personal statement is an opportunity to provide information that supports or enhances other parts of your application. It helps the committee know and understand you beyond what is in the rest of your application, and it allows you to highlight your practical knowledge of the field. It also provides an additional demonstration of your writing skills.

For the admissions committee:
The personal statement helps determine if you are a good fit for the school. It provides additional information about you and your experiences related to the field, and it helps the committee understand your motivation for pursuing the career.

The personal statement is typically one page in length, but length limitations of essays are often provided (e.g. 4,500 to 5,300 characters, including spaces). Please refer to the application instructions for directions and plan accordingly. The instructions generally ask applicants to write about their goals, how they decided on the profession, their motivation and aptitude, and how they have overcome challenges, but may have additional questions for applicants to respond to.

Get help with your personal essay with this online guide: Writing a Personal Statement for a Health Program. For a more in-depth review of your personal statement, you can book a personal statement appointment with a PHSRC career counselor 

Letters of recommendation are letters you request from professionals who know you well and who you feel can confidently recommend you for application to a particular school or program.

Letters of recommendation are required for students applying to most, but not all, health profession programs. These letters are also sometimes called letters of evaluation. It is important to check with any school to which you intend to apply and find out their specific requirements regarding letters of recommendation.

Look here for more information on Letters of Recommendation.

Many programs will send you secondary application materials to fill out after you submit your centralized application. These often include short essay prompts for you to answer. It is important that you personalize your responses to each school, and try to answer each question directly. Your responses, in conjunction with your other application materials, will help to determine whether you are granted an interview.

Schools often use interviews to determine the applicant’s suitability for the profession and school, as well as evaluate the applicant’s interpersonal skills and professional conduct. Your application and personal statement only tell part of your story. Your interview will give admission committee members the opportunity to meet you personally.

The interview also provides a chance for the admissions committee members to ask you about what you’ve said in your application and personal statement and explore who you are at a deeper level. Some health programs are using performance-based interviews (think: role playing) for admission criteria as well. One interview format is the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI), where interviewees answer different questions as they rotate through a number of stations.