Many Professional Schools have other requirements in addition to their primary requirements, including, but not limited to, calculus, statistics, biochemistry, or literature. It is very important for students to research specific schools they are interested in early enough to satisfy these additional requirements during their study at NAU.

 

Admissions committees gather information from the detailed application you will complete, which includes your personal statement, letters of recommendation, transcripts, a report of your standardized test scores, and your academic, extracurricular and volunteer history. Admissions interviews often follow this application review to better understand your qualifications.

 

Admissions Committees consider the following eight areas when evaluating your application:

1. Cumulative GPA

Many professional schools evaluate your cumulative GPA, your science GPA, and your “all other” GPA (non-science courses). Keeping the importance of GPA in mind, it is not recommended to take a heavy course load in your first semester.

2. Admissions Exam Scores

Taking the necessary admissions exam(s) early is recommended because it may help make your application more competitive as well as allowing for the opportunity to complete a re-take if desired. The following are Admissions Exams for specific professional areas:

• MCAT: Medical College Admissions Test

* The Office of BioMedical Professions may sponsor an MCAT Preparation Course during spring.

• OAT: Optometry Admissions Test
• DAT: Dental Admissions Test
• PCAT: Pharmacy College Admissions Test
• GRE: Graduate Record Exam

3. Personal Statement

Your personal statement should answer the following two questions: “Why do you want to be a (doctor, dentist, physician’s assistant, optometrist, etc.)?” and “What have you done to prepare yourself for this profession?” Your personal statement is usually slightly over a page in length and single-spaced.

4. BioMedical Professions Committee Evaluation

During your Committee Interview, faculty members will ask questions about your background, your academic record, and your clinical experience in an effort to determine your motivation and preparation for entering professional school. You may be asked questions about medical ethics, national health care, or HMOs among other things. Your interviewers are asking themselves, “Would I go to this person for my doctor, dentist, etc.?”

For more information on how to obtain your BioMedical Professions Committee Evaluation, please see the “Applicant Info” page of this website.

5. Clinical Experience

Clinical experience gained through working or volunteering at a hospital, clinic, or other health care facility is essentially required by most admissions committees. This experience should include actual patient contact in which you are the caregiver, no matter how insignificant the task may seem (getting a post-op patient ice chips, for example). Many schools require hundreds or even thousands of hours of experience, which allows for you to make certain that this is the career choice for you.

6. Community Service and Other Extracurricular Activities

These activities do not need to be health-related; tutoring disadvantaged students, coaching an after-school sport, volunteering in a soup kitchen, or any other similar activities are all excellent opportunities.

7. Personal Characteristics

Each year, admissions committees face the challenge of assembling an entering class of students who will best fit the mission of the school and serve the nation’s diverse population. Among the characteristics they examine are as follows:

 

8. Health Professions School Interview

If you are fortunate enough to be granted an interview, we suggest you make an appointment with the Gateway Student Success Center to schedule a mock interview. You can be videotaped, if you wish, and the career counselor will help you evaluate your interviewing skills after the completion of the mock interview during your appointment.