Considering Graduate

Health Programs

Pre-Health Programs at WPI

Participating in the Pre-Health Program at WPI allows

you to major in any of the undergraduate programs

while completing all of the courses you need to apply

for a graduate health professional program. The

program is open to all students and no application

is required.

the Pre-Health Advisor Elizabeth Jacoby (erjacoby@

wpi.edu), who can help you manage everything from

choosing the right courses through applying to your

graduate programs.

How to Search for Graduate Programs

There are several great online resources for

searching, comparing, and evaluating graduate

programs. Some recommended resources for

researching schools include:

Guide to Graduate School – gradschools.com

pursue, view the online resources listed within the

specic sections below devoted to each area. WPI

faculty, alumni, and the Pre-Health Advisor are excellent

additional sources of program information.

Evaluating Graduate Programs

When researching and evaluating your options of

programs, consider the following factors:

• Reputation of faculty

• Quality of program

• Depth and breadth of curriculum

V. Other Health-Related Programs (Physical Therapy, Physician’s Assistant, Optometry,

Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nursing, Public Health)

HealtH Programs

(medical, dental, Veterinary, PHysical tHeraPy, PHysician’s assistant,

oPtometry, PHarmaceutical sciences, nursing, Public HealtH)

• Focus of the program and alignment with

your interests

• Program requirements

• Academic resources available (research,

• Geographic location

• Demographics of student body

• Types of positions and salaries of recent graduates

Materials and Requirements

The preparation and application timeline may be

dierent for the various types of health programs.

The following is a general framework for a timeline to

prepare to apply for health-related graduate programs

but you should invest time in researching the specic

• Visit the CDC to learn more about your desired

profession, career paths, and graduate school

• Attend Career Fairs (Fall, Spring, Life Sciences &

• Research volunteer/paid opportunities related to

• Meet with Pre-Health Advisor Elizabeth Jacoby

• Research programs, visit their websites, and

• Create a chart or spreadsheet to keep track of

• Visit schools if you are able

• Conduct informational interviews and job shadows

• Gather all application materials and complete

• Submit your application

• Participate in mock interview with the CDC before

your school interview (if you are involved with

Most health-related graduate degree programs will

considered for admission. If you are in a Pre-Health

sure that you can complete the courses that will be

required for graduate admissions.

Testing:

Graduate programs in the health elds will require

dierent tests depending on the program so be sure to

research the admissions requirements of the programs

to which you plan to apply. Students applying to

Medical School will be expected to take the MCAT Exam.

Dental School applicants should take the DAT Exam

while Optometry School applicants will be required

to sign up, visit the following websites:

• Medical College Admission Test (MCAT):

aamc.org/mcat

• Graduate Record Exam (GRE): ets.org/gre

• Dental Admission Test (DAT): ada.org/dat

• Optometry Admission Test (OAT):

Personal Statement:

A personal statement will be a required component of

questions or topics to cover. For the most part, personal

statements are very similar. Your personal statement

is your opportunity to introduce yourself to the

admissions committee and is not the time to be modest

– you are selling yourself to a competitive program and

• What are your career goals and how will this degree

• What background, experience, or skills will make

• What makes you unique from other applicants

Check out the CDC’s Tipsheet on Personal Statement

for more information.

Letters of Recommendation:

Most graduate programs will ask for two to four letters

of recommendation as a required component of your

application; the exact number will vary from program

Be sure to provide plenty of advanced notice to

the individuals you ask to write you a letter of

Ocial transcripts can be requested through the

Registrar’s Oce and will be sent directly from your

Because medical school admission requirements vary

from program to program, you should refer to the

The following websites contain additional resources for

researching the eld and schools:

(ama-assn.org)

(amsa.org)

The Medical School Admission

and is typically taken in the calendar year prior to the

year in which you plan to enter medical school. If you

available testing seat later in the year.

Important to note is that beginning in Spring 2015, the

MCAT will be changing and a new MCAT2015 version

For more information on the content of the exam,

how to prepare, and how to register, visit

The AMCAS system refers to letters of recommendation

letter. You will select the type of letter that will

The Medical School Interview:

The interview is an important component of the

medical school application process and preparation

is critical. Consult with the WPI Pre-Health/Pre-

Professional Advisor for more information on preparing

for the medical school interview. If you participate in

the Pre-Health Committee’s packet process, you can do

a mock committee medical interview. In addition, you

can do a mock interview with the Career Development

Center to get additional feedback.

Prerequisites for dental school vary by individual

programs so be sure to check the requirements for each

of the schools to which you plan to apply. Majoring in

science is not a requirement but you must complete

certain pre-dental science requirements.

Students planning to go to dental school should apply

for admission at least a year in advance of their planned

The Dental Admission Test (DAT):

dental school applicants are required to take. The test is

of the natural sciences (biology, general chemistry,

organic chemistry), perceptual ability, reading

comprehension, and quantitative reasoning.

For more information, test preparation materials,

American Dental Association (ADA) website

Medicine (DVM) degree, including private practice,

corporate veterinary medicine, federal government,

military, research, teaching, public health, food supply

medicine, global veterinary medicine, public policy, and

Applying to Veterinary School:

science or pre-vet is not a requirement but you must

complete certain prerequisites.

Most accredited veterinary school programs use the

application service allowing applicants to ll out one

received, posted to your application, and veried.

(AAVMC) website (aavmc.org)

Entrance Exams:

may also require the Biology GRE. The Medical College

Admission Test (MCAT) is also accepted by some

schools in place of the GRE. It is important to check

Additional Health-Related

Programs

Physical Therapy

According to the American Physical Therapy Association

(APTA), Physical Therapists (PTs) are “health care

reduce pain, restore function, and prevent disability.

Physical therapists provide care for people in a variety

of settings, including hospitals, private practices,

outpatient clinics, home health agencies, schools,

sports and tness facilities, work settings, and nursing

homes.” (Source: apta.org)

The Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service

(PTCAS) allows Physical Therapy (PT) applicants to use a

single web-based application and one set of materials

method. Be sure to apply early as it can take several

weeks for PTCAS to process your le once completed.

To learn more about the application process,

schools that participate, and to register/apply, visit

ptcas.org.

The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)

website (apta.org) is an additional great source of

these hours often must be veried and signed o on

by a licensed physical therapist. Though some schools

do not require PT hours for admission, it is highly

recommended.

Assistants (AAPA), Physician Assistants (PAs) practice

medicine on healthcare teams with physicians and

in order to obtain licensure. Many of the primary duties

to submit one application to multiple programs. The

Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is likely to be required to

apply to a PA programs but you should always check

encouraged to contact the programs to which they are

applying to verify spots are still available.

To learn more about the application process, schools

that participate, and to register/apply, visit

The following websites contain additional resources for

According to the American Optometric Association

(AOA), optometrists (or Doctors of Optometry) are “the

independent primary health professionals for the eye.

eye, and associated structures as well as identify related

that accept the OptomCAS, and to register/apply, visit

optomcas.org.

The following websites contain additional information

Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry

American Academy of Optometry (AAOPT) website

(aaopt.org)

The OAT is a computerized, multiple-choice test

four components: survey of the natural sciences

(biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry), reading

comprehension, physics, and quantitative reasoning.

ada.org/oat.

Pharmaceutical Science

has several paths to consider, and those paths

programs. Career paths in retail or clinical pharmacy

require pursuing a Doctor of Pharmacy degree,

which is typically a 4 year program. Pharmacists

provide pharmaceutical care to patients, develop and

Many rst-year professional Doctor of Pharmacy

in the pharmaceutical sciences accept applications

(PharmCAS), which is a centralized application service

allowing students to apply to multiple programs with

a single application. Most pharmaceutical sciences

programs will require the Graduate Record Exam (GRE)

but it is important to verify specic requirements with

your desired programs.

For more information on the application process, a

directory of participating schools and their specic

website (aacp.org)

(AAPS) website (aaps.org)

Nursing

Nurses have a great number of responsibilities in the

healthcare eld. They may perform physical exams

coordinate care plans and interpret patient information,

of settings such as hospitals, nursing homes, medical

oces, ambulatory care centers, community health

centers, schools, and retail clinics.

In addition to becoming a Registered Nurse (RN),

there are a variety of positions nursing professionals

can pursue, such as becoming an Advanced Practice

under the direction of an RN, APRN, or MD. (Source:

nursingworld.com)

Many nursing graduate programs accept applications

through the Centralized Application Service for Nursing

Programs (NursingCAS), which allows students to apply