“Sleep before a test!” (And Other Tips from Junior and Senior Health Careers Students)

The annual First-Year Students’ Health Careers Mingle event was held on Friday August 28 to welcome the class of 2024 to the Pre-Health Program at SLU.  In case you missed it, here are some tips from our junior and senior students pursuing health careers as physicians, dentists and nurses. 

(Thanks to Skylar Hein, Asha Johnson, Rachel Loyst, Jake Thomas, and Mimi Husinec for sharing your experiences and expertise!)

1. “Don’t make one bad grade into more bad grades!”  If you’re struggling with a class or received a poor grade: talk to the professor, visit the professor during office hours, get a tutor, work to better schedule your time so you can be better prepared, or study with classmates.
2. Get a planner and keep track of key dates so that you can best utilize your time and prepare ahead when more than one assignment or test is on the same day.
3. Talk to upperclass students early in your college years to get their suggestions and opinions on courses and on-campus opportunities.
4. Consider studying abroad.  It’s possible, you just need to plan ahead!
5. Where to volunteer: activities with the Pre-Health Club, Hospice Volunteer, CARE fellowship, Campus Kitchens, virtual pen pal with elderly folks.
6. Seek out research opportunities by contacting professors.  This type of experience is a great talking point for interviews.
7. In the current days of remote learning, stay on a schedule for asynchronous courses.  If the course is schedule for 10:50-11:50, sit down at 10:50 to do the work.  Think of this as setting time blocks to get things done.