Hello to all first year students considering the health professions!

As you get yourself ready to prepare for your future application to a health professions program such as medicine, dentistry, optometry, physical therapy, veterinary medicine, pharmacy, physician assistant, nursing, occupational therapy, and any other fields; you need to consider the different facets of your preparation and work on a plan. Start by setting goals related to the prerequisite courses you need to complete alongside the courses for your major.

Here are some other goals you might want to consider:

  • Draft a tentative four-year plan for courses and include a study abroad experience if that is something you are hoping to incorporate into your educational experience, and your future summer experiences
  • How do you plan to explore your health profession, possibly you may search online, or do virtual shadowing, but will also need to start volunteering in a clinical setting that relates to your health profession of interest.
  • Plan on gaining some shadowing experiences to observe a provider interacting with patients on a day-to-day basis
  • How will you maintain balance in your life and stay healthy
  • Set goals for getting involved with community service here in Middletown
  • Join a student organization and engage within your campus community (there are several health-related student groups).
  • Take advantage of the wonderful and diverse courses available to you
  • Build relationships with faculty, staff, and your HP advisor
  • Focus on personal growth and becoming more resilient
  • Hone your critical thinking, ethical responsibility, teamwork, cultural competence and scientific inquiry grounded in research.
  • Engage in self-assessment along the way and set goals to comport yourself as a future pre-professional for the health career of your choice
  • Read the Health Professions Newsletter and attend as many HP Events as you can
  • Visit with the Health Professions Advisor at least once per semester
  • Check out the health professions website
  • Preparing for the health professions is a long process and there are so many other goals I could list here, but instead I encourage you to think about any goals you may have that are not listed and incorporate them into your plan

Next step, begin developing an action plan to tackle those goals. As you move forward and have questions, please come see me. I would be happy to meet you and help in any way I can. Once you are on campus, you can set up an appointment on Handshake, or call (860) 685-2180 or just drop by the Gordon Career Center in Boger Hall and ask at the reception desk.

There will be an Overview of the Health Professions Courses in June and a broader Health Professions Overview for First Years during orientation in the fall, which will be repeated during the first week of classes for those of you that were not able to make it. I will also be at the Academic Forum and will have 30-minute drop-in appointments for the first two weeks of classes. I hope to see you in June.

Please scroll down this page to read my short Bio. Enjoy your summer!

Take care.

Mildred Rodríguez, Ph.D.                                                                

Health Professions Advisor/Program Coordinator

(860) 685-2180 || mrodriguez01@wesleyan.edu