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How can I be a better me? 
Students need to be culturally aware and actively pursue experiences that allow them to learn about themselves and others even if those experiences take them out of their comfort zone.

It is important to choose experiences that will allow you to stand out from the pack, prove your worth, and enable you to work with diverse populations at home and abroad. 

Study abroad at some point during your academic career.  Learn the issues affecting the health and well-being of populations in other countries. Meet with your academic advisor to see what class requirements could be met through a study abroad program.

Alternatively, there are Health Field related study abroad programs to consider:

• May 2025:
• May 2025:
• Summer 2025:

If you are a STEM major you will want to think about studying abroad early in your academic career.  If you want to go abroad later in you academic career think about an experience in community health in another country.  Freshman year is not too early to start the planning process.

Non-STEM majors have more flexibility but again it is never too early to start planning.
Participate in campus activities sponsored by the Office of International Student Services.

The Importance of a Strong Grade Point Average (GPA)

• The average GPA of those students who are accepted into a professional health graduate program is usually between 3.4 and 3.8 depending on the health profession.
  • This GPA includes all courses taken at any college or university (including those you took with dual enrollment in high school).
  • At the ÃØÃÜÑо¿Ëù you can increase your GPA by repeating a course in which you performed poorly and then applying for grade replacement. Graduate health programs do not do this – they will count both grades in your GPA calculation.
• Graduate health programs also want to see your biology, chemistry, physics and math GPA or BCPM. This will include all courses in these subjects taken at any college or university (including those you took with dual enrollment in high school).
  • The average BCPM of accepted students is also between 3.4 and 3.8 depending on the health profession.
• Professional health programs will require you to provide your academic GPA which includes all grades earned at any institute of higher learning as well as your BCPM GPA.

1. Attend all classes unless you're sick or have an excused absence.
   • Sit near the front of class to avoid unnecessary distractions.
   • Actively participate in class.
   • Take notes.
2. Develop a professional relationship with your instructors.
   • Helpful for academic reasons.
   • May end up asking them for letter of recommendations.
   • Get involved with their research.
3. Ask for help!
   • Every faculty has office hours.
   • Ask your instructor for help if you need it.
   • Office hours are listed on their syllabi.
4. Meet with you academic advisor every semester.
   • Meet with a pre-health advisor.
   • Schedule your appointments through your Navigate South portal.
5. Academic Services Center Resources
   • Free tutoring for most subject levels through the Center for Academic Excellence.
   • Need help with writing assignments/papers? The Writing Lab is also a free resource.
   • If you're struggling, don't wait to ask for help! Let someone know.

You are entering fields with very strong and well established service orientations. How will you show that you care about others to the admissions committees of these institutions? 

• Get involved in service at the start of your college career.  There are lots of ways to get involved.
  • Join Alpha Epsilon Delta (AED), the Pre-Health Honors Organization. Meetings are held bi-monthly during the academic fall and spring terms. Speakers from different areas of healthcare present during meetings. There are also lots of volunteer activities that you can participate in over the semester.
  • Join other Pre-health related student organizations. To see all active orgs, go to
  • Office of Community Engagement provides continuous service opportunities on campus and in the local community.
    
  • You will also want to get involved in a sustained, long-term volunteer activity that you do on a continuous basis throughout your time at South.  Find something you are passionate about and volunteer.

Don’t just join, get involved in the leadership of a student or civic organization.  You will be part of a team as a health professional and one way to learn how to be part of a team is to get involved and learn how to be a good leader.

• Remember, however, to not get over involved.  Prioritize your commitments and choose wisely.
• Your first focus needs to be on your accomplishments in the classroom and outside activities should not distract from that.

How do I really know I want to be a ___?  You fill in the blank.

How do you know you want to be a dentist if you’ve never shadowed a dentist?  Find out by shadowing. 

• You can gain shadowing experience on your own. Volunteer at a hospital.  Ask your family physician, dentist, or pharmacist if you can shadow them.
• Your pre-health and academic advisors can provide helpful information to help with this process.

What am I really learning through all these experiences?

As you go through the experiences talked about previously make sure you keep a journal. 

• Keep track of everything you do from this point forward.
• Don’t just note time and place.  Write about the experience. How were you feeling?  Did something happen that made you even more excited about pursuing this field?  Write the first thing that comes to mind.
• What are impactful experiences on which you can reflect? Any time you shadow, volunteer, do a project in class, etc. think about the impact this experience has on your preparation for graduate school.
• No one will read this journal but you. Be honest with yourself. You will find it invaluable when you start the application process.

If you are interested in undergraduate research, check out the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows (SURF) program to explore opportunities to obtain research experience.

For additional opportunities visit the Office of Undergraduate Research to find more.