USU Eastern offers a variety of academic and experiential resources designed to prepare students for graduate healthcare applications through its Pre-Health and Utah Health Scholars programs. These initiatives provide students with specialized advising, career exploration coursework, and international or domestic immersion opportunities to increase their likelihood of acceptance into medical and other healthcare professional programs.
Specialized Academic Advising
Academic advising at USU Eastern includes dedicated Pre-Health Exploratory Advising to help students navigate potential medical career paths. This advising service assists students by providing sample recommendations for first-semester classes, identifying necessary math paths, and outlining common requirements for various medical programs.
Students interested in these fields can join the Pre-Health Listserve to receive information regarding upcoming opportunities and visits from health school recruiters. Additionally, the Health Professionals Advising page serves as a resource for students to explore different medical schools and understand specific admission requirements.
Healthcare Program Preparation
The Utah Health Scholars (UHS) program is specifically designed to prepare students for admission into graduate healthcare programs. By engaging in a combination of academic and non-academic experiences, students aim to increase their success in applying to a wide range of specialties.
Targeted programs through UHS include medical, dental, physical therapist, occupational therapist, physician assistant, nursing, podiatry, optometry, veterinary, healthcare administration, and allied health schools. Students pursuing a four-year biology degree at USU Eastern can complete their undergraduate studies in Price while receiving the benefits of the Utah Health Scholars program throughout all four years.
Career Exploration Coursework
Coursework plays a central role in career preparation, specifically through BIOL 1060, a Pre-Health Professions course. This course focuses on career exploration within the pre-health field and is offered during both the fall and spring semesters.
The curriculum for BIOL 1060 includes weekly presentations on various careers by health professionals. Students also work on developing career-related skills, such as investigating research and professional shadowing opportunities, honing professional school applications, and exploring professional school admission requirements. USU Eastern recommends that students enroll in BIOL 1060 during their first year to better inform their undergraduate path toward successful professional school applications.
Practical Application Resources
The Utah Health Scholars program provides practical resources to help students prepare for the rigors of graduate school and clinical environments. These resources include job shadowing and patient exposure opportunities in a variety of healthcare fields.
To assist with the transition to professional education, the program offers application workshops and mock interviews to prepare students for school applications and interviews. Additionally, the program maintains a lending library that provides textbooks, exam preparation books, and reading materials focused on the experiences and concerns of healthcare providers.
Cultural Immersion Opportunities
For students in the Rural Health Scholars program, USU Eastern offers cultural immersion trips several times per year. These trips provide volunteer opportunities, patient exposure, and insight into healthcare practices in different locations.
These immersion opportunities are available in both international and domestic locations. Current offerings for these trips include the Dominican Republic, Panama, Salt Lake City, and the Four Corners region.
Program Leadership and Support
Faculty and staff members support these pre-health initiatives at the USU Eastern campus. The advising and instructional support is provided by several key individuals:
Wayne Hatch, an Associate Professor of Biology, and John Weber, an Associate Professor of Chemistry and Chemistry Education, provide academic expertise. Madysen Probst serves as an Academic Advisor within Advising and Student Services.
Pathways to Healthcare Careers
The resources provided by USU Eastern aim to bridge the gap between undergraduate studies and the complex requirements of professional healthcare training. By combining academic instruction with hands-on experiences like shadowing and immersion, the university seeks to equip students for the demands of graduate-level medical and health sciences programs.
