Additional Helpful Information
- The Helpful Websites section of your career track
- quick links to official sites for various health professions
- national student feedback on various aspects of the application process and related issues. However, some of this needs to be taken with a HUGE “grain of salt." If you have questions or concerns about anything, contact Juniata Health Professions at jchealthprofessions@juniata.edu
- information on interviewing; AAMC resource, 35 Questions I Wish I Had Asked (can be adapted to any health profession, and the NAAHP Interviewing for Health Professions Schools brochure
Keep our office informed. We are here to help you, but we need your help as well. As two important reminders, please be sure to:
- List Juniata as a recipient of your admission exam scores OR if the service does not provide this option, email your scores to jchealthprofesssions@juniata.edu
- Inform Juniata Health Professions of any updates to your database information after it is posted
Prepare for your interview by becoming educated about health care issues and by being articulate about why you want to be a health professional, why you would like to attend the particular school at which you are interviewing, and highlights from your shadowing experiences that confirmed your career choice. Also review what you learned at the interview training workshop and your own experience with your Committee interview. If you were advised by Committee members that you could use additional interview training, be sure to sign up for additional one-on-one training in the Career Services Office. Also see the Helpful Websites at the top of this page.
On the day of your interview it is important that you be as relaxed as possible. Arrive in plenty of time and go to a quiet place to center yourself. Soft belly breathing is very helpful. If you center yourself on a regular basis, you will not only be able to relax better during your interview, but you will also accrue long-term benefits, some of which involve changes in gene expression.
The waiting game. It can be very stressful waiting to hear about the outcome of your applications. It is important to support each other and to keep our office informed of your status! If you have any concerns or need a listening ear we are here for you.
If You Are Accepted
- Notify our office at jchealthprofessions@juniata.edu so we can share in the good news!
- If you have multiple acceptances:
- Consider the following factors as you narrow down your choices: geographic location (includes cost of living and access-or not- to family/support system), the curriculum and class size, the mission and ethos of the school (do you feel "at home" there?), special opportunities, and financial aid
- Do NOT hold multiple acceptances unless you are waiting to hear about financial aid or for a decision from your top school. For those applying to MD or MD/PhD programs, there are "traffic rules" regarding dates when applicants must respond to the schools if they have multiple acceptances. Be sure to also arrange for financial aid for professional school and to take steps to put your undergraduate loans into deferment.
- Let us know your final choice
- The AAMC has some guidelines for transitioning to medical school that can be useful general information for all professional schools. Good luck to all!
If You Are On The Wait List
It will be helpful to follow up with the school by sending your first semester senior grades with any updates and a letter of intent indicating your continued interest
If You Are Rejected
All is not lost! We work with our students indefinitely beyond graduation and will advise you on your next steps. Most students are successful on reapplication.
Reapplication requires addressing the specific issue(s) that proved problematic on your initial application. It is critical to talk with your health professions advisor to discussion your situation. This could involve just retaking the admission exam, getting more shadowing experience, improving your interview skills, and/or working to enhance your GPA. If a formal post-baccalaureate program is in order there is a concise list of programs at allopathic medical schools that may also be appropriate for fields other than medicine. There are many such programs at osteopathic schools as well, including PCOM and LECOM as just two examples. Be sure to consider the financial implications of these programs, as they do NOT guarantee a position in professional school.
Return to Applying to Professional Schools