Advising Health and Legal Professions Students

This column examines common misperceptions about pre-health, pre-med, and pre-law students.

Advising Pre-Health Students

by Christine Richmond

The freshmen are here!  Where did the summer go? While students were off studying abroad, doing internships, or taking classes, we were all busy with Preview presentations, catching up on our to-do lists, and preparing for fall.  The freshmen are here and, as always, there are a few thousand who dream of a career in the health professions. We love their enthusiasm, their eager faces, and their excitement of being a Gator.  But with freshmen come questions, and lots of them.  One of the most common questions we get during Preview is “What is the best major for pre-health?”  It’s funny how many different misconceptions are out there.  Some students think they have to be a biology major to have the “best chance,” while others think they need something out-of-the-box so they stand out to admission committees and don’t “look like everyone else.”  So what’s the truth?  What a student majors in really does NOT matter.  Statistically speaking, there is no greater chance of admission for science majors, humanities majors, or social science majors.  These all have roughly the same admission rates based on the number of applicants.

Still, we do have some advice for pre-health freshmen who are deciding on a major.   If they choose a science major, it’s important for them to have a well-rounded curriculum that includes some non-science courses.  I tell students every day that medicine is a lot more than science -- there’s a social side, a humanistic side, and an ethical side to health care. They need to prepare themselves to work with diverse groups of people who will be their future patients.  So courses that teach them about different cultures, religions, languages, or societal issues can be valuable. If you want some ideas to share with your students, see our handout of pre-health course suggestions.  Conversely, if they are non-science majors, we recommend that they take some upper-division science courses beyond the prerequisites if they can.  Students should ask themselves:  What am I truly interested in learning?  What would I major in if I weren’t pre-health?  What might fit in with a back-up plan if I change my mind about going into healthcare? 

We all know students tend to do better in course work that interests them, so encourage them to explore the wide variety of options UF has to offer and find a major that they’ll love. Also, please encourage any pre-health freshmen you see to watch or attend the Pre-Health 101 and MCAT 2015 workshops. These contain important information that they all should be aware of. Students can now register for and view workshops on the pre-health website from the comfort of their own room.

Did you know?

We have a new Pre-Health advisor on our team!  Mandi Santos joined the AAC in the spring and has been busy training to see pre-health students all year. She’s now fully on-board and is seeing all levels of pre-health students. We’re so excited to have her!

Advising Pre-Law Students:  A Peek into the LSAT

by Sara Mock

It’s very common for students to think that they need to pursue a variety of law-related courses during their undergraduate years to effectively prepare for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), the half-day standardized test which must be taken for admission to most law schools; however, the LSAT is not like a mini bar exam; in fact, it requires no legal knowledge.  Instead, the test measures logical analysis and analytical reasoning skills considered important for the study of law.  It’s composed of five 35 minute multiple-choice sections (although one section is experimental and not counted for scoring purposes). The test sections are divided into reading comprehension, analytical reasoning, and logical reasoning. There is also a required writing sample that isn’t scored; however, copies of this sample are sent to the law schools that the student applies to.

Would you like to take a peek at the LSAT to see why it is, for many students, such an anxiety-inducing component of the law school application process?  If so, visit the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) website for some sample questions with answers and detailed explanations.  The website also provides additional tips to help students prepare for the LSAT.  As always, please let anyone on our pre-law advising team (Liz Kazungu, Sara Mock, Nick Mrozinske, and Lou Powers) know if you have any questions.  We’re happy to help!