Health Professions

The Office of Preprofessional Advising works closely with students who are interested in careers in the health professions. We hope that the information in this site will help Columbia students and alumni prepare to make a successful application to a program in the health professions. Since a large majority of Columbia students who are interested in health professions apply to allopathic medical school, much of the information on these pages is dedicated to this area. However, much of the information is pertinent to other health professions programs, as well.

Columbia offers an excellent academic preparation for a career in the health professions. Students receive assistance in selecting an appropriate path through the curriculum depending on their areas of interest. The Office of Preprofessional Advising, along with the Center for Student Advising is available to help undergraduates and alumni investigate their options in health care, and guides and supports candidates through the application process to graduate professional programs.

Working with your advisors

First-years and sophomores who intend to apply to health professional school should work with their academic advisors in CSA to set forth a course of premedical studies. Upon declaring a major or concentraiton during the spring of sophomore, year, students will be assigned faculty advisors. Students will consult their faculty advisors with concerns about major requirements.  In addition to their faculty advisors, prospective health professional school applicants willconsult their academic advisor about premedical issues. The academic advisors in CSA work closely with the Office of Preprofessional Advising to guide students through their prehealth years.

When students declare their intention to apply to a health professional school they will register with the Office of Preprofessional Advising. Students are not assigned a specific premedical advisor until they have submitted their Premedical Advisory Committee Application. The assigned premedical advisor will work closely with the student throughout the application period and write their Premedical Advisory Committee Letter of Evaluation. For more information on this process, the Premedical Handbook offers a comprehensive discussion of curricula, activities, and application procedures for the health professions.