Advice from UT Pre-Health Students

“Use any resources that you have. Older friends, counselors, free Sanger Learning Center tutors. There is no reason to struggle alone.”

Sophomore • Pre-Dental

“It's a long path. Make sure you are fully committed, especially for pre-med, because the path only gets harder. It is important to determine whether the payoff is worth it.”

Senior • Pre-Med

“Get as much experience in your desired field as possible so you can be sure it's what you want to do. You want to be prepared to handle different types of situations later on in your career journey.”

Junior • Pre-Dental

“The direct patient care hours requirement for PA school is not a checkbox. It is the most important part of your application. Start as an EMT, scribe, or MA freshman year. Do not wait until junior year.”

Junior • Pre-PA

“Find the balance between confidence and content. Don't get discouraged if you don't start out well, but also understand that health grad schools expect a lot from you. You have to be hungry.”

Freshman • Pre-Med

“Get your pharmacy tech license as early as you can. It counts toward your observation hours, it pays, and it teaches you more about pharmacy practice than any class will.”

Junior • Pre-Pharmacy

“DPT programs want observation hours in at least two different PT settings: outpatient clinic, hospital, pediatric, sports medicine. Forty hours in one gym does not cut it.”

Senior • Pre-PT

“Do not underestimate the TEAS. Most nursing programs use it as a hard cutoff and you only get a few attempts. Give yourself two months of structured prep, not two days.”

Sophomore • Pre-Nursing

“TAMU vet school wants to see mixed animal experience, large and small. It is hard to find large animal clinics in Austin, but it is worth the drive to Bastrop or Georgetown on weekends.”

Junior • Pre-Vet

“Cold-calling optometry offices works better than you would expect. Most O.D.s were pre-opt students and remember what it was like. Be polite, be persistent, and follow up.”

Sophomore • Pre-Optometry

“Maintain your GPA and just do the things that most people do. You will be fine.”

Sophomore • Pre-Med

“The UT College of Pharmacy is on campus. Talk to PharmD students early. They can tell you which professors write the best letters and which rotations open doors.”

Junior • Pre-Pharmacy

“OT programs care a lot about showing you understand what OT actually is, not just that you want to help people. Volunteer in at least two settings, pediatric and adult. Then explain the difference in your personal statement.”

Senior • Pre-OT

“Dell Med accepts students from the UT undergraduate pipeline, but it is still extremely competitive. Treat your application like you are applying nationally: research experience, strong MCAT, and meaningful clinical hours.”

Senior • Pre-Med

“Find friends to study with. Pre-health is not a race against each other. The students who help each other tend to do better, not worse.”

Sophomore • Pre-Dental

“Shadowing a podiatrist is much easier to arrange than shadowing a surgeon. Offices are small, O.D.s and D.P.M.s have more flexibility. One cold call can turn into 100 hours.”

Junior • Pre-Podiatry