Princeton University Health Professions Advising

06/02/2026

What can a recovering addict who didn't finish high school teach their physician? (400 words)

This prompt is a question asked on Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine's secondary application. Reflect on these prompts as you prepare for your application to medical school.

06/02/2026

Join us this evening for our Selecting Schools Accepted Applicant Panel. This year's applicants will reflect on how they selected the schools to which they applied, and will share their advice and tips on this process.

Panelists
Will Aepli '26, EEB
Virginia Cobbs '25, AAM
Doruntina Fida '21, ANT

Accepted Applicant Panel: Selecting Schools
June 2 | 5:30pm | Zoom

This year's applicants will reflect on how they selected the schools to which they applied, and will share their advice and tips on this process.PanelistsWill Aepli '26, EEBVirginia Cobbs '25, AAMDoruntina Fida '21, ANT

05/24/2026

The Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine program is a unique five-year MD program within Case Western Reserve University SOM that seeks to train physician investigators. All Cleveland Clinic students complete a year-long research thesis; all students (including international students) also receive a full-tuition scholarship. The program is well-suited to students who want to provide excellent clinical care while advancing knowledge through scientific inquiry.

The curriculum emphasizes problem-based and team learning and critical thinking, and includes an integrated research curriculum. With no grades, tests, quizzes or ranking, students enjoy a close, non-competitive 32-student community, but also participate in activities with students Case Western’s four-year University Program and MSTP (MD/PhD program). In addition to research training, Case students have ample access to patient care – students start working with patients in their first year, train at multiple hospitals, and have the chance to work in and manage a student-run clinic.

Prerequisite courses include General, Organic, and Biochemistry, and Writing/English. To prepare for the research-intensive curriculum, applicants must also have a minimum of two summers of hypothesis-driven research experience. Selection factors also include intellectual achievement, interpersonal skills, and “team spirit;” An ideal candidate “loves a challenge.” Applicants may choose to apply to all three programs at Case concurrently. A minimum 495 MCAT is required to receive a secondary application.

05/22/2026

HPA Newsletter: Year In Review 2025-26

What's inside: words of wisdom from this year's medical school applicants, student organization highlights, white Coat Photos from our dental, medical, and vet school alums, and more!

In this special edition newsletter: a review of the year, advice from med school applicants, a recap of programming, publications and more!Read HPA Newsletter: Year in RevieW 2025-26

05/21/2026

Welcome back, Tigers! Alumni health professionals and aspiring health professionals are invited to meet, mingle, and make connections with each other and our advising team. Join us for refreshments and conversation.

HPA Reunions Reception
Fri, May 22, 2:30pm - 5:30pm, HPA Lunge - McCosh Health, Floor 1

Alumni health professionals and aspiring health professionals are invited to meet, mingle, and make connections with each other and our advising team. Join us for refreshments and conversation. RSVP here We also welcome any support you’d like to provide to our aspiring physicians, including:Sharin...

05/13/2026

Founded in 1967, the Penn State College of Medicine is located in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and is part of Penn State Health, situated adjacent to Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. The school’s vision for medical education centers on training humanistic, systems‑ready physicians who are adaptive, collaborative, and prepared to care for both individual patients and populations.
The MD program is built around a distinctive four‑pillar curriculum that integrates biomedical science, clinical care, health systems science, and health humanities. Penn State is home to the oldest Department of Humanities in a U.S. medical school, and humanism is woven throughout the curriculum. Beginning in the first year, students serve as patient navigators, supporting patients as they move through complex healthcare systems while building early clinical and communication skills.

Students complete the Hershey‑based curriculum or may apply to the University Park Regional Campus, which offers an equivalent MD curriculum while leveraging the resources of Penn State’s main campus and emphasizing early community‑based care. Clinical training takes place primarily at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, a Level I Trauma Center, along with affiliated hospitals and community sites across Pennsylvania, providing exposure to rural, suburban, and underserved populations.

Penn State offers several accelerated MD pathways with a three-year accelerated entry into Penn State residency programs for students committed to specific specialties, such as emergency medicine, family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics or psychiatry. Additional standouts include the Global Health and Rural Health Scholars programs, student‑run and mobile clinics, and strong opportunities for community engagement.

With an entering class of approximately 150 students, Penn State College of Medicine uses a holistic admissions process that values academic achievement alongside service, leadership, teamwork, and resilience. The school accepts in-state and out-of-state applicants and trains physicians to serve Pennsylvania and beyond.

Penn State College of Medicine

05/12/2026

Join us this evening for our first Accepted Applicant Panel, focusing on personal statement and work/activities!

This year's applicants will reflect on what it was like to go through the application process. The focus of this panel is crafting the work/activities section and personal statement essay.

Application Peer Adviser Panelists:
Zora Arum '22, ENG
Taso Callanan '26, MOL
Doruntina Fida '21, ANT
Sam Lee '24, CHM
Jose Ortiz '23, SPO

Accepted Applicant Panel: Personal Statement and Work/Activities
May 12 | 6:00PM | Online - Zoom

This year's applicants will reflect on what it was like to go through the application process. The focus of this panel is crafting the work/activities section and personal statement essay. Application Peer Adviser Panelists:Zora Arum '22, ENGTaso Callanan '26, MOLDoruntina Fida '21, ANTSam Lee '24,....

05/08/2026

This week in Vitals: We tell you how to find good premed advice online in our question of the week. Join us next week for our Accepted Applicant Panel focused on the Personal Statement. We've released the slides from our Selecting Schools Part II workshop for anyone who wasn't able to attend. Yentli Soto Albrecht '16, PhD is calling for volunteers to help find a cure for ALS. If you're still finalizing your summer plans, take another look through the remaining summer opportunities we've showcased this week. Camp Twin Lakes has reopened their search- apply today! This is the season for health professions school info sessions- be sure to continue to check our spreadsheet weekly for local and online sessions.

HPA Vitals is a weekly newsletter sent out to interested Princeton prehealth students, alumni, and campus collaborators that includes upcoming events, undergraduate internships, post-grad job postings, the Question of the Week, and other important news items.READ TODAY'S VITALS - REGULAR EDITION REA...

05/06/2026

Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell in Hempstead (Long Island) in New York was founded in 2008 to address physician shortage in the greater NYC area and across the country. Hands-on, student-centered, active learning is emphasized throughout the four years, starting with EMT training for all new students. This approach to ‘knowledge in action’ promotes the transformation of students from bystanders to active participants in meaningful patient encounters.

The curriculum is divided into the First 100 Weeks (years 1 and 2) and the Second 100 Weeks (years 3 and 4). The ‘First 100 Weeks’ is organized around weekly themes anchored in small group, problem- and case-based learning program, with complementary sessions throughout the week taking place in large groups, labs, and multidisciplinary practice-based Initial Clinical Experiences. During the ‘Second 100 Weeks,’ students rotate through paired clerkships in Internal Medicine/Surgery, Pediatrics/Ob-Gyn, and Neurology/Psychiatry in inpatient and ambulatory settings and complete required and elective internships at hospitals in New York City and Long Island.

Zucker SOM’s evaluates applicants holistically, with the goal of selecting a class whose members represent a broad range of diverse experiences, backgrounds, and interests. Character traits including honesty, integrity, leadership, teamwork, empathy, maturity, emotional stability, creativity, ability to communicate with others, self-direction, and perseverance through adversity are expected.

Out-of-state applicants are welcome. Zucker/Northwell SOM currently does not accept DACA, Canadian, or international applicants. Last year, the admission committee evaluated over 5300 applicants for an entering class of 104, with 42% out-of-state applicants.

Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell

05/06/2026

Join APSA and HPA this evening for an informative panel featuring recently accepted & incoming MD/PhD students. Hear firsthand about the application process, the physician-scientist career path, and what to expect from a combined MD/PhD program.

MD/PhD Panel: The Path to Physician-Scientist
Weds., May 6 at 6PM in the HPA Lounge - McCosh 155

Join APSA and HPA for an informative panel featuring recently accepted & incoming MD/PhD students. Hear firsthand about the application process, the physician-scientist career path, and what to expect from a combined MD/PhD program.