Based on standards from the University of Utah School of Medicine, Utah Health Scholars focuses on several areas to best prepare students for a career in healthcare. Students should seek specific advice from UHS staff regarding timing, hours, and how to make each experience meaningful.
Healthcare providers must not only know the people they serve, but they also demonstrate an interest in making their lives better. The best way to gain experience in helping others is to volunteer in your local community. Serving is a major focus of Utah Health Scholars, so much that it is integrated into our one-credit university courses. Many healthcare graduate programs require certain hours and volunteer experiences. Our staff help students connect with service organizations and provide advice on what makes these experiences meaningful.
Physicians, dentists, PAs, and other providers are leaders in their clinic, community, and across the globe. The ability to motivate a group of people towards a common goal is something students must cultivate at the undergraduate level. Great leadership roles stem from community organizations, work environments, campus clubs, and nonprofits. Students in Utah Health Scholars are given the tools and guidance needed to solidify strong leadership positions.
Students are expected to know a great deal about the healthcare profession prior to applying to a graduate program. One of the best ways to experience first-hand the life of a health care provider is to shadow one! Utah Health Scholars assist students in how to find a provider to shadow and get the most out of this experience. Through a direct partnership with Intermountain Healthcare, students in the program are given direct access to local physicians, PAs, dentists, podiatrists, nurses and others.
Depending on a student’s interest and graduate school selection, undergraduate research can be a great way to learn more about the science behind medicine. Cures for disease, new medications, and new discoveries about the human body are all possible through scientific research. To gain research experience, students are connected with faculty on campus or spend time at different universities across the United States during the summer.
The best way for students to determine if healthcare is a great career for them is to answer the question, “Do I like to work with sick people?” Often students fall in love with the idea of what they think healthcare is like without exposure to the “bread and butter” of the practice of medicine. Volunteering or working in a healthcare setting while in college can assist in figuring out if the role as a healthcare provider is a good fit for you. Utah Health Scholars connects students with jobs and volunteer positions with local hospitals, clinics, plasma donation centers, elderly care facilities, and disabled adult homes, just to name a few. In addition, students can participate in a cultural immersion trip to gain experience with underserved populations.
In order to enter a graduate healthcare program, students must have high grades and a strong entrance exam score. With difficult prerequisite coursework in college on top of an already busy schedule, it can be difficult to maintain a high GPA. Utah Health Scholars provides students with one-on-one, free, private tutoring through our Student Leaders. In addition, we offer a Test Prep seminar which prepares students to take the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT), Dental Admissions Test (DAT), Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT), Optometry Admissions Test (OAT), and the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).
As the pre-health experts on campus, Utah Health Scholars staff members are well versed on the different requirements for various graduate programs. Students can have a custom-made track with specialized insights into your field when meeting with our pre-professional advisors.
