FAQ’s: Resources (A-Z)

There's More Than One Way to Gain Experience as Pre-Health/Pre-Med Student

While "internships" are common in many other industries, they are not the only path for VU pre-health/pre-med students. Limiting your search to internships alone can cause you to miss valuable experiences and opportunities.
Check out Experiences & Opportunities to explore the full range of ways to get involved.

(Note: More resources and updates coming Fall 2026)

Ever wonder how you come across during an interview? Why not have a virtual mock interview and critique yourself?

• Log into Vanderbilt Career Services - Big Interview.
• New to Big Interview? Watch the overview video of Big Interview here.

Helpful Interview Resources

• AAMC: Full Interview Resources for Medical School Applicants
• AAMC: MSAR Interview Report for Applicants – Types & Interview Procedures
• Prep for Success in your Virtual Interview
• AACOM: Admissions Interview
• What's It Like To Participate in MMI Interviews
• Students interviewing for medical school may be asked questions about medical ethics. Here is a link from the AMA website which has a large database of clinical situations which highlight the of medical ethics in the context of actual patient care. After each situation is outlined, there are commentaries written by physicians from a variety of specialties. We think this will be useful for students as they prepare for their interviews, especially those students who have not taken a medical ethics course.
• ADEA: Go Dental Interviewing Do's & Don'ts

When applying to all professional healthcare programs and schools (A-Z: Athletic Training to Veterinary Medicine), there are several key items you will need to prepare. One component of your application submission entails planning for letters of recommendation. Not sure where to start with letters of recommendation as a pre-health student? Review the resources with helpful step-by-step guidance in the overall process.

• Letters of Recommendation: Advice for all Pre-Health Students
• Guidelines & Resources for Letter Writers (Your Mentors)

Additional advice and resources on preparing for letters of recommendation as a Vanderbilt pre-health student, please: 

1. Join/visit our HPAO Brightspace community. 
2. Go to "Content" and select "Apply” and “Letters of Recommendation" sections. 

Applying to medical or dental school? Consider the "committee letter" option at Vanderbilt University. 

Historically, some medical and dental programs across the country encourage a "committee letter" of evaluation as one of the options for your required letters of recommendation submission. While submitting a committee letter is not mandatory for your professional medical or dental school application, it may be encouraged by some admissions guidelines. 

At Vanderbilt, there is an overall process to obtain a "committee letter." Please note that there are eligibility requirements and deadlines for participation. Be sure to plan accordingly with the resources below.  

To learn more, full advice and resources to prepare for a "committee letter" opportunity as a Vanderbilt pre-medical/pre-dental student, please: 

1. Join/visit our *HPAO Brightspace community. 
2. Go to “Committee Letter” section to review all advice, resources, eligibility requirements and deadlines. Please plan accordingly.  

*Recently graduated from Vanderbilt University? Lost access to HPAO Brightspace after graduation? 

If you are a recent VU alumnus and lose access to HPAO Brightspace after graduation, please do not email HPAO, as we cannot restore your VUnetID or Brightspace access. Instead, please proceed to:

• Contact VU Information Technology (VU-IT) directly for support.  
• You will need to get your VUnetID reactivated through VU-IT. (Note: You received a notification directly from VU IT about this required step at the time of your graduation.)
• Once that is done, your access to HPAO Brightspace (if you joined it in the past) should be restored. (Note: You might need to rejoin the HPAO Brightspace. Link also located 24/7 on HPAO Website – “Connect with Us.” Please try that first.)

If those two completed steps do not restore access, you can email brightspace@vanderbilt.edu directly.

• Include your full name, VU NetID, and Vanderbilt email address.
• State that you are a VU alumnus who has reactivated their VUnetID and tried to join the HPAO Brightspace page with the link above, but it is still not working.

Typically, after you submit your official application to a professional healthcare program (A-Z: Athletic Training to Veterinary Medicine), the program will indicate when you need to request official transcripts from every college or university you have ever attended.

Often you will find these step-by-step "transcript" instructions in the official CAS (centralized application systems) instruction manuals, if your specific professional healthcare school utilizes one of them. 

Common CAS platforms include:

• Athletic Training (ATCAS)
• Dental Hygiene (ADEA DHCAS)
• Dentistry (ADEA AADSAS)
• Healthcare Administration (HAMPCAS)
• Medical/Clinical Laboratory Sciences (AHCAS)
• Nursing (NursingCAS)
• Occupational Therapy (OTCAS)
• Optometry (OptomCAS)
• Orthotics & Prosthetics (OPCAS)
• Pharmacy (PharmCAS)
• Physical Therapy (PTCAS)
• Physician Assistant (CASPA)
• Public Health (SOPHAS)
• Medicine (AMCAS, AACOMAS, or TMDSAS)
• Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology (CSDCAS)
• Veterinary Medicine (VMCAS)

If a program does not participate in a centralized application system, it will provide its own application process and specific instructions for requesting official transcripts. Please review each professional school program's official admissions website for full details and instructions about their specific application process.

Once you have reviewed the official application instructions, if you are seeking how to request transcripts from Vanderbilt University, you would review options at the Vanderbilt University Registrar's Office.

Tip: Make sure all of your final grades are posted on your official transcripts before requesting them. If a registrar’s office has not yet recorded a semester’s final grades, they will typically appear as “in progress” rather than the official letter grade—even if your professor has already shared your final exam results.

While our HPAO team is more than happy to discuss the application process for a professional healthcare school with you, we are not able to assist with transcript or enrollment verification orders.

Paying for Professional School

Financing a healthcare professional program requires planning. Most pre-health/pre-med students use a combination of funding sources. Understanding your options early can help reduce debt and expand opportunities.

Overview & Common Funding Pathways Defined:

Overview: Financial Aid for Healthcare Students

• Scholarships & Grants = These are funds that do not need to be repaid and may be offered by schools, professional organizations, or government programs. Some are merit-based, while others support students from specific backgrounds or career interests.
• Loans = Federal and institutional loans are a primary funding source for many students. Programs may include low-interest or need-based loans offered through schools or federal initiatives.
• Service-Based Programs (Scholarships & Loan Repayment) = Many healthcare fields offer funding in exchange for a service commitment in underserved areas. These programs can cover tuition, provide stipends, or repay significant portions of student debt.
• Government & Military Based Programs (Scholarships & Loan Repayment) = Many healthcare fields offer funding in exchange for a service commitment in government or military based healthcare service.
• Fee Assistance Programs = Application costs can add up. Many centralized application services (e.g., AMCAS, AADSAS, CASPA) offer fee assistance or waivers for eligible applicants.
• School-Specific & Professional Resources = Each health profession (medicine, dentistry, nursing, PA, etc.) has dedicated professionals that provide financial aid guidance, scholarships, and funding tools once you are accepted to your specific professional school.
• Vanderbilt University Specific Awards/Prizes = Nance Prize
• Financing Your Healthcare Graduate Education - General Resource Guide

Government & Military Based Opportunities:

• National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program
• Air Force: U.S. Air Force Healthcare Scholarships
• Army: U.S. Army - Healthcare Careers Scholarships
• Navy: U.S. Navy - Healthcare Career & Funding Opportunities & Navy Medicine - Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP) & Financial Assistance Program (FAP)

Additional Funding & Fee Assistance Program Healthcare Resources (A-Z)

Audiology & Speech-Language Pathology

Click here for resources.

Thoughtfully research your professional schools. It is essential to select schools that are more than just a good fit academically, but are also a good overall fit for your values, skill, and interests which will help you to become the future provider you desire to be. Spend time researching professional schools online and utilize our free spreadsheet that tracks the factors most important to you.

• Factors to Weigh Before Applying Worksheet (Free/Digital) 

(A-Z: Additional Healthcare Specific Resources)

Dentistry

• Official Guide To Dental Schools (ADEA)
• ADEA: Where to Apply Tips

Physician

• AAMC: What Made Your Medical School a Right Fit For You?
• AAMC: Ignore Rankings & Make Your Own List
• MSAR (Medical School Admission Requirements) from AAMC - Access the MSAR (M.D.) online one-year subscription service. This service is a powerful online database that allows you to easily browse, search, sort, and compare data on U.S. and Canadian medical schools.
• Choose D.O. Explorer Tool - Osteopathic Medical Colleges (AACOM) - Free, online database that allows you to easily browse, search, sort, and compare data on all D.O. medical schools.

Gap / Enhancement Years Are More Common Than You Think

It’s increasingly common for pre-meds to take at least one gap / enhancement year between their undergraduate studies and medical school. In fact, 72.7% of entering M.D. students in 2025 reported taking at least one gap / enhancement year in the AAMC’s Matriculating Student Questionnaire.

Taking additional time can be to your advantage as a pre-medical/pre-health applicant. 

If you feel you need or would benefit from further academic, personal or professional (holistic) development before applying to medical or any healthcare professional school, consider taking a gap / enhancement year to strengthen your preparation.

Why Consider A "Gap" / Enhancement Year?

• What to do During Your Gap Year(s)
• Making the Most of Your Gap Year(s)
• AAMC: Considering PostBac Programs Resources
• AAMC (M.D.): PostBac Premedical Programs Database. (Internet Explorer is not a supported browser for the AAMC website link. Please use Firefox or Google Chrome.)
• AAMC (M.D.): Summer Undergraduate Research Programs
• AACOM (D.O.): PostBac Premedical Programs Listings

Vanderbilt-Affiliated Specific Opportunities:

• VU Medicine, Health & Society: Post-Bac 4+1 BA/MA or 1 year M.A. degree program
• VU Master's Program in Biomedical Sciences
• VU School of Medicine Master of Imaging Science

(Note: Updates coming fall 2026)

AAMC Test Prep Resources

The Association of American Medical Colleges [AAMC] is excited to announce a new resource now available to students to help them as they prepare for the MCAT exam. “How I Studied for the MCAT Exam” includes profiles for 17 students who self-identified as having performed well on the exam. The profiles include insight on how the students performed, their overall study approach, tips, any challenges they faced and overcame, and “do’s and don’ts” for students to be aware of as they prepare. They can be found at: https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-medical-school/taking-mcat-exam/how-i-prepared-mcat-exam/

KhanAcademy

https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/mcat

Test Prep Companies

Many students choose to prepare for an admission test on their own, while others prefer to take a prep course. Applicants can certainly be successful either way. For those students considering taking a prep course, below is contact information for just a few of the local options which have been recommended by our students:

Altius Test Prep

Roger Muir
Office: 435-671-5783
Cell: 801-706-8125
Free Practice Test: https://altiustestprep.com/take_free/

Examkrackers

Examkrackers website
Janis Stott
Janis@examkrackers.com
386-864-1245

Kaplan

Free practice tests and free sample classes
1-800-KAP-TEST [527-8378]

The Princeton Review

MCAT Demo test and additional free online materials
Hailey Carl
Hailey.Carl@review.com