UCSD Pre-Health Advising and Application Overview

Introductions and Overview

  • Jay Frame (Associate Director, Pre-Health/Pre-Med Advising):
    • At UCSD for about 3.53.5 years.
    • Background: Neuroscience from UC Riverside, initially pre-pharmacy, decided it wasn't a good fit due to personality.
    • Master's in Counseling with a specialization in College Counseling and Student Services.
    • Over 77 years working in higher education.
    • Combines pre-health experience with current knowledge.
  • Katie Michael (Academic Advising Program Director):
    • Supports all academic advisors on campus.
    • Never premed due to disliking needles.
  • Health Week Overview: Quick introductions, overview of health week, and resources.

Academic Advising Structure

  • Every student at UCSD has two academic advisors:
    • Major Advisor: Located in the specific department or program, assists with all major requirements.
    • College Advising Team: Located in the undergraduate college, helps with general education (GE) and university requirements.
  • QR codes are provided to help students identify their advisors if unknown.

Career Advising & Resources

  • Pre-Health Advising: Housed within the Career Center.
    • Jay and Ron (speaker not fully introduced here, but implied as a co-presenter) are part of the pre-grad advising portion.
    • Most programming, events, and advising take place through the Career Center.
    • Events and activities are often managed through Handshake.
  • Key Resources to Utilize:
    • Website: lp.ucsd.edu (easy to remember for pre-health guides and resources).
    • Handshake: Platform for events and opportunities.
    • UCSD Career Services Social Media: Facebook and Instagram for event updates.
    • Pre-Health YouTube Channel: Supplemental information.
    • Pre-Health Email List: Important announcements.
    • Pre-Health Podcast: Additional insights.

Major Selection for Pre-Health Paths

  • Major Does Not Matter: Admission to medical school (or other health professional schools) is not contingent on a specific major or double major.
    • Recommendation: Do NOT double major, as it typically doesn't offer a significant advantage for admissions.
    • Encouraged to pick a major based on passion and interest.
  • Students can make major requirements, college general education requirements, and elective requirements work for their pre-health path, regardless of their chosen major or college.
  • Example 1: Traditional Science Major (Revelle Biology Student)
    • Applies to majors like biology, global health, public health, chemistry, etc., which have automatic math and science requirements.
    • Overlap: Yellow stars on the illustrative slide show direct overlap between major requirements and pre-health prerequisites.
    • College GEs: College-specific general education requirements may also overlap directly with pre-health prerequisites.
    • Additional Courses Needed: Even for a