Prehealth Careers and Preparations
Learn about all of the prehealth careers and how to prepare to apply to health professional schools.
Applying to health professional schools is a significant undertaking with many moving parts. Unlike undergrad, students do not just apply widely and get in somewhere. This competitive process results in less than 50% of applicants successfully matriculating into these health schools. The proper discipline and preparation is required for all interested applicants.
Explore Health Related Fields & Careers
Overview
Tandon specialized in medical and dental related advisement, but we have sent students to optometry school and have assisted students interested in other health areas to some extent. Interested in other fields not listed below? Contact us at tandonprehealth@nyu.edu to let us know!
Dental
A dentist specializes in the treatment of problems related to the mouth. The current specialties in the dental field include: dental public health, endodontics, oral pathology, oral surgery, orthodontics, pediatrics, periodontics, and prosthodontics.
Learn more about the Dental Field
Medical
There are different paths you can take if you are interested in opportunities in the medical field. Tandon Prehealth has experience sending students to both osteopathic (DO) programs and allopathic (MD) programs.
Learn more about Medical Fields
Optometry
Optometry is a health care profession that involves examining the eyes and applicable visual systems for defects or abnormalities as well as prescribing the correction of refractive error with glasses or contact lenses and the treatment of eye diseases.
Learn more about Optometry.
Other Health Areas
The Tandon Prehealth Committee is most experienced in the aforementioned areas. That said, we are happy to provide support in the following areas as well. While we do not have records of alumni in these areas nor do we have extended experience with these applications, do not hesitate to reach out to us with questions and we will be happy to look into the answers for you.
Allied Health
This field provides many different focuses and opportunities. From pharmacist and physical therapist to social worker — all fall under the field of allied health.
Learn more about Allied Health
Public Health
The field of public health revolves around work in government health departments, private companies, and even Medical centers. This field primarily focuses on community health issues, laws regarding health issues, educating communities about health issues, and enforcing health regulations.
Learn more about the Public Health Field
Veterinary
Veterinarians primarily provide health care for household pets, lab animals, livestock, and zoo animals. They also study diseases carried by animals that may affect people; and conduct clinical and laboratory research.
Learn more about the Veterinary Field
Still unsure about what you're interested in? Check out the Summer Health Professions Education Program. It offers select students a chance to develop healthcare skills, plan academic journeys, get clinical exposure, and network.
How to Prepare
I am a Tandon student and I think I'm prehealth! What should I do?
- Fill out the Tandon Prehealth Interest Form. Here you will gain access to the Tandon Prehealth Student Portal, get added to the Tandon Prehealth listserve, and more. Please fill out this form only once as it will be tied to your student account for Tandon Prehealth.
- You can also get an introduction from the NYU CAS Prehealth advisers. While they can help to advise you on extracurriculars, statistics, and general information, all curricula advisement and your committee letter application will be handled through the Tandon Prehealth Committee. You should also sign up for the CAS weekly prehealth newsletter: the Medical Record, while also monitoring the CAS Prehealth Calendar of Events!
- Understand and track course requirements for entry into the health profession of your choice:
- American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) - aamc.org
- American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) - aacom.org
- American Dental Education Association (ADEA) - adea.org
- Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) - optometriceducation.org
- Review the general national prehealth requirements and their equivalent course offerings at NYU Tandon.
- Review the Tandon Prehealth 4-Year Plans to determine how you can fit in both your major requirements and the prehealth prerequisites into 4 years. Note: these should be used as guides and all final enrollment decisions should be verified with your departmental adviser.
General introductory information can be found in our annual NYU Tandon Prehealth Webinar, published every fall term and geared towards new prehealth students, but includes pertinent information for each new cycle's application process. Check out the 2022-2023 webinar slides and recording for a general overview of Tandon Prehealth!
