Careers in Health Professions Advising and Mentoring Program

The Amherst College Careers in Health Professions Program carries out the following:

1. Advise, mentor, and provide various forms of academic and career counseling to about 400 students and young alumni per year. They are all, at various stages, exploring and pursuing a career in the health professions – any kind of career. Although many of these individuals are aiming for a medical career as a doctor, a large number are interested in a wide variety of health professions – from dentistry and nursing and physical therapy to mental health, psychology, physician assistant, veterinary medicine, medical social work, community health worker, and in increasing numbers, public health – including global health. This is all very exciting! Students from all classes are encouraged to meet with Dr. Richard Aronson by making an appointment on-line through Handshake. In fact, we strongly recommend that all students exploring a career in health professions meet with Dr. Aronson at least once per year, either at a regular appointment or during the drop-in hours when classes are in session.

2. Guide about 50 to 60 pre-med students and young alumni per year through the 20 month long medical school application process that starts in January of the year before matriculation. Important: If you plan to apply to medical school for matriculation in fall 2023, send an email to Rebecca Tishler, the Health Professions Specialist. This process includes gathering materials, and preparing and writing a Health Professions Committee Letter of recommendation for each applicant. This culminates in the uploading of the committee letters, along with 4 to 5 individual letters of recommendation, to the medical schools in late July. It’s important for pre-med students to start meeting with Dean Aronson and Professor of Physics William Loinaz (Chair of the Health Professions Committee) from early on, well before the application season starts, and preferably when they first decide to explore a health related career of any kind.

3. Help students seek health-related internships, jobs, fellowships, and apply to other health professions graduate schools.

4. Serve as liaison and support to the student-run campus organizations that relate to health: Health for Humanity, Amherst College Public Health Collaborative, and Charles Drew Health Professions Society.

5. Serve as advisor to the peer mentoring pre-health program.

6. Serve as general academic advisor to a group of first year students and sophomores.

7. Coordinate the Michael Kauffman Research Fellowship, and help run the Amherst College Post-Bac Program.