Applicant Advising
If you are a UW-Madison student or alumni applying to a health professions program, the Center for Pre-Health Advising has several specialized resources to support you.
On this page, explore the tools available to you throughout the application process.
To learn more about the components of an application, visit our Applying to Health Professions Programs page and schedule an appointment with us so we can help you weigh when it is best for you to apply.
Applicant Advising in May
In peak application season during the month of May, CPHA prioritizes applicant advising. Appointments and drop-ins are reserved for applicants only so we can focus on supporting you at this important time!
Current students can schedule an appointment via Starfish. Alumni can email (questions@prehealth.wisc.edu) or call our office to set up an appointment in the absence of access to Starfish.
Self-Paced Application Canvas Courses
If you are planning to apply to a health professional program in the coming year, please sign up for a CPHA Application Course. These are free resource courses on Canvas, updated regularly and designed to supplement advising conversations with our office and support you through each stage of the application process.
Applying to Medical Programs Course
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MCAT 101 Course
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Applying to Physician Assistant Programs Course
This course walks you through applying to PA programs. In this course, you will find:
– Intro to the application, timelines, getting organized
– Letters, selecting schools, and exams
– Writing essays and lots of FAQs on filling out CASPA!
– Interviewing, providing updates, and making decisions
Applying to Health Professions Programs Course
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Find what you were looking for?
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Self-Paced Application Canvas Courses
If you are planning to apply to a health professional program in the coming year, please sign up for a CPHA Application Course. These are free resource courses on Canvas, updated regularly and designed to supplement advising conversations with our office and support you through each stage of the application process.
This course walks you through applying to MD and DO programs. In this course, you will find:
– Intro to the application, timelines, getting organized
– Information for re-applicants, DACA/International students
– Pathways to research in medicine (including MD/PhD…and others!)
– Paying for the application and medical school
– Requirements, letters, selecting schools, and exams
– Writing essays and a million FAQs on the actual applications!
– Interviewing, providing updates, and making decisions
MCAT 101 is designed to help you understand the exam and how to study to maximize your preparedness. In this course, you will find:
– What’s on the MCAT, recent percentile rankings, and oldest test dates accepted by schools
– Using stress to your advantage, understanding how you study, and keys to doing well
– Logistics: Applying for fee assistance and accommodations, creating a study plan and tracking your progress
– Tough questions: When should I take it? Should I re-take? What works?
– Resources: Lots of free resources and feedback on the stuff that you have to pay for!
This course walks you through applying to PA programs. In this course, you will find:
– Intro to the application, timelines, getting organized
– Letters, selecting schools, and exams
– Writing essays and lots of FAQs on filling out CASPA!
– Interviewing, providing updates, and making decisions
The Applying to Health Professions Programs course has application information for several healthcare professions. Each module is specific to a profession and their application (for example, the Applying to Dental Programs module is specific to dentistry). The course includes:
– Dentistry
– Occupational Therapy
– Optometry
– Physical Therapy
– Public Health
– Veterinary Medicine
– Post-Baccalaureate Programs
Application Prep
How We Can Help
Personal Statements: CPHA will meet with you twice to discuss and review your personal statement. We have found that students get the most out of this feedback if they have done some writing, looked at the Canvas courses modules on doing revisions, and now feel “stuck”, although we are happy to review your writing at any stage!
Experience Statements: CPHA will review 2-3 experience statements in appointments.
Secondary Essays or Program Materials: CPHA will review 3-5 school-specific essays.
When To Meet With Us
We recommend meeting with us to discuss essays about 1 semester before you plan to apply. We can talk through the various essays you will encounter throughout the application and the functions they serve within the application. These conversations can give you clarity as you start brainstorming and organizing your essays.
Please be mindful of others. If you have met with us twice for a personal statement, consider getting additional feedback from the Writing Center or another trusted reader. If we have already looked at some of your experience essays, have someone else give them a final review. We are committed to supporting many people throughout the application process and these people could be your future colleagues! We’re all in this together.
Want More Help?
Work with the UW-Madison Writing Center! They offer peer feedback for current students and alumni and appointments for current UW-Madison students. The Writing Center also offers a list of proofreaders and editors who are all graduate students or recent PhDs who charge reasonable rates for their service.
For alumni, Madison Writing Assistance offers individual in person or remote appointments for you to work on your personal statement with a writing specialist.
Scheduling a Mock Interview
When scheduling allows, we offer applicants two mock interviews — one for you to practice the traditional one-on-one interview format and a second for you to practice the multiple-mini interview (MMI) format. We have question banks for many schools, so if you get additional interviews, let us know. We are happy to share additional information with you!
Please only make mock interview appointments after you have been invited to interview at a health professional program. When you make a mock interview appointment, please specify in your appointment note the school(s) for which you want to practice.
Need a mock interview and can’t find an opening in Starfish? Email us at questions@prehealth.wisc.edu. Alumni can request a mock interview by filling out our Alumni Appointment Request form. Our Operations Team will try and find a time for you.
Other Resources & Best Practices
- If you can’t meet with CPHA, let us know about your interview anyway! We may be able to share questions to help you prepare.
- Practice with a friend or family member.
- Record yourself on Zoom (either alone or with a friend) and review the footage. See if you are describing the situation, the task, an action you took and your response. Note your body language and where you are looking.
- Contact alumni. We maintain a database of alumni and have contacts at many programs! Reach out to us.
- Practice with Big Interview, a campus resource that offers a variety of tools and resources, including:
- Mock interview practice and a recording tool
- A mechanism for sharing videos externally and internally for feedback
- An option to receive AI feedback directly from the platform for ongoing improvement
- Reserve a room in the library and record yourself.
- You can check out video equipment at the library to review your performance!
After Applying
You’ve put time, energy, and money into an application. It’s normal for the (sometimes extended) waiting period after applying to be difficult.
Now is a good time to connect with us about questions related to providing updates, waitlists, letters of intent, financial aid, negotiating and accepting offers, reapplying, and more.
Accepted? We want to celebrate with you! Feel free to let us know by emailing questions@prehealth.wisc.edu. With your permission, we can add you to our alumni database.