Getting Started
How to Establish Yourself with the Pre-Health Advisory Committee (PHAC)
Interested in Pre-Health?
Complete the registration form to opt into the pre-health list.
First Semester at ODU:
During your first semester at ODU, you will attend a PHAC Orientation Session with Reneldo Randall, your first point of contact for all things pre-health.
During this meeting he will:
- Provide an introduction to the application process;
- Provide you with a timeline and action steps;
- Introduce you to the services offered by the Pre-Health Advisory Committee.
If you have any questions regarding this process, please contact Reneldo Randall at rrandall@odu.edu.
Pre-Health Process Year by Year
First Year
- Prioritize your coursework and aim for a competitive GPA as a foundation.
- Join clubs and/or organizations to stay involved with your campus.
- Begin building relationships with your professors and advisors.
- Attend Pre-Health orientation.
- In the spring, begin searching for summer research and/or volunteer opportunities.
- Create resume and portfolio.
Second Year
- Continue to expand upon your foundation from freshman year.
- If you fell short in one area your first year, be sure to compensate for that your sophomore year.
- Attempt to gain leadership rolls in your clubs/organizations
- Begin looking at the MCAT/DAT/GRE/PCAT exam process.
- Start to build a list of prospective professional programs.
- Try to gain some clinical experience.
- Continue to keep in touch with your professors and advisors.
Third Year
- Begin studying for your MCAT/DAT/GRE/PCAT.
- Become familiar with the professional school application process.
- Continue acquiring clinical and volunteer experience.
- Look for more research opportunities.
- Be sure to keep in contact with first and second year professors for prospective letters of recommendation.
- Begin to draft your personal statement.
- Have ready an up-to-date version of your academic resume and portfolio.
Fourth Year
- Finish up professional school prerequisite coursework.
- Have taken or take the required professional school entry exam.
- Begin the process for the Pre-Health Committee Letter.
- Sign up for a Pre-Health Mock interview.
- Finish and submit professional school applications.
Helpful Links from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)
Pre-Health Advisory Committee Letter Process
Students planning to apply during the current application cycle should complete the following steps in order to schedule a committee interview. The committee interview is required for students requesting a committee letter from the PHAC for applications to medical or dental school. Students applying to all other professional health programs (pharmacy, physician assistant, optometry, podiatry, etc.) are encouraged to attend the pre-health interviewing workshop.
Step 1
Be eligible and have applied officially to work with the pre-health advisory committee PHAC Registration Form.
Step 2
Fully complete and submit the PHAC Letter Request Application.
Step 3
Sign up for your pre-health mock interview HERE. Committee interviews will be conducted between May 1st and November 1st.
Step 4
Participate in Mock Interview.
Step 5
Submit Committee letter writer request/submission details (AMCAS -MD, AACOMAS - DO, Interfolio information, etc.) to Reneldo Randall (Pre-Health Advisor) at rrandall@odu.edu.
Step 6
Committee letters are typically completed in two to three weeks after the mock interview has been completed and the committee letter details have been received.
If you have any questions regarding this process, please contact Reneldo Randall at rrandall@odu.edu.
