Experiences and Activities

Health-Related

Professional schools are particularly interested in your health-related experience. By working or volunteering in the field, you will display a deeper understanding of the responsibilities, duties, and issues related to your field. Professional schools also want to see that you are able to deal effectively with patients and work well on a team of professionals. Clinical experience with direct patient contact is an important part of your application.

Some careers such as physical therapy, physician assistant, or veterinary science have specific mandatory hours of experience as requirements. Other programs will consider a variety of health-related experiences. The experiences you choose should have an interest to you in terms of your life goals and be personally satisfying. They are your opportunity to gain depth and knowledge about yourself. 

Health related experiences include shadowing, volunteering in a clinic or hospital, informational interviewing, working as a scribe, or any other position that allows you to find out more about your profession of interest. 

Shadowing:

• BIO 253 - Shadowing Health Professions
• Dignity Health Physician Mentoring Program
• Ask your family physician, dentist, or other health care provider if they would allow you to shadow them
• Call local clinics and hospitals and ask about shadowing availability

Volunteering:

• Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center
• French Hospital
• Marian Regional Medical Center

Scribing/Health Related Jobs:

• Scribe Program through local hospitals - currently available at Sierra Vista Regional Hospital and French Hospital
• Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) - training offered through Cuesta College
• Phlebotomist - training offered through Cuesta College
• Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) - training offered through Cuesta College and/or Compass Health
  • Local Nursing Facilities:
    • Mission View Health Center (San Luis Obispo)
    • San Luis Post Acute Center (San Luis Obispo)
    • Bayside Care Center (Morro Bay)
    • Vineyard Hills Health Center (Templeton)
• Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) - Back Office
• Physical Therapy Aide - various local PT clinics
• Caregiver or Med Tech at Garden House Elder Care (Morro Bay)

Informational Interviewing:

• Reach out to family friends or local professionals in your health profession, and ask to meet with them for lunch or coffee to discuss what their typical work day is like. 
• For more information on how to conduct an informational interview, sample interview questions, and more, visit our Careers webpage.

Other Health-Related Cal Poly Courses:

• ​​​​​​SCM 101 - Introduction to the Health Professions
• BIO 301 - Service Learning in the Health Professions
• SCM 363 - Public Health Fieldwork (Internship)

 

Community Service and Non-Health Related

Schools are looking for well-rounded individuals who can excel in the field of medicine, but also have interests outside of their area of vocation. Whether it's cooking, gardening, running a small business on the side, or playing a collegiate sport, these activities can help you stand out during the interview process and provide more depth to you both as an applicant and as a person. These side hobbies also serve as a form of stress relief and grounding, so it's very important to stay true to them even while in undergrad and health professional school. If you have any unique or interesting extracurricular activities, share it on your HP school application. It just might be this one activity that gives you a competitive edge at an interview.

Volunteering in non-health related fields shows you've taken an interest in your community, and that you are committed to serving causes and groups larger than yourself. 

Examples of non-health-related community service include:

• Habitat for Humanity
• Center for Service in Action
• Transitions Mental Health
• Special Olympics
• BIO 301 - Service Learning in the Health Professions
• Restorative Partners
• Homeless Shelters - CAPSLO
• LUMINA Alliance
• Wilshire Community Services
• Big Brothers Big Sisters
• SLO Food Bank
• Serving any underrepresented or threatened group of people

Examples of valuable non-health-related extracurricular activities include:

• Sports teams (NCAA and Club)
• Music
• Dance
• Study Abroad
• Greek Life
• Student Government (ASI)
• Poly Escapes
• Craft Center Activities
• On-campus clubs
• Part-time job

Leadership

Health professionals are leaders in the medical community and leaders in their home communities. Therefore, admissions committees want to see that you have what it takes to be a leader. The best way you can show your leadership experience and ability is to join campus or community organizations, and be sure to actively participate and hopefully hold a leadership role in one or more of these organizations. 

Examples of leadership experience include:

• Associated Students, Inc. (ASI)
• Peer Advising or Coaching
• Resident Advisor (RA)
• On-campus clubs/programs
• College ambassadors
• Workshop/Study Session Leader
• Peer Tutor
• Poly Reps
• WOW Leaders
• Greek Life
• Learn By Doing Lab
• Cal Poly Center for Leadership
• PULSE
• Pre-Health Clubs (American Medical Student Association, Pre-Dental, Pre-Nursing, Pre-PT/OT, etc.)

 

Continuum of Leadership

The Continuum of Leadership outlines the different levels of involvement a student has in a given organization. Students should look to move down the continuum within their clubs or organizations during their time at Cal Poly, as this demonstrates a commitment to the organization and an ability to take on increasing levels of responsibility.  

• Showing up - Community service events, clubs, and Greek life
• Showing up for a long time - This expresses to the admissions board that you are able to make commitments and keep them. It also shows your long-term interest in that particular club, sorority/fraternity, sport, etc.
• Leadership - Holding a club officer position, becoming a residence hall RA, teaching a supplemental workshop, or becoming a team captain demonstrates your ability to lead others and organize.
• Advocacy - Going out in the community and helping to make a positive change. Contributing in such a way really shows your passion and interest in that extracurricular, and demonstrates your desire to make your community a better place. 
• Innovation - Admissions boards will always be impressed by the innovative applicant. This shows one's creativity and ability to think efficiently - important qualities of a leader.
• Legacy - After you leave that club, organization, team, etc., it would be great if you leave behind a "legacy", or a tradition that will continue on. This is on the opposite end of the spectrum from just showing up to a club meeting - if you've become a legacy, you clearly made quite a contribution to that club!

Research

Admissions committees value research experience in an applicant because of the ways in which research develops critical reasoning skills. Some schools tend to emphasize research experience more than others in admissions decisions. For example, at many of the most competitive, research-oriented HP schools the percentage of admitted applicants who have at least some research experience is as high as 80% to 90%. Being familiar with the process of conducting scientific research will also help you evaluate the validity of research studies, and to "think like a scientist," a skill that health professionals need to possess. 

Some common ways of finding research opportunities are:

• Viewing faculty research interest lists on department websites.
  • Example: Click here to view the Biological Sciences Department's Faculty Research Interest List.
• Via the Office of Student Research website. 
• Asking a professor if they have any openings on their research team (or if they know of someone who does).
• Talking with your faculty advisor.
• Applying for summer internships.
• Signing up for the pre-health Canvas page to get access to research opportunities across the country.
  • Examples include St. Jude's Children's Hospital, the American Heart Association, and more.

For more information about research opportunities in the College of Science and Math, visit the College of Science and Math (COSAM) Undergraduate Research website.

PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES

Commitment to Learning and Growth 

Practices continuous personal and professional growth for improvement, including setting and communicating goals for learning and development; reflects on successes, challenges, and mistakes; pursues opportunities to improve knowledge and understanding; and asks for and incorporates feedback to learn and grow.

Cultural Awareness

Appreciates how historical, sociocultural, political, and economic factors affect others’ interactions, behaviors, and well-being; values diversity; and demonstrates a desire to learn about different cultures, beliefs, and values.

Cultural Humility

Seeks out and engages diverse and divergent perspectives with a desire to understand and willingness to adjust one’s mindset; understands a situation or idea from alternative viewpoints; reflects on one’s values, beliefs, and identities and how they may affect others; reflects on and addresses bias in oneself and others; and fosters a supportive environment that values inclusivity.

Empathy and Compassion

Recognizes, understands, and acknowledges others’ experiences, feelings, perspectives, and reactions to situations; is sensitive to others’ needs and feelings; and demonstrates a desire to help others and alleviate others’ distress.

Ethical Responsibility to Self and Others

Behaves with honesty and integrity; considers multiple and/or conflicting principles and values to inform decisions; adheres to ethical principles when carrying out professional obligations; resists pressure to engage in unethical behavior; and encourages others to behave honestly and ethically.

Interpersonal Skills

Demonstrates an awareness of how social and behavioral cues affect people’s interactions and behaviors; adjusts behaviors appropriately in response to these cues; recognizes and manages one’s emotions and understands how emotions impact others or a situation; and treats others with dignity, courtesy, and respect.

Oral Communication

Effectively conveys information to others using spoken words and sentences; actively listens to understand the meaning and intent behind what others say; and recognizes potential communication barriers and adjusts approach or clarifies information as needed

Reliability and Dependability

Demonstrates accountability for performance and responsibilities to self and others; prioritizes and fulfills obligations in a timely and satisfactory manner; and understands consequences of not fulfilling one’s responsibilities to self and others.

Resilience and Adaptability

Perseveres in challenging, stressful, or ambiguous environments or situations by adjusting behavior or approach in response to new information, changing conditions, or unexpected obstacles, and recognizes and seeks help and support when needed; recovers from and reflects on setbacks; and balances personal well-being with responsibilities.

Service Orientation

Shows a commitment to something larger than oneself; demonstrates dedication to service and a commitment to making meaningful contributions that meet the needs of communities.

Teamwork and Collaboration

Collaborates with others to achieve shared goals and prioritizes shared goals; adjusts role between team member and leader based on one’s own and others’ expertise and experience; shares information with team members and encourages this behavior in others; and gives and accepts feedback to improve team performance.

SCIENCE COMPETENCIES

Human Behavior

Applies knowledge of the self, others, and social systems to solve problems related to the psychological, sociocultural, and biological factors that influence health and well-being.

Living Systems 

Applies knowledge and skill in the natural sciences to solve problems related to molecular and macro systems, including biomolecules, molecules, cells, and organs.

THINKING AND REASONING COMPETENCIES

Critical Thinking

Uses logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

Quantitative Reasoning

Applies quantitative reasoning and appropriate mathematics to describe or explain phenomena in the natural world.

Scientific Inquiry

Applies knowledge of the scientific process to integrate and synthesize information, solve problems, and formulate research questions and hypotheses; is facile in the language of the sciences and uses it to participate in the discourse of science and explain how scientific knowledge is discovered and validated.

Written Communication

Effectively conveys information to others by using written words and sentences.

SIT Study Abroad Chile

This program combines Public Health, Traditional Medicine, and Community Empowerment in the ethnically diverse location of Arica, Chile. This experience will allow you to gain first-hand experience with infectious disease management strategies as well analyzing and reporting on social and public health data. 

Visit Cal Poly's International Center website for more details.

SIT Study Abroad India

Through this program you will gain a multi-dimensional view of traditional and allopathic healthcare systems in India while exploring areas from New Delhi to the Himalaya. Exposure to traditional practices such as Ayurveda, naturopathy, and yoga help provide additional context to cultural and healthcare practices in India.

Visit the program's website for more details.

FIE London

Explore and compare differences in Health Care systems offered throughout the UK and in other countries through this quarter-long program. Study ethical, legal, and social implications of genetics in clinical and health care practices. London serves as a diverse location to study and compare health care systems amongst multiple countries. 

Visit Cal Poly's International Center website for more details.

DIS Copenhagen: Medical Practice & Policy

This Program allows you to explore the medical field while working alongside medical doctors and exploring intercultural practices amongst European countries. Ideal for those with interest in Biology, Neuroscience, Pre-Medicine/Health Science and Public Health.

Visit the program's website for more details. 

DIS Copenhagen: Public Health

This program allows you to examine and compare challenges healthcare systems in European countries are facing such as increasing costs, inequality in healthcare, and aging populations. Denmark lends itself as a unique location to study healthcare due to its meticulous tracking of health-care related parameters in its population. Ideal for those who want to pursue graduate degrees or future careers in Public Health.

Visit the program's website for more details.

CEA CAPA Costa Rica: Medical Spanish & Health Sciences

Learn and expand your Spanish language skills while also gaining valuable experience through Health Science courses in San Jose, Costa Rica. This program will help you learn to communicate and interact in Spanish with patients using medical vocabulary. For students at all levels of Spanish language skills!

Visit the program's website for more details.

Medical Spanish Programs

Enhance your Spanish language skills to better serve the Spanish-speaking patient population with the programs below. Be sure to click on each link below to learn more about each program, and find out which program would best suit you and your level of Spanish proficiency!

• Amerispan Salud Program - Latin America
• Asociacion Centro de Estudios de Espanol Pop Wuj - Guatemala
• Cacha Medical Spanish Institute - Ecuador
• Child Family Health International - Latin America
• International Health Central American Institute (IHCAI) - Costa Rica

Explore More Study Abroad Programs!

Cal Poly partners with many more affiliated Study Abroad programs with a Pre-Health focus. Study Pre-Health curriculum in countries across the world, from Argentina to Vietnam. Check out Pre-Health programs with SIT, TEAN, and USAC.  Explore additional programs at the International Center Website.