Health Professions

Welcome

Welcome to the Health Professions pages--your resource for exploring health-related careers and planning your path towards one of the many satisfying paths in the growing health care field.  You’ll find links and resources for planning your course work, choosing summer and service opportunities, and managing applications for medical or other professional & graduate schools options.

Explore your options in the field of health care or learn more about becoming a physician

Prepare by choosing appropriate coursework and experiential opportunities

Apply to the graduate or professional school that is best for your goals

On-campus resources & Who’s who

Health Professions Advising is an important part of how you will prepare for the leap to medical, dental, veterinary, nursing, public health school, or any of the many options open to you as a liberal arts graduate.  Preparing to enter one of the health professions involves both academic preparation and career planning, so health professions advising at Amherst involves both faculty and Career Center support.

The Health Professions Advisor in the Career Center is Dean Carolyn Bassett, Associate Dean of Students and Associate Director of the Career Center.  Dean Bassett can guide you through early planning for careers in health, whether it be summer internships, extra-curricular activities, or choices you make about classes during or after your time at Amherst. You will work most closely with Dean Bassett when you begin the actual process of applying to medical school.
Her office is in College Hall, first floor; telephone: x2265.

The faculty Health Professions Committee consists of Dean Bassett and four professors who can advise you about academic preparation for the health professions:

Chair: Professor Stephen George, Biology Dept., Life Sciences 228; telephone: x2477. Professor George is a valuable resource when you have specific questions about science classes.

Other members:
Prof. J. P. Baird (Psychology/Neuroscience), Merrill 323, x5828
Karena McKinney (Chemistry), Merrill 517, x5137
Prof. Jonathan Friedman (Physics), Merrill 119, x8544
The Health Professions Secretary is Nadine Ann Alexander, Life Sciences 329, x2314.

Career Center library 

The Career Center library has books and periodicals that help you widen your understanding of medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, public health, biomedical research, nursing, physician assistants, and other allied health professions.  We have samples of viewbooks from medical schools and other health professions graduate programs.  Additionally, you can also learn about resume preparation for internship application, internship opportunities, or the summer experiences of other Amherst students (plus get an inexpensive cup of coffee!).

Local community service opportunities can be explored through the Center for Community Engagement.