Most schools expect their applicants to have had practical exposure to the profession. This may be done by volunteering in a hospital or nursing home, by assisting in a professional office, or simply by observing a professional on a regular basis. Your Health Professions Mentor may be able to help you in this respect. Other out-of-school activities are also important. Health professions schools are looking for creative, imaginative, productive people. It's good to be involved in community activities, to do special volunteer projects, to assist charity endeavors, etc. Be as active as you can be, however, it is the quality of the activities not the quantity that matter.

Volunteering

There are many volunteer opportunities available to those interested in the health professions. Many of our students volunteer at Eastern Maine Medical Center (EMMC). For more information on volunteer opportunities at EMMC, please visit their web page at: http://www.emh.org/volunteer.asp to complete an application.

Mentor Program

The Health Professions Office in partnership with Eastern Maine Medical Center arranges a Health Professions Mentor for interested students. Many health profession schools require a specific number of hours of active, meaningful participation in medical practice. The Mentor Program provides an opportunity for such experience.

• Mentors are members of the medical community who have generously volunteered their time to help aspiring students learn about the professional life they wish to enter.

• Mentors meet with students from time to time, as their schedule permits, usually at their professional office.

• Discussing a career field with a professional mentor greatly assists students in making career choices and in preparing themselves for admission to professional schools; by learning about a profession first-hand, one is enabled to discuss it maturely and with ease, skills important in an interview.

• Mentors normally are a very important reference in the application process.

This program has been popular and successful in providing students with invaluable experience.

Internships and Jobs

Many of our health profession students will work in the health field prior to applying to graduate school. Our students have worked in pharmacies, as phlebotomists, psychiatric technicians, nurses (those who are RN's), nuclear cardiology aide, and EMT's to name a few. If you are interested in obtaining a health professions related job, check with the Health Professions office or visit the Career Center.