|
Undecided Pre-Health Professions Advising
You are thinking about pursuing a career in the health sciences but not quite sure? You are undecided and shouldnt feel stressed about that as many young adults question their career path. Dont overstress your situation; just start taking steps to find the career that is right for you.
There are many ways to go about doing this. First of all, talk to the people that know you well; family, trusted friends, mentors, professors, employers. They see your strengths, weaknesses, attitudes, skills etc. possibly from a different viewpoint than you have about yourself. Carefully assess their thoughts and investigate careers that match those characteristics.
At Loras you have access to the Center for Experiential Learning (CEL) that can provide career testing based on your attitudes, skills, personality etc. These tests can give you concrete information about yourself and career suggestions that match those findings. Talk with your science professors about different possibilities as they have a wealth of knowledge regarding the different health career fields. In addition to that, these professors have mentored a lot of individuals who today are thriving health care professionals. They know the business!!
Meet with Patti Burgmeier, Health Science Coordinator, who can discuss at length your dreams, goals, strengths and weaknesses. She also has a nice library of health career resources for you to browse. You can reach her at ext. 7040 or send her an email at patti.burgmeier@loras.edu.
Also consider the following:
Is a Health Career Right for You?
http://www.explorehealthcareers.org/
en/Page.IsAHealthCareerRight.aspx
Top 10 Reasons to Pursue a Health Career Now
http://www.explorehealthcareers.org/en/Article.178.aspx
Personal Characteristics
Beyond courses, grades and test scores, professional schools are looking for candidates whove demonstrated these qualities which are important for any medical profession:
Maturity, stability, integrity, responsibility, trustworthiness, leadership, enthusiasm, & sincerity.
Well-informed passion for the profession
Ability to actively listen
Ability to communicate clearly, through writing, talking and non-verbal cues
Warmth, compassion and genuine concern for all human beings.
Problem-solving and critical thinking skills
Thoughtfulness, balanced by the ability to make difficult decisions
Confidence but not arrogance
Positive outlook
Awareness of current events and social issues
Appreciation for cultural diversity
Strong work ethic
Lifelong learner
Appreciation for science
Comfort with uncertainty
Realization that one will make mistakes that harm patients
Professionalism
Gratitude for the help, opportunities and privileges one has received
Social Responsibility
Commitment to service
Like most characteristics, there are probably some genetic contributions here, as well as our parents, teachers, mentors and peers having modeled, taught and reinforced the development of some qualities. But to some extent we can choose to become the kind of person we want to become. Its not just our attitudes which affect our behavior, but our behavior can influence our attitudes. Start becoming the person you want to be!
|
