Upcoming Events

5:15 to 6:15 PM (MT)

This is a Q&A session hosted by program mentors who took the MCAT last summer. They will share insights, advice, and resources to support those of you who are preparing to take the MCAT this summer.

Sign up: Buff Portal Advising (After logging in, click on Elisa Cripps's photo to pull up her calendar. Navigate to the day of the presentation to sign up for this meeting.)

Zoom Link: https://cuboulder.zoom.us/my/ceprehealth 

Co-hosted with post-baccs who have successfully navigated the professional school application process, we will look ahead to the application year to come, discussing topics such as:

• The Casper and AAMC PREview situational judgment tests
• Tips for success when working on secondary applications
• How to put yourself in a position to get as much financial aid as possible
• What the interview experience is really like (from students who completed multiple interviews this year)
• How to explain the application process to family and friends
• Logistical considerations if you plan to take more classes at CU Boulder with degree-seeking status
• Timeline: When to expect to hear from schools, when to start planning to reapply if necessary
• When and whether to send update letters/letters of intent
• ... And much more!

Sign up: Buff Portal Advising (After logging in, click on Elisa Cripps's photo to pull up her calendar. Navigate to the day of the presentation to sign up for this meeting.)

Zoom Link: https://cuboulder.zoom.us/my/elisacripps

Can't make it to the live session? You may access a video version from a prior year via this webpage.

9:00 to 10:00 AM (MT)
Zoom

Anki is an online flashcard system that has become wildly popular among students in medical, dental, and other professional schools. It utilizes the concept of spaced repetition to help you encode new information into your long-term memory. Over the past few years, more and more post-baccs have been using it for their pre-health coursework and for preparing for standardized tests such as the MCAT and DAT.

Join this session for a tutorial on how to use Anki! Our presenter is one of our former program mentors, Ellie Sandoval.

Sign up: Buff Portal Advising (After logging in, click on Jess Talbot's photo to pull up her calendar. Navigate to the day of the presentation to sign up for this meeting.)

Zoom link:https://cuboulder.zoom.us/my/ceprehealth 

Can't make it to the live session? You may access a video version from a prior year via this webpage.

10:30 AM to Noon (MT)
Zoom

Our presenters are two of our program mentors, Alex Frech and Amy Whitsell, who have been quite successful in becoming engaged in research as post-baccalaureate students. They will provide a primer on finding research opportunities at CU Boulder and getting the most out of the experience. 

Sign up: Buff Portal Advising (After logging in, click on Jess Talbot's photo to pull up her calendar. Navigate to the day of the presentation to sign up for this meeting.)

Zoom link:https://cuboulder.zoom.us/my/ceprehealth 

Can't make it to the live session? You may access a video version from a prior year via this webpage.

5:15 to 8:00 p.m.

Continuing Education Building, Room 140 

The Fall Kick-Off Event includes:

• Free dinner!
• Tips for success from Elisa Cripps, Jess Talbot, and the post-bacc mentors
• Opportunities to meet fellow post-baccs
• Optional pay-on-your-own post-bacc hang-out session with fellow post-bacc students at Sanitas Brewing Company (lawn games! non-alcoholic bevs available!)

12:30 to 2:00 PM
In Person: Continuing Education Great Room (rm 140)

Looking ahead to professional school interviews, you'll want to be prepared to answer questions intended to assess your understanding of the U.S. healthcare system, such as the following:

• What are some of the unique elements of our healthcare system here in the United States?
• What are some of the key pros and cons of our system?
• What are some different approaches taken by peer nations? 

Our presenter is Macon Fessenden, an experienced nurse who is active with Colorado's Center for Health Progress. In the latter role, Macon not only educates people on this topic but also has testified in front of the Colorado Senate and has worked on campaigns that have successfully expanded insurance access for low-income and marginalized Coloradans. (Macon also is one of our post-baccalaureate mentors this year!)

5:15 to 7:15 PM
In Person: Room TBD

If you are planning to submit your professional school applications in 2026 and would like to receive 1:1 feedback on your application personal statement, activity descriptions, and secondary essays this year, you MUST attend either the in-person or Zoom version of this workshop on a day when it is offered live. 

This workshop is intended for students in the Individually Designed Studies program. We will review copies of successful applications and will discuss the steps and deadlines to complete if you would like to work with the pre-health advisors for 1:1 feedback on your written application materials. 

If you are not able to attend this session, it will be offered again this year on Zoom: Monday, December 15th from 5:00 to 7:00 PM.

5:15 to 7:15 PM
In Person: Room TBD

If you are planning to submit your professional school applications in 2026 and would like to receive 1:1 feedback on your application personal statement, activity descriptions, and secondary essays this year, you MUST attend either the in-person or Zoom version of this workshop on a day when it is offered live. 

This workshop is intended for students in the Structured Cohort program. We will review copies of successful applications and will discuss the steps and deadlines to complete if you would like to work with the pre-health advisors for 1:1 feedback on your written application materials. 

If you are not able to attend this session, it will be offered again this year on Zoom: Monday, December 15th from 5:00 to 7:00 PM.

5:15 to 7:15 PM, MT
Zoom: https://cuboulder.zoom.us/my/elisacripps 

There is strategy involved in choosing a list of medical schools that will maximize your chance for application success. Factors such as location, GPA, and standardized test scores are good starting points, but this session will dive into additional factors you should consider when learning more about your schools of interest.

Can't make it to the live session? You may access a video version from this webpage.

5:15 to 7:15 PM
In Person: TBD

If you are planning to submit your professional school applications in 2026 and would like to receive 1:1 feedback on your application personal statement, activity descriptions, and secondary essays this year, you MUST attend either the in-person or Zoom version of this workshop on a day when it is offered live. 

This workshop is focused on personal statements. 

If you are not able to attend this session, it will be offered again this year on Zoom: Thursday, December 18, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM.

5:15 to 7:15 PM
In Person: TBD

If you are planning to submit your professional school applications in 2026 and would like to receive 1:1 coaching on your application personal statement, activity descriptions, and secondary essays this year, you MUST attend either the in-person or Zoom version of this workshop on a day when it is offered live. 

This workshop is focused on activity descriptions and secondary essay writing.

If you are not able to attend this session, it will be offered again this year on Zoom: Monday, December 22, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM.

5:30 to 7:00 PM (MT)

Join us for a casual Q&A session with former post-baccs who are now in professional school. Learn about their experiences in the application process and about the transition from post-baccalaureate coursework to professional school. 

Sign up: Buff Portal Advising (After logging in, click on Elisa Cripps's photo to pull up her calendar. Navigate to the day of the presentation to sign up for this meeting.)

Zoom Link: https://cuboulder.zoom.us/my/elisacripps

Can't make it to the live session? This event will be recorded.

5:00 to 7:00 PM, MT
Zoom: https://cuboulder.zoom.us/my/elisacripps

If you are planning to submit your professional school applications in 2026 and would like to receive 1:1 coaching on your application personal statement, activity descriptions, and secondary essays this year, you MUST attend either the in-person or Zoom version of this workshop on the day they are offered live. 

We will review copies of successful applications and will discuss the steps and deadlines to complete if you would like to work with the pre-health advisors for 1:1 feedback on your written application materials. 

5:30 to 6:30, MT

Zoom: https://cuboulder.zoom.us/j/97847523171

Our presenters are two of our program mentors who currently are in the medical school application process and who earned competitive scores on the MCAT.

• One took the "fast-track" approach to MCAT prep (full-time for 7 weeks in the summer)
• The other took the "long-track" timeline (part-time over a few months)

Their presentation will provide concrete suggestions for structuring your approach to MCAT prep on either timeline. They'll also offer helpful tips that they either were glad they knew before starting MCAT prep or that they wish they knew before they got started. This session will not focus on MCAT content; rather, it will provide guidance on how to organize your approach to studying for the MCAT.

This session will be recorded, but attending the live version will allow you to ask questions during the presentation.

Super Important Advising Note: For those of you planning to start studying for the MCAT in the summer, we do NOT recommend studying for the MCAT over winter break. Now is the time for rest and relaxation so that you are bright-eyed and bushy-tailed when it's time to jump into your spring courses in January. (The only exception we suggest: If you do not spend much time reading for fun on a regular basis and/or if you have reason to believe that the CARS section is likely to be extra-challenging, now would be a good time to start the practice of doing one CARS practice passage per week on an ongoing basis.) 

5:00 to 7:00 PM, MT
Zoom: https://cuboulder.zoom.us/my/jessicatalbot 

If you are planning to submit your professional school applications in 2026 and would like to receive 1:1 coaching on your application personal statement, activity descriptions, and secondary essays this year, you MUST attend either the in-person or Zoom version of this workshop on a day when it is offered live. 

This workshop is focused on personal statements. 

5:00 to 7:00 PM, MT
Zoom: https://cuboulder.zoom.us/my/jessicatalbot 

If you are planning to submit your professional school applications in 2026 and would like to receive 1:1 coaching on your application personal statement, activity descriptions, and secondary essays this year, you MUST attend either the in-person or Zoom version of this workshop on a day when it is offered live. 

This workshop is focused on activity descriptions and secondary essay writing. 

5:00 to 7:00, MT

Continuing Education Building, Room 140

You are strongly encouraged to attend this presentation or watch the video if you will be applying to professional schools later this year. The more familiar you are with the interview process, the more likely you are to do well. This workshop will cover the following topics:

• The categories of questions that are commonly asked at professional school interviews (and an explanation of why they are asked)
• How to structure effective answers to interview questions.
• Tips for doing your best, plus a list of common mistakes to avoid.
• What to expect during an interview day at a professional school.
• And more!

Can't make it to the live session? You may access the video version of this presentation from this webpage.

5:00 to 7:00, MT

Continuing Education Building, Room 140

In this presentation, we will discuss strategies for engaging in ethical decision-making when faced with ambiguous situations. This skill is assessed in professional school interviews and on Situational Judgment Tests such as Casper and AAMC Preview.

Can't make it to the live session? You may access the video version of this presentation from this webpage.

5:00 to 7:00, MT

Continuing Education Building, Room 140

The MMI format is common at professional schools. With this format, each interviewee rotates through 6 to 10 interview stations, meeting a new interviewer and responding to a new interview prompt at each station. MMI interview questions typically include a mixture of traditional interview questions, role-playing scenarios, and responses to ethical dilemmas. At this session, you will take turns answering MMI-style questions and also serving as a peer evaluator (using a rubric as your guide). Experiencing both roles will help you become more comfortable with this style of interviewing and will allow you to gain insight into the components of effective answers.

Can't make it to the live session? You may access the video version of this presentation from this webpage.