Please use Buff Portal Advising to pre-register for all CE Pre-Health group meetings and special events.
Summer 2023
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 this webpage.
6:00 to 7:30 PM (MT)
Are you interested in applying to the University of Colorado School of Medicine? If so, join us for a casual Q&A session with former post-baccs who are now enrolled at CU School of Med.
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 this webpage.
6:00 to 7:30 PM (MT)
Are you interested in applying to Rocky Vista University's DO program, or do you have general questions about the osteopathic approach to medical education and practice? If so, join us for a casual Q&A session with former post-baccs who went to medical school at Rocky Vista.
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 this webpage.
4:00 to 5:30 p.m.
Continuing Education building, Room 140, 1505 University Ave.
RSVP: 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.)
Our presenter is Kevin Clark, who is one of our post-baccalaureate pre-medical mentors who not also has completed a master's degree in CU Boulder's Integrative Physiology department. He 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 Elisa Cripps's photo to pull up her calendar. Navigate to the day of the presentation to sign up for this meeting.)
Can't make it to the live session? You may access a video version from this webpage.
Fall 2023
5:15 to 8:00 p.m.
Continuing Education building, Room 140, 1505 University Ave.
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! taco truck! non-alcoholic bevs available!)
Sign up and indicate dietary preferences by 8:00 a.m., Monday, August 28.
(If you miss the deadline, you're still warmly welcomed to attend, but you'll need to bring your own food to eat.)
5:30 to 7:30 p.m. (MT)
There is strategy involved in choosing a list of 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.
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 this webpage.
5:30 to 7:30 p.m. (MT)
At this workshop, we will discuss what to do in the months ahead to prepare for the application process next summer. We will review copies of successful applications, discuss strategies for asking for strong letters of recommendation, and complete a self-assessment document designed to help you evaluate your own readiness to apply next year (and ways to further strengthen your candidacy between now and then).
Sign up: Buff Portal Advising (After logging in, click on Jessica 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/jessicatalbot
Can't make it to the live session? You may access the video version of this presentation from this webpage.
3:35 to 4:25 p.m.
In person only: Benson Earth Sciences, room 185
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?
One of our very own post-bacc students, Macon Fessenden, is an experienced nurse who is involved with an organization known as the Center for Health Progress, where he has been active in educating people on this topic. In addition, Macon 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. Please join us for an educational 50 minute presentation!
Note: This event is being co-hosted by our Post-Baccalaureate Health Professions program and CU Boulder's Office of Pre-Health Advising (on main campus), so expect a larger group size, with a mix of undergrads and post-baccs.
*COHORT STUDENTS ONLY*
3:30 to 5:50 p.m.
In person: CASE building, room W344
This workshop is mandatory for cohort students who are participating in this year's committee letter process. It provides an overview of the committee letter process, with instructions for completing each step. (You will be required to complete the first steps in the process over winter break.) Only current and former members of the Post-Baccalaureate Health Professions program are eligible to participate. Check your eligibility for a Continuing Education Committee Letter.
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.)
5:30 to 7:30 p.m. (MT)
We recommend that you complete the first draft of your common application over winter break. To prepare you to do so, this workshop identify the objectives of the professional school personal statement and offers tips for success as well as common pitfalls to avoid. We also coach you on the types of experiences to include on your application and how to write effective experience descriptions. (The objectives are NOT the same as when writing your resume.) In addition, we will provide advice on writing the disclosure statements for academic or legal infractions, in case either or both of these apply to you.
Sign up: Buff Portal Advising (After logging in, click on Jessica 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/jessicatalbot
Can't make it to the live session? You may access the video version of this presentation from this webpage.
Spring 2024
5:30 to 6:30 p.m. (MT)
Our presenters are two of our program mentors, Zach Stieneker and Rebecca Brighton, who currently are in the medical school application process and who earned competitive scores on the MCAT.
- Zach took the "fast-track" approach to MCAT prep (full-time for 7 weeks in the summer)
- Rebecca took the "long-track" timeline (part-time over a few months)
Zach and Rebecca's 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.)
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/j/97262465782
5:30 to 7:30 p.m. (MT)
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.
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 the video version of this presentation from this webpage.
5:30 to 7:30 p.m. (MT)
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!
Sign up: Buff Portal Advising (After logging in, click on Jessica 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/jessicatalbot
Can't make it to the live session? You may access the video version of this presentation from this webpage.
5:30 to 7:30 p.m. (MT)
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.
Sign up: Buff Portal Advising (After logging in, click on Jessica 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/jessicatalbot
Can't make it to the live session? You may access the video version of this presentation from this webpage.
We are offering this workshop as a complement to our spring program of group meetings that are intended to prepare you for professional school interviews and for situational judgment tests. In this meeting, you will develop a greater understanding of unconscious bias and will learn to implement strategies and behaviors to challenge implicit bias. This workshop will be facilitated by CU Boulder's Center for Inclusion and Social Change.