{"id":1942,"date":"2025-10-14T14:28:58","date_gmt":"2025-10-14T14:28:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.smcm.edu\/academics\/?page_id=1942"},"modified":"2026-04-06T11:54:47","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T11:54:47","slug":"health-sciences-advisory-committee","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.smcm.edu\/academics\/health-sciences-advisory-committee\/","title":{"rendered":"Health Professions Advising"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pl-1942\"  class=\"panel-layout\" ><div id=\"pg-1942-0\"  class=\"panel-grid panel-no-style\" ><div id=\"pgc-1942-0-0\"  class=\"panel-grid-cell\" ><div id=\"panel-1942-0-0-0\" class=\"so-panel widget widget_sow-editor panel-first-child panel-last-child\" data-index=\"0\" ><div class=\"smcm-intro-section panel-widget-style panel-widget-style-for-1942-0-0-0\" ><div\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tclass=\"so-widget-sow-editor so-widget-sow-editor-base\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t>\n<div class=\"siteorigin-widget-tinymce textwidget\">\n\t<h2>Health Professions Advising at SMCM<\/h2>\n<p>Health Professions Advising provides guidance to students interested in preparing for graduate programs in health care. We advise students from any major who are interested in a career in the health professions, and we also work with alumni.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div id=\"pgc-1942-0-1\"  class=\"panel-grid-cell\" ><div id=\"panel-1942-0-1-0\" class=\"widget_text so-panel widget widget_custom_html panel-first-child panel-last-child\" data-index=\"1\" ><div class=\"textwidget custom-html-widget\"><div class=\"smcm-feed-horizontal-container\"><div class=\"smcm-feed-horizontal-row smcm-story\"style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/inside.smcm.edu\/stories\/how-smcm-helped-lauryn-her-path-becoming-doctor\"><h3>Seahawk Spotlight<\/h3> <div><div class=\"imgCont\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/inside.smcm.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/convert_to_webp_only\/public\/images\/A50FCDDC-498B-4C4F-8440-647425EFC278.png.webp?itok=ea1_SRfU\" alt=\"\"><\/div><span>How SMCM helped Lauryn on her path to becoming a doctor<\/span><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div id=\"pg-1942-1\"  class=\"panel-grid panel-no-style\" ><div id=\"pgc-1942-1-0\"  class=\"panel-grid-cell\" ><div id=\"panel-1942-1-0-0\" class=\"so-panel widget widget_sow-image panel-first-child panel-last-child\" data-index=\"2\" ><div\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tclass=\"so-widget-sow-image so-widget-sow-image-default-8b5b6f678277-1942\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t>\n<div class=\"sow-image-container\">\n\t\t<img \n\tsrc=\"https:\/\/www.smcm.edu\/app\/uploads\/sites\/30\/2025\/10\/brochure7-2.jpeg\" width=\"1000\" height=\"821\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.smcm.edu\/app\/uploads\/sites\/30\/2025\/10\/brochure7-2.jpeg 1000w, https:\/\/www.smcm.edu\/app\/uploads\/sites\/30\/2025\/10\/brochure7-2-300x246.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.smcm.edu\/app\/uploads\/sites\/30\/2025\/10\/brochure7-2-768x631.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" alt=\"A person sits at a laboratory desk using a microscope, surrounded by petri dishes, lab tools, and scientific equipment.\" \t\tclass=\"so-widget-image\"\/>\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><div id=\"pgc-1942-1-1\"  class=\"panel-grid-cell\" ><div id=\"panel-1942-1-1-0\" class=\"so-panel widget widget_smcm-title panel-first-child\" data-index=\"3\" ><div\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tclass=\"so-widget-smcm-title so-widget-smcm-title-base\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t><h2 class=\"smcm-section-title navy\" style=\"\">How can Health Professions Advising help me?<\/h2><\/div><\/div><div id=\"panel-1942-1-1-1\" class=\"so-panel widget widget_sow-editor panel-last-child\" data-index=\"4\" ><div\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tclass=\"so-widget-sow-editor so-widget-sow-editor-base\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t>\n<div class=\"siteorigin-widget-tinymce textwidget\">\n\t<ul>\n<li>Health Professions Advising holds periodic information meetings, working with the pre-health club, that often include a special guest visitor, often an alumnus, speaking about some element of health care.<\/li>\n<li>Health Professions Advising encourages students to strengthen their profiles throughout their education at St. Mary\u2019s College so that they are strong applicants when they do apply to graduate programs.<\/li>\n<li>Students applying to medical, vet, dental, and some other programs as requested undergo a mock interview with a committee of faculty who know them best. This experience often makes a huge difference when students go on to their actual first interviews.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>What kind of schools does Health Professions Advising help me with?<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Medical Schools, M.D. (Allopathic) and D.O. (Osteopathic)<\/li>\n<li>Veterinary Schools<\/li>\n<li>Dental Schools<\/li>\n<li>Optometry Schools<\/li>\n<li>Podiatry Schools<\/li>\n<li>Physician Assistant Schools<\/li>\n<li>Physical Therapy Schools<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div id=\"pg-1942-2\"  class=\"panel-grid panel-no-style\" ><div id=\"pgc-1942-2-0\"  class=\"panel-grid-cell\" ><div id=\"panel-1942-2-0-0\" class=\"so-panel widget widget_smcm-title panel-first-child\" data-index=\"5\" ><div\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tclass=\"so-widget-smcm-title so-widget-smcm-title-base\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t><h2 class=\"smcm-section-title navy\" style=\"\">What does Health Professions Advising <strong>look like<\/strong>?<\/h2><\/div><\/div><div id=\"panel-1942-2-0-1\" class=\"so-panel widget widget_sow-editor panel-last-child\" data-index=\"6\" ><div\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tclass=\"so-widget-sow-editor so-widget-sow-editor-base\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t>\n<div class=\"siteorigin-widget-tinymce textwidget\">\n\t<p>The Health Professions Advising director is in charge of early advising. The director holds weekly office hours and is the go-to person for questions and help in building files.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div id=\"pg-1942-3\"  class=\"panel-grid panel-has-style\" ><div class=\"panel-row-style panel-row-style-for-1942-3\" ><div id=\"pgc-1942-3-0\"  class=\"panel-grid-cell\" ><div id=\"panel-1942-3-0-0\" class=\"so-panel widget widget_smcm-title panel-first-child\" data-index=\"7\" ><div\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tclass=\"so-widget-smcm-title so-widget-smcm-title-base\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t><h2 class=\"smcm-section-title navy\" style=\"\">HSAC &amp; Faculty <strong>Advisers<\/strong><\/h2><\/div><\/div><div id=\"panel-1942-3-0-1\" class=\"so-panel widget widget_sow-editor panel-last-child\" data-index=\"8\" ><div\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tclass=\"so-widget-sow-editor so-widget-sow-editor-base\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t>\n<div class=\"siteorigin-widget-tinymce textwidget\">\n\t<p>The HSAC chair distributes applicants to different advisers. Often an adviser has a particularly strong relationship with a student, having had them in classes or talked informally about the student\u2019s career interests. Other times a student\u2019s research interests overlap with an adviser and that makes a good fit. The chair often carries many of the older post graduate applicants. Your personal committee (the group of faculty members who will perform your mock interview and help write your committee letter of recommendation) will include two non-HSAC faculty members. Here are some tips for choosing the right professors for the job.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>How to choose an adviser<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>You have had for at least one class. They should be familiar with you in an academic setting.<\/li>\n<li>Are familiar with your academic and career goals.<\/li>\n<li>Know you well enough to be willing to use their free time for the mock interview.<\/li>\n<li>Will be able to provide helpful and candid feedback on your interview skills.<\/li>\n<li>Are reliable.<\/li>\n<li>Sometimes it is tricky to coordinate so many schedules for the interview, so choose faculty that you know you can count on to make a good effort to be involved.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><div id=\"pgc-1942-3-1\"  class=\"panel-grid-cell\" ><div id=\"panel-1942-3-1-0\" class=\"so-panel widget widget_sow-image panel-first-child panel-last-child\" data-index=\"9\" ><div\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tclass=\"so-widget-sow-image so-widget-sow-image-default-8b5b6f678277-1942\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t>\n<div class=\"sow-image-container\">\n\t\t<img \n\tsrc=\"https:\/\/www.smcm.edu\/app\/uploads\/sites\/30\/2025\/07\/IMG_8536.jpeg\" width=\"1192\" height=\"1590\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.smcm.edu\/app\/uploads\/sites\/30\/2025\/07\/IMG_8536.jpeg 1192w, https:\/\/www.smcm.edu\/app\/uploads\/sites\/30\/2025\/07\/IMG_8536-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/www.smcm.edu\/app\/uploads\/sites\/30\/2025\/07\/IMG_8536-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.smcm.edu\/app\/uploads\/sites\/30\/2025\/07\/IMG_8536-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1192px) 100vw, 1192px\" alt=\"Students work collaboratively at lab benches in a classroom, recording observations and using scientific equipment; a whiteboard and projector are visible in the background.\" \t\tclass=\"so-widget-image\"\/>\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div id=\"pg-1942-4\"  class=\"panel-grid panel-no-style\" ><div id=\"pgc-1942-4-0\"  class=\"panel-grid-cell\" ><div id=\"panel-1942-4-0-0\" class=\"so-panel widget widget_smcm-title panel-first-child\" data-index=\"10\" ><div\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tclass=\"so-widget-smcm-title so-widget-smcm-title-base\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t><h2 class=\"smcm-section-title navy\" style=\"\">Letters of <strong>Recommendation<\/strong><\/h2><\/div><\/div><div id=\"panel-1942-4-0-1\" class=\"so-panel widget widget_text panel-last-child\" data-index=\"11\" >\t\t\t<div class=\"textwidget\"><p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">One of the pre-health director\u2019s roles is to write committee letters of recommendation for students applying to medical, and most dental, veterinary, optometry, podiatry, and osteopathic medical schools. Students interested in nuclear medicine, nursing, physical therapy, sports medicine, and many other programs that do not require a committee letter of recommendation, do not need to establish a Health Professions Advising file, but are encouraged to discuss their academic plan with the director of Health Professions Advising.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/div><div id=\"pg-1942-5\"  class=\"panel-grid panel-no-style\" ><div id=\"pgc-1942-5-0\"  class=\"panel-grid-cell\" ><div id=\"panel-1942-5-0-0\" class=\"so-panel widget widget_smcm-title panel-first-child\" data-index=\"12\" ><div\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tclass=\"so-widget-smcm-title so-widget-smcm-title-base\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t><h2 class=\"smcm-section-title navy\" style=\"\">Health Professions Advising <strong>Meetings<\/strong><\/h2><\/div><\/div><div id=\"panel-1942-5-0-1\" class=\"so-panel widget widget_text panel-last-child\" data-index=\"13\" >\t\t\t<div class=\"textwidget\"><p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">There are periodic general meetings that all students are invited to attend, this is an especially good way to get a good overview of what is to come and how to prepare. Students also often come during weekly office hours to talk one on one about their progress and plans.<\/p>\n<p>Students should plan to come to one or two meetings a year at the start to be sure they are on track and to have their questions answered. If a particular visitor is important to them (i.e. someone speaking about international medicine, veterinary medicine, how to pay for your medical degree), then students should plan to attend those sessions as well.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div><div id=\"pgc-1942-5-1\"  class=\"panel-grid-cell\" ><div id=\"panel-1942-5-1-0\" class=\"so-panel widget widget_sow-image panel-first-child panel-last-child\" data-index=\"14\" ><div\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tclass=\"so-widget-sow-image so-widget-sow-image-default-c67d20f9f743-1942\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t>\n<div class=\"sow-image-container\">\n\t\t<img \n\tsrc=\"https:\/\/www.smcm.edu\/app\/uploads\/sites\/30\/2025\/10\/39864113662_8d4065197a_o-e1750175012649.jpg\" width=\"432\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.smcm.edu\/app\/uploads\/sites\/30\/2025\/10\/39864113662_8d4065197a_o-e1750175012649.jpg 432w, https:\/\/www.smcm.edu\/app\/uploads\/sites\/30\/2025\/10\/39864113662_8d4065197a_o-e1750175012649-194x300.jpg 194w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 432px) 100vw, 432px\" alt=\"A person wearing safety goggles and gloves focuses intently while working with laboratory equipment in a science lab.\" \t\tclass=\"so-widget-image\"\/>\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div id=\"pg-1942-6\"  class=\"panel-grid panel-no-style\" ><div id=\"pgc-1942-6-0\"  class=\"panel-grid-cell\" ><div id=\"panel-1942-6-0-0\" class=\"widget_text so-panel widget widget_custom_html panel-first-child panel-last-child\" data-index=\"15\" ><div class=\"textwidget custom-html-widget\"><div class=\"smcm-feed-dh-wrapper\"><div class=\"smcm-feed-dh-container\"><h2>Connect with the Director of Health Professions Advising<\/h2><p class=\"smcm-dh-info\">St. Mary's students and alumni can contact Dr. Mertz, <a href="mailto:psmertz@smcm.edu" style='color: white;'>psmertz@smcm.edu<\/a>.<\/p><div class=\"smcm-feed-dh-items\"><div class=\"smcm-feed-dh-row\"><div>  <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/inside.smcm.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/convert_to_webp_only\/public\/2025-10\/9CS_5253-2.png.webp?itok=hi27hm7C\" width=\"4318\" height=\"5398\" alt=\"A woman with shoulder-length brown hair wearing a purple blouse and necklace stands outdoors, smiling at the camera.\" class=\"restdept1745\" \/>\n\n\n<\/div><div class=\"smcm-dh-label-container\"><a class=\"smcm-dh-name\" href=\"https:\/\/inside.smcm.edu\/directory\/pamela-mertz\">Pamela Mertz<\/a><p>Professor of Biochemistry | Director of Health Professions Advising<\/p><a class=\"smcm-dh-email\" href=\"mailto:psmertz@smcm.edu\">psmertz@smcm.edu<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Health Professions Advising at SMCM Health Professions Advising provides guidance to students interested in preparing for graduate programs in health care. We advise students from any major who are interested in a career in the health professions, and we also work with alumni. Health Professions Advising holds periodic information meetings, working with the pre-health club, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":245,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"full-width-content","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1942","page","type-page","status-publish","entry"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smcm.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1942","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smcm.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smcm.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smcm.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/245"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smcm.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1942"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.smcm.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1942\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2133,"href":"https:\/\/www.smcm.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1942\/revisions\/2133"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smcm.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1942"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}