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Are you a helpful, compassionate individual? Do you enjoy working on teams to help others? Would you like a career improving the physical, emotional, and cultural health of patients? If so, then the Health Careers Center at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities was created for students just like you.
The Health Careers Center is a unique student resource center that offers workshops and information sessions regarding careers in health.
Pursuing a health career can be thrilling, challenging, and fulfilling, but it can also be overwhelming. Emily Johnson, an aspiring physician, can testify to that. "I had so many questions," she says. "What should you do to get into med school? How long is med school? What do you have to do after med school?"
Johnson, a biochemistry and physiology double major in the class of 2007, works closely with the staff at the Health Careers Center to plan for her future.
"I would not be as far or as educated about the field as I am now, if I hadn't discovered the Health Careers Center," Johnson says.
 The Health Careers Center is a one-stop shop for students seeking information about health careers and about applying to graduate a professional programs like medical, nursing, dental, pharmacy, or veterinary school. With such a wealth of academic, internship, and volunteer opportunities in the Twin Cities, students often need assistance finding the right learning experiences.
"There's so many opportunities at the U [of M], and especially in the Twin Cities," says Johnson. "It's really a cultural hot spot and there's so many ways you can get involved with different people."
Judy Beniak, director of the Health Careers Center, encourages students to explore opportunities and options as soon as possible. Beniak's staff helped Johnson secure a volunteer position at Fairview-University hospital. Johnson also works in a University of Minnesota research lab. These experiences, in combination with her rigorous coursework, are helping Johnson become a competitive medical school applicant.
"I think you need to aim high," says Beniak. "I think that if you really care about people, and you really care about community, then this group of careers is a good place to be."
What can you do right now to prepare for a career in health care? Beniak offers the following suggestions.
- Talk with caregivers that you know. Whether your uncle is a pharmacist, your neighbor is a veterinarian, or your friend's mother is a dietician, you probably know someone who works in health care. Meet over coffee to discuss different aspects of his or her career, or request permission to shadow the person at work. Learn as much as you can about life as a caregiver.
- Take demanding courses in high school and hone your time-management skills. You will be better prepared for a challenging curriculum in college. It is important to continue taking math and science courses through your senior year of high school.
- Join a student group such as the Health Occupation Student Association (HOSA). Many of these groups do coursework and career exploration at the high school level.
- Visit the Health Careers Center at the University of Minnesota. Health career information sessions are offered as part of campus tours on Mondays or Fridays. To make a reservation, call our VISITLINE at 612-625-0000 or 800-752-1000, or go to http://admissions.tc.umn.edu/visits.
The Health Careers Center is a service provided by the Academic Health Center at the University of Minnesota, which offers an unparalleled variety of health career opportunities. Bachelor's degrees are offered in dental hygiene, medical technology, mortuary science, nursing, nutrition, and speech & hearing science. Master's degrees are offered in genetic counseling, health care administration, occupational therapy, nursing, and public health. Doctoral degrees are offered in dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, physical therapy and veterinary medicine.
For more information about the Health Careers Center, and to explore various health care fields, visit www.healthcareers.umn.edu.
The Health Careers Center is located in 2-565 Moos Tower. You may enter Moos Tower from Washington Avenue, between Church Street and Harvard Street on the East Bank campus.
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