On August 21, the pre-health community had the chance to network with new and familiar faces as the Pre-Health Advising office started the semester off with their annual Pre-Health Kickoff. Students interested in the health professions, from medicine to dentistry to physical therapy, showed up to learn more about what pre-health looks like at Georgia Tech. Participants were able to network with current students who are more than willing to pass their knowledge on to others. At the event, there were over 250 students – a new record for this event.

The event was held in two parts: a panel with current students to share their pre-health journeys at Georgia Tech and a tabling session where pre-health organizations and other GT campus support service were able to reach new students with their exciting opportunities. The panel included five students, each from a different pre-health track: pre-MD, MD/PhD, DMD, PA, and PT. Their diverse backgrounds, combined with their unique experiences at Georgia Tech, enabled a great panel where no question from the audience landed on deaf ears.

The pre-health organizations that tabled expressed an appreciation for having a space to connect with the new incoming students and reconnect with returning club members. Attendees flocked to all of the booths and had a small, optional questionnaire to fill out as they spoke with different organizations. Completed questionnaires were entered into a raffle for Georgia Tech merchandise and Pre-Health Advising awarded a full MCAT Kaplan Test Prep course for a lucky winner planning to take the exam soon!

There is no better time to be pre-health at Georgia Tech than right now. Pre-Health Advising has been taking initiatives for the last several years – kickoff events included – to grow the pre-health community at a school long known for its engineering programs. The pre-health community has continued to grow under the leadership of Francisco Castelan, the Assistant Director for Pre-Health Advising, and the great work of the Pre-Health Advising team that is committed to building a support system for students pursuing any of the diverse careers in medicine and healthcare. 

Students who have any pre-health questions or want to know more about being pre-health at Georgia Tech should take advantage of the daily drop-in hours (Monday-Friday) with a pre-health advisor or schedule an appointment. All students pursuing careers in the health professions are invited to register with the Pre-Health Canvas site, where they can find a wealth of resources that can help their pre-health journey and supplement their pre-health advising appointments. All current students (undergraduate and graduate), as well as alumni, can find information for joining the Pre-Health Canvas site and the daily drop-in hours on the Pre-Health Advising home page: www.prehealth.gatech.edu.