Welcome to the Health Sciences & Medicine Career Community!

Are you passionate about advancing health and improving lives? The Health Sciences & Medicine Career Community connects you with opportunities to learn more about careers in healthcare, medical research, and public health.

Explore resources to help you gain hands-on experience, understand career pathways, and develop the skills needed to make a difference in the lives of others.

On this page, explore…

  • Blog posts with tips, tricks, and nuggets of wisdom about this industry
  • Previews of relevant job and internship opportunities through Handshake
  • Day-in-the-life videos from real professionals in the field
  • Short, hands-on experiences that can offer a little applied knowledge
  • Additional online resources and tools to help you learn and be set up for success as you explore related career paths
students talking at a university check in

Potential Careers

Medical School Entrance Exams

Test: MCAT (Medical College Admission Test)

Who Needs to Take it: All applicants to U.S. allopathic (MD) and osteopathic (DO) medical schools.

Content:

  • Biological and biochemical foundations of living systems
  • Chemical and physicals foundations of biological systems
  • Critical analysis and reasoning skills
  • Psychological, social, and biological foundations of behavior

Physician Assistant (PA) School Entrance Exams

Test: GRE (Graduate Record Examination)

Who Needs to Take it: Many, but not all, PA programs require the GRE.

Content:

  • Verbal reasoning
  • Quantitative reasoning
  • Analytical writing

Alternative: Some PA programs may not require the GRE or may accept other exams, depending on the school.

Nursing School Entrance Exams

Test: TEAS (Test of Essential Academic Skills)

Who Needs to Take it: Many nursing schools use the TEAS as an entrance exam for BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) programs

  • Reading
  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • English and language usage

Test: HESI (Health Education Systems, Inc.) Admission Assessment Exam

Who Needs to Take It: Some nursing schools require the HESI exam for entry.

Content:

  • Math
  • Reading comprehension
  • Vocabulary
  • Grammar
  • Science sections

Test: NLN PAX (National League for Nursing Pre-Admission Exam)

Who needs to Take it: Some nursing schools require the NLN PAX exam for entry.

Content

  • Verbal ability
  • Mathematics
  • Science

Dental School Entrance Exams

Test: DAT (Dental Admission Test)

Who Needs to Take it: All applicants to U.S. dental schools

  • Natural sciences (biology, chemistry)
  • Perceptual ability
  • Reading comprehension
  • Quantitative reasoning

Abbie Simister’s Path to P.A School

Abbie Simister is a senior at SVU (2026) who just got accepted into P.A school and is planning to matriculate this fall. She has some fantastic advice about how she got into P.A school

P.A. Schools only have the G.R.E …

By Lauren Vestel
Lauren Vestel Peer Career Coach
Read more

Med School and MCAT Prep: Advice from a Med Student

Will Fawcett is a student at the Oklahoma State College of Osteopathic Medicine. Right before he started his undergraduate premed years, he was recruited to play football at SVU but ended up at BYU instead. He still loves our school, …

By Lauren Vestel
Lauren Vestel Peer Career Coach
Read more

Career Resources

A number of organizations, including some with personal connections to SVU, provide opportunities to engage globally in providing care or …

RAM clinics are a great way to gain experience and volunteer hours. Check out RAM’s website for the scheduled clinics …

Navigating the path to a healthcare profession can be overwhelming, but having the right resources makes all the difference. Whether …

Looking to put in some shadowing hours? RAHC provides shadowing opportunities in medical, dental, and behavioral sciences. If interested reach …

Contact & Location

Phone
​(540) 261-8461
Address

Main Hall 219
One University Hill Dr.
Buena Vista, VA 24416

Career Service Hours

Day of the week
Daily Walk-In Extra Launch Center Events
Monday 9 am - 1:30 pm (Appointments)  
Tuesday 12 pm - 4 pm (Takeoff Tuesday) Takeoff Tuesday 12 pm - 4 pm
Wednesday 9 am - 3:30 pm (Appointments)  
Thursday 11 am - 4 pm (Appointments)  
Friday By appointment only  

Walk-in Hours - Every week in Main 219