1st Year
The Road Ahead — Your Journey Begins Today!
At Duke University, we have a Health Professions Advising team with one goal — enabling your success. Here’s a simple checklist for your First Year. Use this list to get started on the right path:
- Attend the Office of Health Professions Advising’s Prehealth Orientation.
- Sign up for your myHPA account. Monitor the events calendar.
- Meet with your First Year Prehealth Advisor. Join the HPA listserv.
- Choose a major that interests you, and then identify the best way to sequence your prehealth required courses within that major.
- Focus on completing your first courses with distinction.
- Engage rigorously. Learn for the love of learning.
- Develop strong relationships with your professors. Look for research projects.
- If you experience problems in any of your courses, get help early. Don’t wait.
- Get involved in student groups. Join them. Give leadership.
- Join one of the several student medical organizations based on a range of common interests. Find other students with your same interests.
- Volunteer and explore medicine. Start with the Health Careers Exploration Program (HCEP).
- Apply for summer experiences that will broaden and develop your interest in medicine.