Bard Health Professions Advising (HPA) provides advice and support for prospective, incoming, and current students, as well as alumni/ae, who are interested in pursuing health professions careers.
What We Do
Bard HPA provides guidance in:
Course selection to fulfill professional school requirements
Career path and alternative career path selection
How to obtain relevant research and practical experience related to the profession of interest
Interview and resume preparation
This curricular and cocurricular planning is conducted in collaboration with the student’s academic adviser.
What We Do
HPA outreach events and small group workshops provide opportunities for students to learn about the various health professions and strategies for preparing for professional school. In addition, HPA provides a committee letter of evaluation in support of applications to professional schools to students who have an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher and for alumni/ae who are within three years of graduation at the time of application submission.
Course Planning
Choose your own course of study.
Students select an individually designed path into the health professions depending on their academic interests, major, and career plans. This course of study prepares them well for medical school and other health professions. Bard students have been accepted into medical and dental school as biology, chemistry, mathematics, psychology, and other majors. There are no formal requirements to pursue a major suitable for the health professions other than the course, Moderation, and Senior Project requirements for the chosen major, which can be found in the College catalogue or on the respective program website.
Sample Four-Year Course Plan
Bard College offers students an individually designed path into the health professions depending on their academic interests, major, and career plans.
In general, the key is to start with one year of General Chemistry, followed by Organic Chemistry and then Biochemistry. This sequence is the most restrictive element in preparing for medical school, but beyond this sequence, courses are free to vary. Alternative plans will likely require some summer coursework or post-bac work.
Class sizes vary, with the maximum size typically being about 24 and the minimum typically about six (except for classes in the performing arts or tutorials that may be individual or in groups of two or more students).
Click below to download a prototypical prehealth course plan.
Find out test dates, registration deadlines and fees, and additional information about the MCAT on the website of the Association of American Medical Colleges.
In addition to consulting with advisers and faculty, the following links may be helpful to consider in determining whether a career in a health profession is right for you.
Health Professions Adviser Frank Scalzo’s office is located in Preston 101. To schedule an appointment or find out more about health professions advising at Bard, please email scalzo@bard.edu or call 845-758-7222.
Advisory Committee, 2019–20
Frank Scalzo, Health Professions Adviser and Associate Professor of Psychology
David Shein, Dean of Studies
Maureen Aurigemma, Director, Career Development
Jane Brien ’89, Director, Alumni/ae Affairs
Arseny Khakhalin, Assistant Professor of Biology
Career Development Office
The Bard Career Development Office is another excellent resource in preparing for a health-related career.