Last modified: Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Annual IU Bloomington Health Programs Fair to take place March 2
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 22, 2011
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Students considering a career in health care can learn about a wide variety of options on Wednesday, March 2 at the 2011 Indiana University Bloomington Health Programs Fair. The fair will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Alumni Hall of the Indiana Memorial Union.
The fair -- which is free and open to the public -- will feature representatives of more than 100 schools, programs and organizations who will meet with students and answer questions about educational and career opportunities. Health care fields represented will range from podiatry and medical physics to respiratory therapy and public health and will include professions in direct patient care, laboratory work, administration, information technology and other areas.
"Speaking with representatives at the fair gives IU students a rare chance to get a glimpse into the competitive admissions process," said Rachel Tolen, assistant director of the IU Bloomington Health Professions and Prelaw Center. "Learning more about what medical schools and health programs consider important can help students know how to prepare to be strong applicants."
More than 900 students attended the Health Programs Fair last year, and large crowds are expected again this year.
This year students will have a special opportunity to meet with a representative of the new Indiana University Physician Assistant program and learn more about a growing health-care profession. Offered through the IU School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, and in partnership with the IU School of Medicine, it is one of a relatively small number of PA programs partnered with a medical school. IU PA students will even attend courses alongside medical students.
Students will have the opportunity at the fair to speak with representatives of other PA programs, including all four offered within the state of Indiana.
"Attending the fair is an eye-opening experience for many students" Tolen said. "Some students come planning only to meet with one school, and once they are at the fair they end up learning about other programs, and new health-care fields they were not even aware existed."
Some health professions require only an undergraduate degree, while others may require extensive graduate-level study. Representatives from IU academic departments will be on hand to discuss majors and courses that can help prepare students for medicine and other health fields.
For some health professions, students need to obtain volunteer experience with community organizations to be competitive program applicants. At the Health Programs Fair, students can find information on health-related clubs, community organizations and volunteer opportunities in the Bloomington area.
The fair is organized by the Health Professions and Prelaw Center, a unit of the Office of the Vice Provost of Undergraduate Education and University Division, and is co-sponsored by the IU departments of Applied Health Science, Biology, Chemistry, Human Biology, Kinesiology, Nursing, Physics, Psychological and Brain Sciences, Sociology and Speech and Hearing Sciences.
For more information on the Health Programs Fair, including lists of professions and of schools and programs that will be represented, see https://www.hpplc.indiana.edu/medicine/med-hpf.shtml. For questions, contact HPPLC at 812-855-1873 or hpplc@indiana.edu.
