Resource Roundup: Which Healthcare Career is Right for Me?

If you're looking into postbac programs, chances are you are already pretty certain that you want to pursue a career in some sort of medicine, but it may not be obvious to you which type of healthcare career is the best fit for you. You may be asking yourself: should I be an MD? DO? DDS? DPT? NP? It can be an overwhelming and daunting task to zero in on exactly what you want to do.

While there's no substitute for speaking with current professionals in these various careers and seeing, first-hand the work they do in different healthcare settings, here are a few resources to help you get started:

1) Explorehealthcareers.org: This site offers a large array of resources regarding  virtually every type of health career, including salary statistics, education requirements and professional profiles. 

2) Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC): Aspiring Docs: Learn about the med school application process and decide if medical school is right for you. Be sure to check out the career options page, in particular. 

3)  American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine: Great resources on becoming an Osteopathic Physician. 

4) American Dental Education Association- Go Dental: Everything you need to know about potentially becoming a dentist. 

5) American Physical Therapy Association: Their section on information for prospective students helps you learn all about careers in physical therapy.

6) Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges: The student portal contains a plethora of information on pursuing veterinary medicine.

Are there other resources that helped you with your decision to pursue a a particular career in healthcare? Please include them in the comments section!

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Want to make 2015 the year you start pursuing your dream career in medicine? Applications for our 2015-2016 postbac premed class are still being accepted on a rolling basis. Apply early for your best chance at securing one of our limited spots.

Student Profile- Matthew Shore

Welcome to our new blog! We are excited to launch by introducing you to one of our current postbac premed students, Matthew Shore. Over the next few months, we will be featuring a number of our students to give you a sense of the wonderful talent we have here at Bar-Ilan. What other content can you look forward to from us? Check back soon for resources on making the transition to a career in healthcare, your medical school applications, highlights of the Bar-Ilan postbac experience, life as a student in Israel and the occasional organic chemistry joke. Have any questions or suggestions? Please don't hesitate to be in touch.

5 Questions with...Matthew Shore!

Matthew Shore is originally from Great Neck, New York and is a member of the 2014-2015 Postbac Premed class at Bar-Ilan. He graduated from Columbia University in the spring of 2014, with a degree in Psychology and Jewish Law, through the dual degree program with the Jewish Theological Seminary. While studying at Bar-Ilan, he is also volunteering at Schenider Children's Medical Center and training to be a first responder with Magen David Adom. 

1) What inspired you to make the shift into medicine? 
When I was the only one who stayed until the end of an autopsy at the Nassau County Medical Examiner's Office a couple of years ago, I realized there was something there.... Then, participating in a shadowing program at the North Shore-LIJ Health System last year confirmed my interest in medicine and in particular got me excited about hospital-based medicine.

2) Why did you choose the Bar-Ilan Postbac Premed Program? 
Because I could advance my career while interacting with everything I studied for my Jewish Law degree by living in Israel - the best of both worlds.

3) Five words to describe you: 
Adventurous, excited, humorous, happy, and outgoing

4) What has been your favorite thing about being in Israel so far?
Being able to look out the window and picture my ancestors walking and navigating the land I'm looking at many, many years ago.

5) What is one item from home you couldn’t live without and brought with you to Israel? 
My NYC Service Nalgene water bottle that I got during my internship at the NYC Mayor's Office a few years ago. It symbolizes my interest in service and ensures I don't harm Israel's environment by consuming disposable water bottles.

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To learn more about the Bar-Ilan postbac premed experience, including applying to be a part of our 2015-2016 class, visit: BarIlanPremed.com