How Health Professions Advising [HPA] helps Virginia Tech students and alumni: HPA at Virginia Tech assists students and alumni exploring health care careers, and preparing to apply to professional schools for medicine, dentistry, optometry, pharmacy, chiropractic, occupational therapy, nursing, physician assistant, veterinary medicine, and other health professions.
Who can use HPA: Any Virginia Tech student, alumna, or alumnus, in any major, can use our services. Although the majority of health professions students choose to major in a science field, it is not required. We encourage you to connect with us during your first year at Virginia Tech.
Advising and Getting Started
All advising, whether by appointment or drop-in, is a one-on-one meeting with a professional advisor.
Advising Appointments:
- Usually 30 minutes long.
- Offered year round, Monday through Friday from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm (excluding dates university or CPD are closed).
- Offered by Zoom, in person, or by phone.
- If your schedule permits, we encourage you to attend a Getting Started on the Pre-Health Pathway session before your individual appointment.
Scheduling:
- Handshake schedule a new appointment. (You’ll be prompted for your VT log in.)
Choose a category.
Choose the appointment type for “Healthcare and Health Sciences.”
Select date(s) with appointments available, and follow prompts to schedule. - If you encounter technical difficulties with online scheduling, call HPA: 540-231-7287.
If you call outside office hours, or otherwise reach voicemail, leave a message.
Canceling:
If you subsequently realize you cannot attend the appointment you scheduled, cancel on Handshake or call 540-231-7287, so that the advising time is available to another person who needs it.
Drop-In Dates and Hours:
- 10 minute drop-in advising is available on the days and times below when the university is open:
- Tuesdays from 1:30 – 2:30 pm ET
- Wednesdays from 11:30 am – 12:30 pm ET
- Thursdays from 3:30 – 4:30 pm ET
Zoom link for drop-in waiting room; from there you’ll be moved to a one-on-one meeting.
Join the HPA Hub on Canvas
- Please complete the brief enrollment form to be added to the HPA Hub on Canvas to be notified of events and opportunities of interest and to access informative materials.
HPA Staff
- Ms. Emily Vedder | Associate Director for Health Professions & Pre-Law Advising
- Ms. Katherine Murphy | Assistant Director for Health Professions Advising
- Ms. Patricia Hughes | Administrative Operations for Health Professions Advising
Contact Us
For questions or administrative assistance:
- Email HPA@vt.edu, OR
- Call 540-231-7287
[Leave a message if you call outside of office hours or we’re on another call.] - We’ll respond to messages and emails during office hours.
Office Location
Health Professions Advising is a service within Career and Professional Development, located in the Smith Career Center on the Blacksburg campus.
HPA FAQs about getting admitted, undergraduate academic preparation, getting experience, and the application process.
HPA Events
- HPA offers opportunities to meet with health professionals, professional school reps, and sessions to prepare for interviews and write application materials.
- To receive information about events, complete this brief enrollment form. We will add you to the HPA Hub so you’ll receive notices of events.
Exploring Health Careers
- Explore Health Careers includes the specific professions listed below (and more):
- 1-credit, A-F graded
- Fall semester only
- Wednesdays from 5:30-6:20pm, in-person
- Open to any interested Virginia Tech student
- A variety of health professionals and admissions officers speak to the class about careers, preparation, and admission processes.
Preparing and Applying to Professional Schools
Undergraduate preparation
- Timeline: what to do from first year through senior year of your undergrad program.
- Academic, extra-curricular, and co-curricular prep.
- FAQs about getting admitted, undergraduate academic preparation, getting experience, and the application process.
Common prerequisite coursework by profession
- Prerequisite coursework varies both by profession and by the specific institution offering the professional degree.
- Students are encouraged to review graduate school admissions requirements of each institution and program of interest to ensure completion of prerequisite coursework.
- Some Virginia Tech courses may be restricted to students from specific majors during certain terms. Please consult with your academic advisor if you have questions about how this could affect your academic plan.
- View academic preparation with common prerequisite courses by profession.
Applying, admission exams, letters of recommendation
- Tips and resources
- Admission exams
- Letters of recommendation
- FAQs about getting admitted, undergraduate academic preparation, getting experience, and the application process.
Health Professions Evaluation Committee [HPEC]
Many health professional schools/programs expect, encourage, or accept, as part of the admission application process, a “committee letter of evaluation” (also known as a “committee letter”) written by personnel in the applicant’s undergraduate institution. The Health Professions Evaluation Committee (HPEC) at Virginia Tech are personnel who write these committee letters. The HPEC writes such letters only after a process which includes a formal interview with the student-applicant.
Admission Opportunities and Agreements
The following opportunities are available to Virginia Tech graduates who meet certain criteria. Please note, applying to one of the programs below does not bind an applicant to accept an offer of admission should one be presented.
A guaranteed admission agreement or opportunity means that a college, university, or professional school program guarantees admission to individuals who meet certain criteria, including admission and application requirements.
- George Washington University School of Nursing
- Old Dominion University: Physical Therapy
- University of Virginia School of Nursing, Information is under Admission Requirements at the bottom of the page.
- Radford University College of Nursing
Some professional schools may offer priority admission status, a guaranteed interview, an accelerated timeline to degree, or other opportunities to qualified Virginia Tech graduates. Read about the different opportunities below:
Contact Us
Email HPA@vt.edu, OR
Call 540-231-7287
Connect & Stay Informed
Virginia Tech Community Spotlight
This section will feature stories about Virginia Tech students, faculty/staff, and programs that highlight the Healthcare and Health Sciences pathway. Each article was published in Virginia Tech News.
No-cost menstrual product dispensers promote accessibility on campus
Class of 2025: Neena O’Mara finds purpose through service and a future in medicine
Virginia Tech Rescue Squad receives first place, MERIT status at national conference
