Health Professions and Prelaw Advising (HPPLA) offers advising support to all students on the IUB campus who are interested in pursuing careers in law, medicine, and other health professions. Staff offer specialized, up-to-date expertise on different fields to help students from any background, major, or school plan their path forward and become competitive applicants for professional programs.
HPPLA helps students tell their unique stories and find their confidence
There are no specific majors that are required for successful admission into law school, medical school, and professional programs in healthcare. HPPLA’s position as a central resource on campus benefits all students, regardless of their school or major. Kelley School of Business students might decide to go on to law school. Students in the Jacobs School of Music or engineering students in Luddy might plan to go to medical school. Students with theatre or Spanish majors may find they can use their skills to enhance communication with patients in different healthcare areas. All of these students can succeed in their applications to professional school, with proper guidance, planning, and support from HPPLA advisors.
HPPLA helps students at all stages prepare for the admissions process through advising on coursework, extracurricular experiences, letters of recommendation, and application essays. First-year students can explore their interests in law and healthcare and start to chart their paths forward. They can discuss with an advisor why they are interested in these fields. What sub-specialties of law or medicine interest them? Do they want to work with patients, and if so, how? Advanced students approaching the application process meet more frequently as they prepare their materials and submit applications.
Director Rachel Tolen most enjoys helping students write their personal statements and tell their stories effectively. Writing and reflecting on their experiences helps students learn how to articulate their motivations and explain the paths they’ve taken to get to this point. Not only does this offer an opportunity to get to know students better, but Rachel also sees actual growth take place between writing the first draft and completing the final version. Writing a personal statement gives students clarity and a sense of purpose, and Rachel can see students become more confident in their futures as they complete their applications.
The support HPPLA provides can also change student trajectories. One student came to Rachel at a point when she had completed a good chunk of coursework and earned several C’s in organic chemistry courses. The student faced challenges while taking courses, working 30 hrs/week, and taking care of a family member. Rachel advised her on additional courses to take and helped her develop her application, and the student was successfully admitted to medical school. After her first year, she followed up with Rachel to express how much it meant that someone had believed in her. She was now at the top of her class and had been awarded a scholarship.
According to Rachel, “This situation taught me to be humble. Every student we meet with is in the middle of a process, and we cannot always know what the future will show. Sometimes what someone needs the most is encouragement at the right time.”
What’s new: Strategies to ameliorate student anxiety in the age of information
Students now have access to so much information about the application process, but some of it can create self-doubt. There are online forums for pre-med students on Reddit, and sometimes the discussion contributes to inflated expectations about what is needed to be a successful applicant. Incorrect information is also sometimes shared. Students can get the sense that it’s a hyper-competitive process, making it feel daunting to apply. If a student consults AI for personal statement advice they sometimes receive feedback that suggests their essay should be more like everyone else’s, when they should be presenting their own unique story.
Because of all this competing guidance, HPPLA advisors spend more time in advising appointments providing reassurance to students, encouraging them to access individualized help. Getting involved in the wider community also can help students feel more engaged.
HPPLA is offering more personal statement writing workshops in the 2025-26 academic year. These workshops incorporate an exercise where students will be instructed to reflect on their own experiences and use a pen and paper to record their observations, as a starting point for their personal statements. The workshops encourage students to write authentically and personally instead of just trying to match existing examples.
Finally, as career opportunities shift, Rachel Tolen expects there may be more students seeking professional careers in law and health. HPPLA will continue to work closely with students and other partners on campus, including advisors in science departments, the School of Public Health, 21st Century Scholars, Hutton Honors, Career Exploration & Student Employment, and more to meet these demands.
Thank you! HPPLA is…
Rachel Tolen, Director and Premed Advisor
Diana “Di” Dingman, Senior Preprofessional Advisor
Jared Anderson, Preprofessional Advisor
Anna Zimmerman, Preprofessional Advisor
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