Career Success Pre-Professional Advising

Pre-Professional Advising at Purdue

Explore | Prepare | Apply

Essentially this is how we help students.

  • Explore your career options in health and law fields.
  • Prepare to be competitive applicants.
  • Apply as academically strong and well-rounded students.

Our office welcomes students from all majors. Ideally you will meet with us every semester while  preparing for professional school. With such busy lives, we know that isn't always possible so we have placed a lot of information in our Learning Center--not to replace us--but to offer a starting place for when you just can't make it into the office until next semester.

Pre-Professional Advisors

Amy Terstriep

Amy Terstriep, Ph.D.

Director of Pre-Professional Advising, aterstri@purdue.edu

Purdue's Director of Pre-Professional Advising came to Purdue in 2007 after 10 years of Albion College in Michigan. At Albion, she taught in the Anthropology and Sociology Department for several years, ran the Institute for Pre-Medical and Health Care Studies for five years, and finally worked as the Associate Registrar. Her academic background is in medical anthropology and her research interests include the genetics of deafness as well as Deaf culture. As part of her training she took courses in medical, dental, and veterinary schools as well as nursing and public health programs.

Cristy Gosney

Cristy Gosney, MFA

Senior Pre-Professional Advisor, crgosney@purdue.edu

Cristy grew up in the area and graduated from Purdue with a degree in English and Creative Writing. She completed a Master of Fine Arts degree in poetry writing at University of Massachusetts-Amherst. She has worked at Purdue for 20 years, primarily in advising and program management.

Cara Hines-Pham

Cara Hines-Pham

Pre-Professional Advisor, cshines@purdue.edu

As an undergraduate, Cara studied English, literature, history, and German. After completing two degrees, she began working in Student Services. A master's degree in Education with a concentration in multiculturalism seemed a natural progression. During her time at Purdue University, Cara has served in a variety of roles at the Black Cultural Center and in Residential Life before joining Pre-Professional Advising in 2016.

Our PPA Graduate Assistant

 Hannah's headshot

Hannah Schafer

Graduate Professional Assistant, hschafe@purdue.edu 

Hannah is a current graduate student in the Clinical Doctorates of Audiology program. She joined the PPA office in Summer 2024 and enjoys hearing all about students' unique involvements and healthcare interests as she supports their journey to professional school! 

PPA's Amazing Ambassadors

Our ambassadors are a vital part of our office. They help us at Purdue recruiting events, speak with us in classes, and represent our office around campus. We rely on them for feedback about services and for suggestions. In return, they gain important skills they can use to demonstrate competencies in their professional applications such as social skills, communication skills, cultural competency, reliability, and professionalism.

Read profiles of our Ambassadors here.

Interested in being an ambassador? Email preprofessional@purdue.edu and we'll reply with information about the upcoming application cycle. 

Courses Taught by PPA Staff

Both courses offered in the Fall and Spring semesters

GS 49000: Law School Exploration

Law School Exploration is a 10-week, online, synchronous class meeting weekly for 75 minutes. Students explore legal career paths, learn how to apply to law school, and how to build a competitive application. They gain advice and insight about legal careers, education and application from guest speakers including lawyers, current law students, and law school admissions professionals.

BIOL 39600: Pre-Medicine/Pre-Health Planning Seminar

This course is for students who are nearing their application to healthcare programs (sophomores, juniors, seniors). For students, the process of applying to healthcare programs can take over a year, cost thousands of dollars, and cause sleepless nights and a lot of stress. This class offers information and strategies for developing a competitive application and, hopefully, applying with as little stress as possible. Preparing for national admission tests, completing online applications, writing personal statements, professional school interviews, and requesting letters of recommendation will be covered. Students will also formulate an alternative career plan and draft a personal statement. The class is open to all pre-health students.

PPA + CCO = Career Success

Pre-Professional Advising (PPA) is part of the Center for Career Opportunities (CCO). Together our offices are known as Career Success. 

Pre-Professional Advising

The focus of PPA is on law and healthcare careers.

PPA Appointments

Health/Law Career Exploration Appointments

  • Not sure whether law school is right for you?
  • Thinking you want to go into healthcare but can't decide between medicine, physician assistant, or public health?
  • Want to learn more about the fields, where to find additional resources, and what to consider?
  • Looking to learn more about the requirements for various fields?
  • See PPA.

Health/Law Progress Check-In Appointments

  • Currently a pre-professional student and want to make sure you are staying on track with the things you need to do?
  • Want to discuss timing of activities and future application?
  • Looking for reliable information and resources?
  • Hoping to pursue study abroad and need to figure out how to fit that in?
  • See PPA.

Health/Law School Application Appointments

  • Need to learn the ins and outs of applying to professional school?
  • Figuring out how to prepare for national admission tests?
  • Not sure how to decide where to apply?
  • Need help with your application timeline?
  • Determining who to ask for letters and how to do that?
  • See PPA.

Health/Law Personal Statement Appointments*

  • Have lots of ideas but you're having trouble pulling those thoughts together?
  • Unsure where to even begin?
  • See PPA.

*If you need your personal statement reviewed, you do NOT need an appointment. Email your personal statement to preprofessional@purdue.edu and one of us will email you comments.

Health Mock Interview Appointments

  • Preparing for an upcoming interview? Start in our Interview section of the Learning Center.
  • When you have completed some basic preparation, make a mock interview appointment.
  • Once again, see PPA.

 

Center for Career Opportunities (CCO)

Career/Major Exploration Appointments

  • Not sure your major is the best fit for you?
  • No clue what to do after college?
  • See CCO.

Job Search Strategy Appointments

  • Looking for an internship?
  • Not sure how to begin looking for a job?
  • Need tips on preparing for your job interview?
  • Unsure about how to negotiate a job offer?
  • See CCO.

Graduate School Planning Appointments

  • Want to apply to a graduate program that is NOT in a healthcare or law field?
  • Need advice on choosing schools?
  • Looking for help on how to create a competitive application?
  • See CCO.

CCO Quickchats

  • Looking for someone to review your resume, CV or cover letter?
  • Need help setting up a professional LinkedIn account?
  • Unsure how to get the most out of your myCCO account?
  • Want to practice for a job interview with a peer mock interview?
  • See CCO.