purdue university health professions advising
Services Provided

Located in 1-123 Lilly Hall, the Office of Health Professions Advising is one of the main sources on campus for information about health careers, requirements for specific careers, and applying to professional programs in healthcare. The office also offers a professional file service that stores and distributes students' collected letters of recommendation to professional programs. Most of the resources developed by the office are available to other advisors on campus, so students can begin their search for information with their academic advisors and this Web site.

Students from all majors and with interests in any health care field are welcomed and encouraged to make use of the Office of Health Professions Advising as a supplement to their academic advising. Appointments can be made by calling (765) 494-4747. Students can also e-mail Amy Terstriep, the Health Professions Advisor, directly at prehealth@purdue.edu.


Meet the Health Professions Advisor
Besides developing advising materials such as the Career Guides and Advising Information Pages found here, the Health Professions Advisor provides workshops on topics such as Applying to Medical School and Professional School Interviews, writes a newsletter (that can be found on the Web site), and meets individually with students to discuss their future plans and options.

Purdue's Health Professions Advisor is Amy Terstriep, PhD. Terstriep came to Purdue after 10 years at Albion College in Michigan. As an advisor, she helps students learn about different health careers including information about job tasks, the job outlook, the necessary prerequisite courses and aptitude tests, and any other credentials needed to apply. She also assists students during the application process to professional schools to help them make informed decisions and to put together the strongest application possible. As a resource person on campus, she provides information for prospective students and their families, alerts advisors to changes in professional school requirements, and tracks applicant information to improve the services offered at Purdue.

At Albion, Dr. Terstriep 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 included the genetics of deafness as well as clinical and technological approaches to working with deaf people. As part of her training she took courses in medical, dental, and veterinary schools as well as nursing and public health programs.